Sinners and Saints
Book 1
Rosalie Stanton
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
Date of Publication: June 13, 2014
ISBN: 9781784300487
ASIN: Not yet available
Number of pages: 260
Word Count: 91k
Book Description:
Working for Lucifer is the best job in the universe, until the day it’s not. Then you’re on your own, with Hell at your heels.
Ava, Sin of Greed, has had a rough week. The angel she planned to make a life with left her with nothing but a Dear Jane letter. Even worse, Lucifer believes she spilled Hell’s secrets to her ex, and her boss’s temper is notoriously apocalyptic.
For centuries, Dante kept his feelings for Ava under lock-and-key. The one time he pursued something more, he nearly lost her for good. Lesson learned. However, when he hears of her planned elopement, all bets are off. Not having Ava was a reality he could accept. Losing her to an angel is something else entirely.
Now, Ava, once Hell’s golden child, is fleeing for her life. When her old friend Dante shows up, her first instinct is to send him packing. But Dante is more than a friend—he’s the only other man who tempted her, and his fierce loyalty challenges everything she thought she knew about him. As Ava prepares to battle the devil himself, she can’t keep from getting closer to Dante…though she doubts her heart can survive another break.
Someone thumped her on the shoulder and sent her spiraling out of her thoughts. A jolt rushed through her body and everything went on autopilot. Ava jumped to her feet, formed a fist, and landed a blind punch in less than three seconds. It took another ten seconds for her scattered mind to piece together what had just occurred, and by then she was staring into an all-too familiar pair of crystal blue eyes.
Ava blinked. Hard. “Dante?”
“Fucking hell,” he cursed, cradling his nose and scowling at her. “What’d you do that for?”
“What the hell were you sneaking up on me for?”
“I didn’t sneak!”
Ava looked around, then waved a hand. “This is a graveyard, Dante. In the middle of the night in Nowheresville. You don’t just…I dunno, touch someone. You let someone know you’re there.”
“And here I thought getting your attention would do that just fine.”
“Not like that!”
“Next time I’ll read the fucking rule book.” Dante dropped his hands and sniffed. A small fleck of blood colored the space between his nose and lips, but other than looking a little swollen, he seemed otherwise undamaged. “If this is the way you greet your friends, it’s no small wonder the whole of Hades is after your sorry ass.”
Ava’s shoulders dropped and she rolled her head back, a long groan riding off her lips. “You know about that?”
“What other reason would I have to be… Where the fuck are we?”
“Mississippi.”
Dante offered a dramatic sigh, though something in his eyes told her he’d only asked for show. Even at his drunkest, he wasn’t the sort to forget what state he was in.
“Mississippi,” he muttered. “So that’s what that smell is.”
On the other hand… Ava straightened her spine and arched an eyebrow at him. “So…what? You come out here to make fun of the locals?”
“No,” he replied coolly, wiping the stray speck of blood off his otherwise pale, pristine skin. “I came here for you.”
Everything in her stilled. Though she’d heard him the first time, the words had a way of really sinking in upon repetition. As though it took a time delay for her to realize there was no reason aside from her current problem that Dante should be out here with her—or here at all. He wasn’t the sort of guy to crash in antebellum tourist traps.
“You came here for me,” she echoed. “Why?”
He shrugged a shoulder, his face blanking the way it did when he wanted to appear blasé. “Why not?”
“Come on.”
“Thought you could use a friend.”
Ava stared at him a moment longer, then sighed heavily and tore her gaze to the ground. Yeah, she supposed she could use a friend. Or a whole army of them. And though Dante wasn’t the first person she would have called, she couldn’t deny she was happy to see him.
Not that his presence answered her questions. If anything, he added to the pile.
“I take it Merle gave you the message,” she murmured. “About…”
“The angel?” One perfect eyebrow arched. Actually, there wasn’t much about Dante that wasn’t perfect. Physically, at least. One of his most annoying qualities also happened to be his most prized. There was nothing worse than a man who knew just how damn good he looked.
Truly, Dante had always seemed a bit too perfect when it came to the male form. He was only a few inches taller than she and had a body built for debauchery, complete with strong arms and a marble-carved chest. Tonight, he was wrapped in a snug pair of jeans and a form-fitting long-sleeved navy tee, which made his pale skin seem paler. His hair was coal black and his eyes sparkled blue. Ava had always loved his eyes.
And thinking about his perfect eyes right now on the cusp of a broken heart while all of Hell nipped her heels was probably the last in a very long line of bad ideas. At once she felt overtly vulnerable, exposed. Standing in a strange town under strange circumstances with him, her oldest friend, seeming one part savior and one part…pissed.
Nothing in her world made sense right now. Dante had just muddied things up even more.
“Yeah,” she said when she remembered to speak. “The angel. Merle told you.”
Dante nodded solemnly. “That was the plan, right?”
Ava released a shaky breath, her mind spinning so fast it was a small wonder she remained standing. Looking at Dante now with everything that had happened in the past week still heavy on her heart, with the uncertainty of her future, took her suddenly oddly-shaped world and turned it on its head. She felt like she was living in the funhouse mirror version of her reality. Sebastian, then the Binsfeld Six, and now her vampire.
At some point she had to wake up.
“What are you doing here?” she asked again. “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“Not much,” he admitted, stepping forward.
There was something guarded in his gaze, and so help her if she started analyzing every little look from Dante, she would lose her mind. Trying to figure out what he was doing here was work enough.
“Not much.”
He nodded. “Just that you were out here. And you could use a friend.”
This admission did little to answer her questions. Her friendship with Dante was not a secret, by any means, yet she couldn’t speculate as to why anyone right now would decide to throw her a lifeline. Being alone certainly hadn’t done much for her…yet there was a good reason she hadn’t gone to Dante in the first place.
Dante was the kind of friend who was there for the good times and gone for the bad. At least in her experience. If he had any idea what was really going on, he’d make tracks. The large, cartoonish kind.
But Dante didn’t know. Hell, he didn’t even know what she was. His knowledge beyond his own kind was rather limited, and while his experience with others of Lilith’s children left him with a relatively grounded understanding of how the world worked, certain things—like Hell and all its residents—remained more or less relegated to the realm of other. He was aware Hell existed, sure, and had figured her for a demon early in their relationship, but otherwise boasted little knowledge of Lucifer or the pit beyond what was assumed through myth.
Seven centuries and he had no idea she was part of that myth. She’d never mentioned it, and he likely hadn’t thought to ask. His perception of her role had been established on the legs of their meeting, which, as it was, had been entirely accidental. It just so happened she didn’t like watching anyone, demon or otherwise, suffer at the hands of holy men, and in saving Dante’s life all those years ago, she’d earned a permanent ally.
Well, until now. Her own brand of permanence was about to run out, and of course Dante wouldn’t know why. If she explained the significance of what had occurred with Sebastian, and how limited her future was, he would be gone. She wouldn’t know to miss him.
Still, she owed him explanations. Dante was the one loose end she had—the only one who wouldn’t know why she was gone when Lucifer finally came to collect her life. Her siblings knew what was coming. Dante was the last person to whom to pay her regards.
Perhaps that was why someone had sent him to her. So she could do right by her one earthly friend and say goodbye.
“I could,” Ava admitted softly. “Use a friend. I’m glad you’re here.”
A shadow crossed Dante’s face. “That’s not good.”
She frowned. “What? That I’m glad you’re here?”
“Yeah. You’re never glad I’m near these days.” He laughed shortly. “You must really be into some deep shit.”
“You have no idea.”
“All this over an angel.”
The corner of Ava’s mouth pulled into a grin, and for a moment she felt somewhat like her old self. “More or less.”
“An angel, Ava. For fuck’s sake, what happened to your dignity?”
“Where were you three weeks ago?”
“I dunno, but if I’d known you were gonna be falling for one of those winged assholes, you’d better believe I’d have dropped everything to beat some sense into you.”
She snickered. “Like you could take me.”
“You never give me the chance to try,” he retorted, his eyes gleaming.
“Your ego is too fragile to handle getting your ass handed to you by a girl.”
“So you’ve told me. And told me. And told me. You know what they say about words and actions, don’t you, love?”
A small thrill raced down her spine, her insides igniting with heat and a rush of good old-fashioned nostalgia. “Wanna grab a beer?” she asked. “Or, you know, a burger? I don’t think I’ve eaten in a week.” She paused, then waved at him. “You can consider it the last meal of a condemned man.”
“‘Cause you’re gonna kick my ass, right?”
“That’s the plan.”
Dante grinned ear-to-ear. “Thought you’d never ask.”
For the longest time, my mother thought I was going to end up with a bad boy. It was a reasonable fear, I suppose, given that bad boys in fiction made me swoon the hardest…though I think this is rather universal. Who can resist, truly, the bad boy with the heart of gold? Or the bad boy who turns good for the woman he loves?
I know I can’t.
Bad boys are among my favorite heroes. They’re incredibly fun to write, fun to read, fun to watch, and fun to make completely uncomfortable for the want of love. Here are my favorites.
10. Mal from Firefly—I know Whedon fans will be shocked he isn’t higher on the list, but as much as I love Mal, I wasn’t as huge into Firefly as others. Still, Nathan Fillion channeled enough of Han Solo and some of my other broken-hearted, wounded-soul bad boys that he made me hurt for him. And Mal’s relationship with Inara? Yes, swoon.
9. Eric Northman from The Southern Vampire Mystery Series/True Blood—I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of the show, but Alexander Skarsgård played my favorite character to perfection…well, mostly, but I can’t fault him for the show’s writing. Especially when he’s so damn pretty. Eric always reminded me of my #1, which is why he’s on this list.
8. Grant Ward from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D—I had ZERO interest in this character before he turned out to be bad, and Skye was revealed to be his weakness. Suddenly? He’s at the top of my favorite character list. Yes, we’re early in his bad boy career, but I can’t wait to see where Season 2 takes us.
7. Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind—Honestly, do I even have to explain this one?
6. Wesley Wyndam-Pryce from Angel—Now, don’t get me wrong, nerd!Wesley was a huge turn on. However, after Wesley went dark and became rugged, unshaven, and tortured…well, yes, ladies, I did swoon. The fact that his golden geekhood remained buried under all that bad boyness just made him hotter.
5. Oliver Queen from Arrow—I knew precisely nothing about the Green Arrow franchise before my husband and I began watching this. Now, Arrow might be the poor man’s Batman, fine, but as much as I love Batman—and I do—I never felt Bruce Wayne fit the bill as a romance hero…not as much as Oliver. It’s a girl thing.
4. Hook from Once Upon A Time – Hook hasn’t had as long to warm my heart as some of the others on this list, but he reminds me so much of my #1 that I can’t help myself. His yummy accent, cocky swagger, and pure dedication to the woman he loves would make even the most hardened heart swoon. And since he and Emma are a fan favorite, I have more faith that I might get an HEA where they’re concerned, but my #1 taught my not to hold my breath.
3. Logan Echols from Veronica Mars—I didn’t get into Veronica Mars until the entire series was on DVD, but from my days in Buffy fandom, I knew Logan would win my heart. All my fandom friends loved VM. At first, Logan was a little too much Jesse Pinkman (who also eventually won my heart) for my taste, but his character growth and soul-crushing love for Veronica had me, hook, line, and sinker. Guh.
2. Han Solo from Star Wars—Han was my first bad boy. I won’t go into how often I watched the kissing scenes in Empire Strikes Back, or how I could recite every line of dialogue from his witty trades with his leading lady. Han and Leia, you could say, became my foundation for romantic couples. They were both fiercely independent, witty, smart, sarcastic as hell, and didn’t like being pushed around. Is it any wonder they ended up together?
1. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer—Spike was the bad boy who took my imagination and made my romantic heart pound. His love for Buffy, redemptive arc and eventual sacrifice fueled my muse like no other character before or since. I rooted for him when he was bad, cried for him when he was good, and in my head!canon, not to mention fanfic, he and Buffy found their HEA. He will always be my #1. And yes, Dante from Lost Wages of Sin is totally inspired by Spike and Hook. I don’t mind that comparison one little bit.
Honorable mentions:
Barney from How I Met Your Mother—Barney would have totally been on the list were it not for the finale. Yes, he won me over again in his tear-inducing moment with the new lady in his life, but the fate of his promised relationship with Robin left me rather bitter.
Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad—Now, I loved Jesse. He was undoubtedly my favorite character on the show. I was terrified going into the finale; I didn’t want to see him die. He went from character I wanted to slap to character I wanted to hug and take care of. So why not on the list? Well, Aaron Paul might be sexy, but my love for Jesse was completely platonic. The biggest reason for this was he’s an addict, and that’s a huge turn off. I wanted to be his sister or his friend, not his lover.
Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead—He’s pretty much the only reason to watch the show, but despite my love of Daryl, I’d be more interested in Norman Reedus than the character, which is something I can’t say for any of the actors behind my Top 10 (aside from Nathan Fillion). Why? Well, here’s where we get into my weird thought process about sexy times in the apocalypse. I wouldn’t want to kiss a guy who hadn’t seen a toothbrush in years. I know I’m in the minority here, but I have to be honest. I legitimately think about hygiene while watching anyone hook-up in this type of show. My brain is weird.
There you have it, my top 10 bad boys. It was hard to narrow down and assign, because there have been so many delicious bad boys who blasted their way into my heart with a witty one-liner and a cocky smile. Let me know which on my list makes you swoon the most, or which bad boy I might have left off (sorry, Supernatural fans—I don’t watch the show! I will get to it eventually).
My mother got to rest easy, though. My love for bad boys is limited to the world of fiction. The bad boys in real life aren’t sexy, so much as skeevy and misogynistic, which is one of the reasons I love these guys in romance. Redemption stories, especially where love is concerned, will always be a favorite.
As for me? My real-life leading man hails from my other favorite trope: the nerd hero. And in the real world, there is nothing hotter.
Rosalie Stanton is a multi-published erotic romance author, with emphasis in paranormal and urban fantasy. A lifelong enthusiast of larger than life characters, Rosalie enjoys building worlds filled with strong heroes and heroines of all backgrounds.
Rosalie lives in Missouri with her husband. At an early age, she discovered a talent for creating worlds, which evolved into a love of words and storytelling. Rosalie graduated with a degree in English. As the granddaughter of an evangelical minister, Rosalie applied herself equally in school in the creative writing and religious studies departments, which had an interesting impact on her writing. When her attention is not engaged by writing or editing, she enjoys spending time with close friends and family.
Rosalie is represented by Tish Beaty at the L. Perkins Agency
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