“Jesus, Sam.” He dropped her hand. “Did I hurt you?”

Just seeing him hurt right then. She’d walked away from D.C. for a reason.  She sure hadn’t intended to be seeing Blake again anytime soon. Just looking into his eyes made her feel as if someone had ripped open her heart.

The way he’d stared at her…back in D.C. When he’d found her, half-naked, covered in blood… Samantha cleared her throat. “Why are you here?” she asked him again.

“Because I need you.”

Those words were rough. All rumbly. Her eyes raked over him. She didn’t think he meant that he needed her in a personal way. No, he had to mean—

“He’s back.”  A muscle flexed along Blake’s square jaw.  “He’s doing it again.”

For an instant, her heart stopped.  She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.  And then… “No!” A fierce denial. With that cry, her heart began to race in her chest. Her breath came in quick pants. Even though sweat covered her from the run, Samantha was suddenly freezing. “You’re wrong.”

“I wish that I was. Cameron Latham is hunting again. Playing his sick games. Doing his experiments.”

Her chill grew worse.

“And I need you to help me stop him.”

She shook her head. “You came to the wrong woman. I’m not FBI any longer.” Like he’d need that reminder.

“You’re the right woman. You exactly the woman I need.”

Her body was so tense her muscles ached.

“No one knows Cameron Latham like you do.”

Her cheeks burned. Yes, she knew him intimately.

“You can stop him, Samantha. You can build a new profile on him. You were in his head before and I know you can get right back there again.”

She looked away from Blake and grabbed for the handle of her car door. She yanked it open—

“Unless you don’t want to stop him.”

Her shoulders stiffened.

“Bass still thinks you let Cameron walk. He doesn’t believe that you wanted to put your lover behind bars.”

“Ex-lover.”  How many times had she said that? She glanced up at him, knowing that a glare would be on her face. “As I’ve said before, Cameron and I hadn’t been involved that way in a long time.” She climbed into the car. Her hands fisted around the steering wheel.

“Why not?”

His question was so low that she barely heard it.

And since she was already walking on the tight-rope of a whole give-him-hell attitude, she offered her former partner a grim smile. Why not? “Because of you, of course.  I met you and didn’t want to be with anyone else.”

His shock was plain to see.

Before he could ask any other questions—questions she didn’t want to answer—Samantha yanked the car door closed. She started the vehicle and headed out of the lot, leaving Blake behind.

She didn’t start shaking until she was nearly home, but then the trembles came, rocking her whole body.  He’s doing it again. She hoped that Blake was wrong. He had to be wrong.

Because if Cameron was hunting again, it would only be a matter of time before he came after her.

***

ONLY 3 MORE DAYS! AFTER THE DARK will be available on 3/28/17! 

AFTER THE DARK will be available in less than a week! I’m so excited for readers to have the chance to read this story.  If you’re on GoodReads, be sure to enter the AFTER THE DARK ARC giveaway–Harlequin has 40 Advanced Reader Copies of the book up for grabs:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

After the Dark

by Cynthia Eden

Giveaway ends March 25, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

I’ve got special news for readers…a free book!!

For a limited time, THE GATHERING DUSK is free at all major ebook retailers.

Don’t miss the heart-pounding prequel novella to bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s new Killer Instinct series!

When untried FBI profiler Samantha Dark is face-to-face with a killer, there’s no room for fear. Her best weapon is her instincts. Those same dark impulses that allow her to get inside the mind of a murderer, to locate victims—or to pull the trigger before she’s next. She can’t afford to have those instincts clouded by anything…especially her far-too-sexy new partner.

Former SEAL Blake Gamble plays everything by the book. Except, of course, when it comes to the increasingly simmering attraction between them. But when a vengeful serial killer targets them both, Samantha once again reaches into the sinister, shadowed part of herself. Even as she begins to fear that the only way to catch this killer is to become one…

Look for After the Dark, the first in the Killer Instinct series, from HQN Books!

***

I am very excited to launch my new “Killer Instinct” series with HQN.  For the Killer Instinct titles, the main characters will all have deep, intimate connections to serial killers. The killers could be their family members, their friends, or even their lovers. Just what happens to a person who is so closely tied to a killer? You can find out in the books…

Books in the “Killer Instinct” series published by HQN:

THE GATHERING DUSK – Prequel novella
AFTER THE DARK – Book 1 (Coming on March 28th!)
BEFORE THE DAWN – Book 2
INTO THE NIGHT – Book 3

In addition, there are two Harlequin Intrigue novels that are set in the same Killer Instinct “world” for readers:

ABDUCTION – Available in February of 2017
HUNTED – Available in June/July of 2017

***

THE GATHERING DUSK is a prequel novella for the “Killer Instinct” series…it’s a bonus to show readers the characters in an earlier phase…before savage life events come along and change who they are.  People aren’t always good or bad, and you can see that truth in this novella.  You’ll meet FBI agents Samantha Dark and her partner Blake Gamble, and you can get to know them before the release of their full-length novel, AFTER THE DARK.

I hope you enjoy the free novella!

It’s release day! HEART OF STONE is available now!

HEART OF STONE is book 5 in my “Bad Things” series (all of the books are stand-alone titles), and here’s the blurb for you:

She was created to tempt…and enchant.

Sabrina Lark is a muse who has the ability to inspire any man…to do absolutely anything. Unfortunately for Sabrina, the latest human to fall under her spell has turned out to have one very dark side. Now he’s obsessed with her, and she’s realized—too late—that she just inspired a serial killer. She truly has the worst luck in the world.

Desperate, Sabrina makes a deal with the devil in order to get some serious paranormal protection. Her protection comes in the oh-so-sexy form of Adam Cross, a man who is able to resist her magic…because Adam really is made of stone.

He’s a real beast on the outside…

Cursed centuries before, Adam is a gargoyle. Fierce, strong, and absolutely unstoppable, he is the guard who is placed at Sabrina’s side. He’s supposed to protect her from every danger…he is not supposed to find himself falling under the seductive Sabrina’s spell. But even a man with a heart of stone can find himself pushed too far…

Sabrina thinks she may have found the perfect lover, but Adam’s past is about to come back and bite them both…and he may not be the man she can trust, after all. If she can’t find a way to touch the man inside the beast, if she can’t make his stone heart burn for her, then they’ll be lost.

***

And you can check out an excerpt here.

It’s ONE WEEK until the HEART OF STONE release!!! And, today, I thought I’d share some story FAQ’s with you…

1. Is HEART OF STONE a stand-alone read? It is! All of the “Bad Things” books are stand-alones. Each book features a different couple but certain secondary characters (like Luke!) appear in each book to tie things together.

2. Are gargoyles sexy? Heck, yeah!! I’ve wanted to write a gargoyle tale for a while, and I was super thrilled to start this book. I promise, Adam Cross is tough, dangerous, sexy, and very alpha.