Julian Kane is back in town.

Once, as a girl of seventeen, beautiful, headstrong Portia Cabot saved the cursed life of the dashing vampire Julian Kane—who marked her forever, then left to go in search of his soul. He returns five years later to find the enchanting young girl he left behind grown into a bewitching woman with a woman's heart . . . and a woman's desires.

Portia quickly discovers that Julian's seductive and forbidden kiss can still make her crave the night . . . and his touch. But the Julian who has returned to London is not the vampire she remembers. His fruitless pursuit of his stolen mortality has reduced him to drunken debauchery. And a recent spate of murders makes Portia fear that the man she has always adored may truly be a monster.

Julian knows he must drive Portia away—but his passion and hunger for her grow more irresistible every time they touch. For years he has fought the temptation to embrace his dark gifts, never realizing that Portia's love may give him the most dangerous gift of all . . . a reason to live.

"In this page-turning sweet-and-sour vampiric confection, Medeiros continues the Regency tale of the Cabot sisters (following After Midnight), focusing on the dangerous love affair between youngest sister Portia and her vampire brother-in-law Julian Kane. After disappearing five years earlier, Julian has returned to London, and brought with him a killing spree-young women turning up dead in back alleys, drained of blood. Fearing the worst but believing otherwise, Portia takes it upon herself to find Julian and bring him back to the Kane family home, defying Julian's brother (Portia's sister Caroline's husband), the protective vampire hunter Adrian. When she finds him, Julian is as sexy and slippery as ever-having embraced his supernatural abilities, he's able to turn into a bat, and he may even be capable of murder. Unfortunately, Portia can't shake her love for him, nor can she forget the secret night of passion they shared before his exile. Medeiros orchestrates a skillful balance between the grisly business of vampires and the conventions of Regency romance, captured winningly in the saucy, sexy leads. Though the action can drag, Portia's will-she-or-won't-she romantic quandary drives the narrative convincingly, even if the outcome is easy to guess. Familial complications and a fine supporting cast make this an engaging romp for those who like their Regency with a little bite." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Julian knows he must drive Portia away, but his passion and hunger for her grow more irresistible every time they touch. For years he fought the temptation to embrace his dark gifts, never realizing that Portia's love might give him the most dangerous gift of all--a reason to live. Original.

New York Times bestselling author Teresa Medeiros wrote her first novel at the age of twenty-one and has since gone on to win the hearts of both readers and critics. A two-time recipient of the Waldenbooks Award for bestselling fiction, Teresa makes her home in Kentucky with her husband and two cats.