Gothic Blood 9 — Brenda Williamson

The intriguingly beautiful recluse, Valentina Wells doesn't know a life beyond her estate. When her mother dies, leaving her without family, alone with servants, her instincts of survival take over -- thrusting her toward the perilous needs of her once bridled nature. Then she meets a stranger -- a man she is drawn to -- a man she can use to help her seek out the answers to long buried secrets. As her heart warms to Nathan's presence, she wonders if he can be the savior of her broken heart too, or are her thoughts of love a state of mind for the want of companionship?
The more Valentina surrenders to Nathan, the more she discovers about herself and she begins to fear she won't be unable to keep Nathan safe from the evil from which she had spawned.
When roguishly handsome, Nathan Hathorne meets the mysterious young lady, Valentina, he sets his sights on bedding her as he has with all women he has coveted for his pleasure. Then, as he spends time with her, he finds himself interested in a darker objective -- her fortune. But there's something more intriguing then her wealth that keeps him captivated. It turns his thoughts from self-serving to protective, and he soon finds himself falling for Valentina as he never believed possible.
In the deadliest journey of his life, helping Valentina learn the secrets to her existence, Nathan realizes that his love might not be strong enough against an immortal's dangerous desires.