Showing posts with label Regency Historical romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Regency Historical romance. Show all posts

Victoria Vale is on tour with 'Masquerade' Book 7 in Scandalous Ballroom Encounters #giveaway tour


Masquerade by Victoria Vale
Genre: Erotic, Historical Romance, Regency

Margaret Seymour is bored by the stifling constraints of society dictating her behavior as a debutante in search of a husband. Her prospects are promising by the standards of London society, yet, not one of them causes her heart to flutter, or her head to fill with scintillating, forbidden fantasies. Those feelings are reserved for Camden Rycroft, Duke of Avonleah—a man who isn’t even aware of her existence.
While attending a scandalous Vauxhall Gardens masquerade, Margaret finds herself in the duke’s arms. His promise of a night of pleasure is tempting, but is it worth it when Avonleah is a known rake notorious for his short attention span and avoidance of marriage?

Camden Rycroft is intrigued by the masked vixen he encounters in the Gardens. After one night with her leaves him hungry for more, his desire for her turns into a fiery obsession. Despite the scandal that could ensue from their affair, he finds himself unable to extract himself from a situation destined to end in pain. When faced with losing Margaret to a potential husband, will he rise to the occasion, or risk living without her?







“You must know how many hearts you’ve stolen just by walking into a room. Many a night, I have watched you take a lady into your arms to waltz with her and wished I could be her. To be so close to you, moving together … to know your scent and your touch …” She paused, realizing she’d said far too much.
Camden circled behind her, placing his hands upon her shoulders. His lips brushed the back of her neck and she shivered.
“I cannot deny knowing you have watched me from afar all this time does not bring me pleasure, Maggie,” he murmured, his lips tracing a path toward her ear. “When you watched me with those women, did you wonder if there was more to our association than a simple waltz would suggest?”
She nodded in response, unable to speak when he nibbled on her neck, teasing the most deliciously sensitive spot just beneath her ear.
“You wondered if any of them would accompany me home, didn’t you? You thought about what I did to them.”
She groaned as he took the shell of her ear between his teeth.
“Yes,” she sighed. “I did.”
“How did you feel when you thought about it—when you imagined all the wicked things I did to those other ladies?”
His hands worked at the buttons running down her back, sliding them loose one by one, opening her gown.
“Jealous,” she admitted.
He gripped the sleeves of her gown and pulled, lowering it to the floor to pool around her feet. His hands took her waist and he pulled her against him, his lips trailing along her shoulder.
“Did you fantasize about me, Maggie? Did you wonder what it would be like to be one of them?”
“I did,” she said, her voice low and husky. “At night, alone in my bed, I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what it was like to be with you.”
“Oh, Maggie,” he said, his voice tinged with amusement and mock horror. “Never say you were ever so naughty.”
She giggled, bit her lower lip, and leaned back against him, resting her head on his chest. “I was.”
“You touched yourself when you thought about me, didn’t you?” One of his hands slid across her stomach, lowering slowly toward the apex of her thighs. “Did you pleasure yourself to fantasies of me?”
He cupped her mons, his fingers massaging gently and drawing moisture from her core.
“Yes,” she gasped, her voice strained as he continued to tease her. “Yes, I did.”
“Show me,” he whispered, removing his hand.
She groaned in agitation, wishing for his touch again. Yet, he seemed to be waiting for her to fulfill his command.

“Show me how you pleasured yourself, Maggie,” he said, his voice a bit rougher this time—a demand she dared not refuse. Not if she wished for more of the pleasure he could give her. 



Victoria Vale has written over two dozens Romance and Young Adult novels under various pseudonyms. As a lover of erotic romance, she enjoys nothing more than a sexy hero paired with a sassy heroine, flavored with a dash of spice and lots of heat. A wife and mother of three, she enjoys reading (of course), cooking, sewing … and other activities that aren’t appropriate for inclusion in a biography.

Sexy heroes ... sassy heroines ... electrifying erotic romance.



a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Gloria Gay brings her #Regency #HistoricalRomance to the blog #giveway #booktrailer


Beautiful Jenny Longtree was expected to do her duty and accept the marriage proposal of a man she abhorred, Calvin Hazeldeck, an old and rich mortician whose offer of a marriage settlement would save her family from destitution brought about by her father’s bad shipping investments.
Then unexpectedly, Jenny’s dear uncle, Sir Roger Addington, who had been informed of the family’s dilemma, offered his favorite niece a London social season as a last chance to find a husband on her own.
But in the whirl of the London season, Jenny realizes that without a dowry her chances of obtaining a marriage proposal are practically non-existent.
Then on the last ball of Almack’s, and when Jenny feels that time is slipping away, Lady Jersey, the head patroness of Almack’s, introduces her to Sebastian Billington, Lord Corville. As they dance the waltz, Jenny realizes she has fallen in love at first sight with a man she is likely never to see again.

And during the seductive dance with Lord Corville, something happens that has Jenny lying on the floor at Lord Corville’s feet, having momentarily passed out. When she comes to, she finds a sea of faces staring down at her and scandal exploding all around her.

Read an excerpt:
Lord Corville was surprised that Lady Jersey had led him directly into a vision of lovely youth. Usually wallflower duty was how it sounded, giving an opportunity to dance a few sets to girls who were in their first season and not likely to obtain dancing partners on their own because they lacked pedigree or were pretty enough but lacked an attractive dowry. The Almack’s patronesses took their duty to young girls in their first or second season very seriously, and in every ball the two in charge could be seen walking about, matching young ladies to reluctant young men.
Sebastian seldom if ever glanced toward the wallflower area, but now he regretted it. The moment he gave his gloved hand to this girl and led her to the dance floor, it was all he could do to keep his balance until they began their waltz.
Her touch was so sensual, he felt her hand not on his but directly on his groin. A hot frisson coursed along his nerve endings, and his whole body shuddered in anticipation. If he felt so much with only the soft touch of her hand on his, what would he feel with her in his arms?
Suddenly realizing where his mind was going, he shook off such outlandish thoughts. He was a bit foxed and couldn’t even remember what Lady Jersey said the girl’s name was during the introduction. He should have skipped that stop at Rothyn’s townhouse, as they’d dipped into bottles of claret before coming here.
Of course, it was turning out amazingly easy to keep his promise to his sister Camie. One dance with a wallflower debutante? Why this beautiful girl lacked dance partners was beyond his understanding. She was as lovely and as rare as an orchid, and her scent intoxicated him even more than the claret.
He had never felt such jumping sensations as he was now feeling while waltzing with her. Her eyes as she looked at him were sparkling blue aquamarines, and the tingling ripple the mere touch of her hand had started now throbbed along his groin so that his hand tightened on hers even as his breeches tightened. He quickly forced his eyes away from her lithe form, for just a quick glance at her curves unhinged him.
They swayed around the vast ballroom, and the lights from a thousand candles and the twirling couples confused him. The lovely girl in his arms became three identical girls who twirled round and round like the racing dials of a mad clock. He heard the waning notes of the waltz as it was coming to its end and felt so dizzy that, had he not held her, he would have lost his balance. He looked into the girl’s beautiful eyes and his gaze drifted downward. Her breasts, the tops of them peeking alluringly from her filmy gown, were so fetching that he wondered when he had ever seen a better pair. There was a small dark mole on her left breast, and a tiny rosebud by it, and so compelling was the tiny beauty mark that he was hypnotized.
The music had stopped. He looked into the girl’s lovely blue eyes and wondered why they were wide with alarm, and her voice was loud and clear in the silence that followed the conclusion of the waltz.
“Oh!” she exclaimed.
Her hand on his shoulder slipped away as she fell to the floor, her crumpling body settling softly on his feet. Sebastian leaned down toward her prone body.
After a few seconds, the girl opened her eyes. A crowd had rushed forward, and there was a large circle of people around her and Sebastian, three or four deep, looking down with concern. And silence, as everyone just stared.
The girl was helped up by two gentlemen while Lord Corville continued to stare, speechless.
Lady Jersey broke the silence. “What happened to you, my dear?”
A twittering of exclamations rose like a deafening wave, and then sudden silence fell again as the crowd waited in suspense for the girl’s reply.
The girl spoke slowly but clearly, so that everyone heard her words. She looked directly into Lord Corville’s eyes and said, “Lord Corville touched me inappropriately.”
Buy the book:
AMAZON KINDLE US – http://goo.gl/PB0lUW
AMAZON KINDLE CA – http://goo.gl/3SLTTY
AMAZON KINDLE UK – http://goo.gl/WXpXWE
BARNES & NOBLES NOOK – http://goo.gl/st224Y
SMASHWORDS – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/432372
ITUNES – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/scandal-at-almacks/id869633024?mt=11

About the author:
Gloria Gay has lived in San Diego, California the greater part of her life, where she worked as a legal secretary for twenty-five years and as a stringer for a local newspaper. Her heart, though, has always been with art and literature and it was one of the happiest days of her life when she wrote her first book.
Boroughs Publishing Group recently published her fifth Regency romance, Lovely Little Liar.  Scandal at Almack’s, with the same publisher is Gloria’s sixth Regency romance. Her debut novel, First Season, earned a four-star review from Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is also the author of Forced Offer, Canceled Courtship and Known to All.
She lives with her husband, Enrique, an architect, in San Diego, California, and couldn’t be happier that their children and grand-children live nearby.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Em Taylor tour with her #historical #romance 'A Desperate Wager' read an #exceprt #giveaway

A Desperate Wager - Tour Banner   
Nathaniel Spencer, the Fourteenth Duke of Kirkbourne wakes up with an almighty hangover and a wager note in his pocket stating he has agreed to marry the Earl of Brackingham’s daughter. And he can’t even remember ever meeting the chit. Clearly his drinking has got out of hand.
Lady Sarah Steele is horrified when her father announces that the Duke of Kirkbourne has agreed to marry her and even more horrified that her father wagered her hand in a game of cards. Not only that, but the earl has not told the duke of the riding accident that left Sarah paralysed when she was sixteen. But he’s dying and she knows he wants to see her settled before the inevitable happens.
Despite Nate’s drinking and Sarah’s possible complicity in the earl’s plan, they agree to marry. But when accidents start to happen, the newly-weds must deal not only with the fact they are practically strangers, but they must find out who is trying to kill one or both of them. Nate’s drink problem and Sarah’s disability are only a couple of the hurdles they must face to find lasting love.
  A Desperate Wager - Book Cover   

Read an EXCERPT

Nathaniel Spencer, fourteenth Duke of Kirkbourne groaned and rolled over in bed. A tattoo beat a steady rhythm inside his skull, his stomach was bilious and the world spun at an alarming rate. Last night he had been in his cups—again. He knew he should take a more moderate attitude to alcohol but recently, staying sober had seemed somewhat pointless. Why stay sober if you were just going to end up dead at the side of the road—another silly young buck who had killed himself in a curricle race? Damn Crosby! Why had he made the damned challenge? Nathaniel, or Nate as he preferred to be called, would never forget Crosby’s lifeless eyes staring up at him, or the crack of the pistol as a bystander put his horses out of their misery. And he would never forgive himself for being the man whom Crosby was racing. Nate closed his eyes and willed his stomach to stop churning as he tried to recall the events of the night before. He had been at White’s for dinner and had moved to the card room. The brandy had been flowing, and Ormsby had suggested moving on to a less reputable gaming hell. He remembered the Earl of Brackingham tagging along for some reason that defied Nate. He had no issue with Brackingham, but the earl was at least twenty years the senior of everyone else in their party. He had been coughing somewhat alarmingly, Nate recalled. He hoped the old man was not spreading disease around. The last thing Nate needed was to be laid up in bed—his mother fussing around him and pouring vile-tasting concoctions down his throat. There was another thing that took many young, seemingly healthy lives—fever. Curricles and fever—good reasons to get absolutely foxed if ever he needed any. Brackingham! The name seemed to be prodding his tired and very painful brain—waiting for him to remember something significant from last night. He had a vague memory of playing vingt et un with him. There had been a ludicrous bet. Brackingham wagered his daughter’s hand and if Nate lost, he would have to marry the girl. Nate had been on a winning streak. Bravado and alcohol made him foolish. He had a three and a queen. He sat up as the king of diamonds flashed before his eyes. God, damn it. The king of diamonds took him to twenty-three. His head swum and he tamped down the urge to cast up his accounts. Twenty-three. But surely a wager like that was a joke. It had to be. Brackingham did not expect him to marry his chit of a daughter, did he? Had he even set eyes on the girl before? Again, some piece of information about the girl needled his brain. He had no recollection of dancing with her at balls. But then he hardly ever danced at balls. He had no plans to seek a leg-shackle on the marriage mart, so he steered clear and spent most of the evening in the card room. God, he hoped she was at least old enough to have had her come out and this was not some medieval plan to marry a thirteen-year-old off to him. Eighteen was quite young enough—too young in his rather jaded opinion. But no. He had no recollection of ever having set eyes on Lady… Lady what? He had no idea. He fished in the pocket of his waistcoat, which he still wore, having obviously been so foxed when he had returned that he had either shooed his valet away or he had arrived so late the valet had been asleep. There was a note. A wager. He hoped he owed the man a vast fortune instead. Marry Lady Sarah Steele. Dowry - £10,000. Meet Brackingham on 5th day of March to make arrangements. Today must be the fifth of March. Yesterday had definitely been the fourth. Christ, he had to see if this was a big joke or, if not, was there any way he could inveigle his way out of it. He had no plans to marry. None at all. And that was that.
A Desperate Wager - Teaser 
A Desperate Wager - Author PhotoEm was born and brought up in the Central Belt of Scotland and still lives there. She was told as a child she had an over active imagination--as if that is a bad thing. She's traded her dreams of owning her own island, just like George in the Famous Five to hoping to meet her own Mr Darcy one day. But her imagination remains the same.
 

GIVEAWAY PRIZES

$20 Amazon Gift Certificate

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour organized & hosted by: 1-MINIBUTTON
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Restoring Lady Anna on the blog today with author Em Taylor #regencyromance


 Restoring Lady Anna


When Lord James Eversley is accused of a murder he did not commit, he dresses up as his new brother-in-law’s footman and hitches a ride in their carriage out of town. When it seems they are no longer being followed he begins to relax until a minor accident causes them to stop at a shabby looking inn. As his “master” and his sister sip tea in the scruffy parlour, James comes face to face with Lady Anna, the woman who left him in the dead of night five years before and a familiar looking child. 

Lady Anna has accepted her life as Mrs Johnstone, mother of four-year-old Viola, “wife” of Peter, the mentally ill former footman and land lady of a shabby inn on the Great North Road. Her plans for a love match with the handsome Lord Eversley were cruelly snatched away from her five years before. Her ruination means there is no opportunity to return to her family or the ton. When James turns up, dressed as a footman and demanding answers, Anna must decide whether to tell the truth. 

James never stopped loving Anna and now he must learn what happened that fateful night that Anna left him heartbroken. With the truth out in the open, he must convince the love of his life to take a chance on him. He wants to marry her and restore her reputation among the aristocracy. But in Regency England reputations are easily lost and difficult to regain. Can Anna trust James enough to do what is right for Peter, despite his actions, her child and most importantly himself? Can James convince Anna to seek the help that Peter needs and return to the ton? 

BUY & TBR LINKS 
AMAZON KINDLE US – http://goo.gl/BliFC1
AMAZON KINDLE CA – http://goo.gl/NUoavJ
AMAZON KINDLE UK – http://goo.gl/wCMZ2t
GOODREADS – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22019722-restoring-lady-anna





EXCERPT
“Why did you leave?” he asked.
“I...I... did not have a choice.”
“Were you in love with him?”
“No.” She should lie. She knew she should, but his light blue eyes seemed to bore holes into her very soul and she could not bear to hurt him further. She could not bear to have him think badly of her.
“Then I do not understand why you left. Was it... was... God dammit.” He took a large gulp of his ale and looked around before leaning close. “Was it the bedding? I know you were an innocent and it must have hurt but...”
“No.” She shook her head fervently. Could he really believe that the best night of her life had driven her from him? “That night... it was very special. You were wonderful and kind and caring. I could not have asked for a better lover the first time.”
Relief washed over his countenance before he frowned. “Then why?”
Should she tell him? Could she? “It is too complicated to explain, except to say that it was not my choice and it was not your fault.”
He pushed his long fingers through his blond curls and stared into his ale. “Is he—the footman—still alive?”
“Yes.” He looked into her eyes—the hope that had shone there moments before was gone.
“So you are married.”
“We never married.”
“You live in sin?”
“Yes. I refused to marry him—not even to give my daughter a name. I tell people I am Mrs Johnstone, but there are no legal documents and no marriage. Therefore, you can return to the ton, my lord, and tell them that Lady Anna Kingsley is a whore and has a bastard child.”
Now perhaps he would leave her alone to her miserable life and find someone who would make a proper countess when his father died. She swallowed hard, forcing back the tears. Willed herself to stay strong. She only had to stay strong until the damned ostlers could help Lord Ramsey’s horse.
“Shh! I will be returning to the ton to tell them no such thing. I wished you would tell me what actually happened, if for no other reason than to assuage my fear that it was something I did or said that drove you away. You said you have a daughter?”
“Yes. Viola. She is a pretty little thing but can be quite precocious when she wants to be. She would have made a beautiful debutante when her time came.”
“Mama. Who is this?” She turned to see Viola standing at her side and realised it had been the child who was tugging at her skirts.

****
James stared at the little girl standing next to Anna, tugging on the grey wool skirt. Blond hair, blue eyes and rosy cheeks that reminded him of Rebecca when she was small. She even had the little turn up in her nose that was identical to his sister’s. But, it could not be. This child could not be his? They had made love but once—or at least just one night. But he had not withdrawn as he knew he should. He had been too caught up in the moment—in their love. Had Anna fallen with child that one glorious night, how old would a child be? Three? No—four! Was this little girl four? He had no idea how large or small a child should be at the age of four. He did not come into contact with many children.
But he did not have to ask her age. His sight told him that Viola was his as did something else…instinct perhaps?
He schooled his features so they were unreadable. Years of training to be a gentleman, to show no outward emotion, were now paying dividends.
“This is Lord Eversley, a friend of mine.”
“Oh. Pleased to meet you Lord Evasey.” She bobbed a small curtsey, and he noted that she over extended her back leg a bit like the actors did in the theatre at the curtain call. It was very sweet. The child obviously did not meet many members of the aristocracy. Though it was just like Anna to have taught her daughter to act like a lady in preparation for meeting a viscount or even a duke.
“Very pleased to meet you too, Viola.” She smiled dazzlingly at him. It really was like being taken back in time to when Rebecca was a child.
“Mama, he’s awake. I heard him shouting.”
“I see.” She turned to James. “I need to go just now. I have things that must be attended to.” Anna stood and looked like she was about to bob a curtsey but seemed to the think better of it, probably remembering he was supposed to be a footman.
He watched her leave, Viola’s hand in hers. He had sired a daughter and all this time he never knew. He did not need Anna to tell him that Viola was his flesh and blood—he knew it with every fibre of his being. If he said it outright, would Anna lie? Could she lie about something as monumental as him having a child? Not the Anna he once knew. But she was harder now—more resilient. He saw it in her eyes. Even though he had sensed she had been on the edge of tears, he suspected Mrs Anna Johnstone did not cry very often. But he must allow Anna to tell him in her own time. There was a lot more to this than a silly lady having her head turned by a handsome footman.
Was the person who had just woken the footman? Why had Viola looked unhappy when she had to announce the footman was awake? And why was Anna the one working in the taproom?
He would find out, and he would not leave this place until he knew the whole truth and certainly he would not leave without his daughter.

AUTHOR BIO:
Em was born and brought up in the Central Belt of Scotland and still lives there. She was told as a child she had an over active imagination--as if that is a bad thing. She's traded her dreams of owning her own island, just like George in the Famous Five to hoping to meet her own Mr Darcy one day. But her imagination remains the same.

Unfortunately, Em was put off reading and writing by school and although she rediscovered her love of reading many years ago, she only tried her hand at writing again in 2011. After a year of writing fan fiction, she wrote an original short story for an anthology. This was followed up with two more shorts and 4 novella length books, all published under a pen name. Having fallen in love with a new sub-genre, courtesy of books by Mary Balogh and Lynsay Sands, she decided to try her hand at her new favourite genre for reading--regency. 

Having bitten the bullet, she feels she has found her home in the 19th century, and it does give her an excuse to watch Colin Firth in a pair of buff breeches and riding books ad infinitum. 

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS:
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – http://www.amazon.com/Em-Taylor/e/B00GVEG83M/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
WEBSITE / BLOG – http://romanticregency.weebly.com
FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/EmTaylorRegency
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/EmTaylor5
TUMBLR – http://courtoftheprinceregent.tumblr.com


GIVEAWAY PRIZES

$20 Amazon Gift Certificate
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

The guest author today is Annette Blair



An adventurer and storyteller at heart, Annette Blair has explored nineteenth-century Amish America; Regency England; and madcap, modern Salem Mass, where bold women follow the Celtic faith with heart. There, she fought dragons, and fell in love with an angel. More recently, she’s taken to solving mysteries beside Connecticut’s Mystic River.

Annette's work has garnered multiple Romantic Times TOP PICKS, Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and HOLT Medallion nominations. A triple Golden Heart Finalist, she's also finaled in the Golden Leaf, the Lauries, the Golden Quill, and National Readers' Choice Awards. She’s won multiple Booksellers Best Awards, LORIES Awards, Laurel Wreath, Blue Boa, Aspen Gold, RIO, Southern Magic, More than Magic, Orange Rose, Winter Rose, PRISM, Beacon, Colorado Awards of Excellence, Write Touch Readers' Choice Awards and an Orange County Book Buyer's Best Award. With SEX AND THE PSYCHIC WITCH, Annette took home three Anne-Bonney Readers’ Choice Awards out of four. CLOAKED IN MALICE her 5th Vintage Magic Mystery, was her first NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER.

E-books include The Rogues Club & The Knave of Hearts Series,
comprising eight Regency Historicals. Her Sexy Amish Historical E-books and Audiobooks include: Jacob's Return & The Butterfly Garden. Sisters of Spirit and the Jewels of Historical Romance are two new Anthologies. This coming summer, the first of two new series will be published: The Brazillionaires and The Spellcasters. Annette is in negotiations with Penguin Random House for more Vintage Magic Mysteries.

Author Links:

http://www.facebook.com/annetteblairfans

http://www.annetteblair.com/

https://twitter.com/annetteblair

Series Synopsis….


Knave of Hearts Series by Annette Blair:



What do a sea captain, a man of affairs, a comatose nobleman, and a vicar have in common? The Zebulon Fishkill Academy for Unruly Boys, that’s what, and a knaves’ pact to last a lifetime.



NY Times Bestselling Author, Annette Blair, presents Sexy Scoundrels, bold brides and marriages of sheer inconvenience. Get hooked on laughter, romance, calamity and tears in a sassy, sensual quartet of “scandalicious” Regency Historical Romance.





Book Links…..



Knave of Hearts Series, Regency Historical Romance


Book One--FREE!

 Nook  Kindle  Kobo

Smashwords  &  iTunes 



Book Two

Kindle   Nook  Kobo

Smashwords   iTunes



Book Three

Kindle   Nook  Kobo

Smashwords   iTunes



Book Four

Kindle   Nook   Kobo

Smashwords   iTunes




SEA SCOUNDREL

A Regency Historical Romance
by Annette Blair
An Excerpt  
           With a scowl, a vial, a cloth and a knife, the rogue approached ... and Patience stepped back.  “If you think I’ll let a man, who’s been furious since setting eyes on me, gouge me with a knife, you’re daft.”
                “Shut up and give me your hand.”  He dragged her close to the window and she let out a yelp.
                He almost smiled.  “I haven’t touched you yet.”  He probed the largest sliver and dislodged it, the pain of him ripping it out surprising her. 
                “Ouch!”  Patience reclaimed her hand to soothe the sore spot with her mouth.  As she sucked it, he seemed ... startled?  Fascinated?  Whatever it was, it gave her the fluttering jitters.
                “Damn it, Patience,” he all but groaned.  “Give me that hand and don’t move again until I tell you.” 
                “Yes sir, Captain, sir.”  She pulled her hand away to salute.  “Oh, sorry,” she said, when he snarled and pulled it back. 
                She was forced to kneel on the bench as he tugged her hand across the wide sill and close to the window.  “Some of them are so small, I can hardly see them,” he said absently.  
                By the time they were in a position he found acceptable, her arm was stretched so far, her fingers touched the window.  Her would-be surgeon hunched over her, one of his knees between hers, and she felt the contact to her toes.  In his concentration he squinted, sketching deep lines around his ink-blue eyes and furrowing lines above his brows.  In demon-like concentration his dark eyes were a perfect match to his bronzed skin and waving ebony hair.  “You must be very old,” she said startling him.  “Ouch.”  She moved but he pinned her in place with his legs.
                “Quit squirming.  I’m nearly finished.”  He concentrated on her hand.  “Why do you think I’m old?”
                “You have gray in your hair.  Aunt Harriette does too and she’s very old.”
                He frowned in mock-indignation, and she winked. 
                He chuckled.  “I started turning gray four days ago.  I suspect you gave your aunt her gray hair too.” 
                “So she says.”  With a sigh, Patience lay her head on her arm, and he shifted so he was no longer above but beside her, her injured hand protected in his large capable one.  With those little lines relaxed now around his eyes, he gazed into hers. 
                The center-hung lantern creaked softly with the movement of the ship, almost like a hymn.  And from nowhere, a sense of elation, or contentment -- or perhaps just relief that he was finished -- filled Patience. 
                As she had done, the Captain raised her sore hand to his lips and soothed it with his mouth. 
                Patience’s heart beat a new, rapid rhythm.  Prickles raced from her hand, up her arm, and through her body, resting in the most ludicrous places.  She conceived an absurd notion to explain to him what was happening to her, then she saw in his midnight eyes that he sensed what was happening and where those feelings centered. 
                Heat rising in her face, Patience fairly leapt from the bench.  “Thank you.  I’ll go up, out, and leave you to your work.”
                He emitted a strangled sound, like a groan and a growl at once, and if she could breathe, she would laugh.  “Wait,” he ordered, in a sudden reversal that forced her to obey.
                Trying to scowl, failing, he poured an oil from the vial onto a cloth and soothed the sore spots.  Slow, soft ... sensual ... wonderful.  And she saw wonder in his eyes too ... until his scowl snuffed their moment of harmony.  And he nodded, affirming it, glad of it.  “I want you to put a stop to Rose and Shane.”
                “What?”  Despite her confusion, his anger -- and now hers -- was understandable, comfortable, and easier to deal with.
                “They’re spending entirely too much time together,” he said.
                “They’re just friends.  We’ve only been at sea four days.”
                “Precisely.  In a few weeks, they’ll be ... even friendlier.  You’d damn-well better see to it that doesn’t happen.”


Facebook Party
https://www.facebook.com/events/204581209711653/?context=create

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)