Thursday, November 27, 2014

Passionate Bites

PASSIONATE_BITES_Lit_Cover

Presenting

Ten hot vampire romance novels by NY Times & USA Today bestselling authors.

PASSIONATE BITES

Hot Tales of Vampire Romance

BY

K.F. Breene (Goodreads Author)Arial Burnz (Goodreads Author)Victoria Danann (Goodreads Author)Brenda K. DaviesTeresa Gabelman (Goodreads Author)Kym Grosso (Goodreads Author)Sharon Hamilton (Goodreads Author)Travis Luedke (Goodreads Author) , RaShelle Workman (Goodreads Author)

Passionate Bites is a paranormal romance collection loaded with sizzling hot alpha-males & badass heroines. From vampires to werewolves to witches & demons, these dark, sensual tales of romantic suspense weave a tapestry of intrigue, desperation, betrayal, & enough steamy desire to satisfy every taste.  
Over $40 in bestselling vampire romance! BUY NOW at incredible discount!


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18478103Destined by Brenda K. Davies

Terrified of becoming mated like her parents, Isabelle has locked herself away in order to avoid their fate. She is content to stay sheltered amongst her family, hidden away as she lives out her days away from the human race, and the world. Despite her determination to remain alone, her world is rocked when a person from her parent’s past arrives at their door, bringing with them the powerful, and stunning vampire Stefan. Though Stefan is not expecting to arrive at a nest full of vampires, he is immediately drawn to the vibrant, often defiant, and willful Isabelle. To his surprise, Isabelle does everything in her power to avoid him, and her desire for him. No matter how hard she tries to fight it though, Isabelle begins to realize that trying to deny her destiny may just destroy them both, as there are some things that cannot be stopped. But just as she begins to let her guard down, Stefan’s dark and deadly past catches up to him and threatens to destroy them both.


Meet the Author

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Author of the adult paranormal romance, Vampire Awakenings Series, and historical romances. I also write young adult under the pen name Erica Stevens.

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damoncoverThe Protectors Damon by Teresa Gableman

Damon DeMasters is a vampire warrior who has taken an oath to not only protect his own kind, but humans as well. Crimson Rush is the new drug on the streets and it’s their duty to find who is behind the selling of vampire blood and stop it. As a social worker, Nicole Callahan fights for the right of every child placed in her care. There’s a war now as vampires have stepped out into the spotlight taking their place in society and the children are at the heart of it all. Damon and his fellow warriors have been ordered by the Vampire Council to train Nicole and her colleagues against the dangers they now face in their new world. Even as sparks fly and tensions mount, Nicole and Damon depend on each other to protect the children of both races.  

Meet the Author

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Teresa lives in Ohio with her husband, son, their dog Cin and her son's snake, Steve Irwin. She is a third degree black belt in Taekwondo, is a huge Mixed Martial Arts fan and follows her husbands MMA fight team, G-Force, which her son fights for. When not writing she is either screaming like a crazy woman at MMA fights or reading in some quiet corner with her Kindle. She loves books that are fast reads filled with romance, humor, sexy alpha men and the women who drive them crazy.  
 
 


STsmashwordsCoverA Summoner's Tale by Victoria Danann

Named BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVEL of 2013, REVIEWERS' CHOICE AWARDS, the Paranormal Romance Guild.

While the devastatingly seductive ex-vampire, Istvan Baka, is forced to relive his tragic life as human and confront his past as vampire, a very pregnant Elora Laiken faces an ultimate test of survival when she's attacked by assassins from her dimension of origin. While their friends and mates mount respective searches and epic rescue efforts, these two friends and almost lovers, joined by a mystical bond, separated by distance, must simultaneously struggle alone through their own personal tortures in pain and darkness. This is the story of Heaven McBride, a Black Swan demonologist who was temporarily assigned as Baka's assistant. When he turns up missing, Heaven agrees to submit to hypnosis to help the rescue effort with possible clues about his disappearance buried in her subconscious mind. During those sessions, she proves that love can wait patiently through lifetimes for the chance to blossom and be fulfilled. She also inadvertently reveals that she's been hiding a unique musical talent. She's the once-in-a- generation summoner, who can call any creature with her flute. Even vampires.  


About the Author

Victoria120x180My first book was published May of 2012. I write cross-genre with uniquely fresh perspectives on paranormal creatures, characters, and themes. Add a dash of scifi and a flourish of fantasy to enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. My heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, or past life therapists. My heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires. My first book, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by both Reviewers' Choice and Readers' Choice Awards. All of my books have opened on the Amazon Best Sellers list and earned Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK awards. For books published in 2013, Black Swan won three awards. 1. Best Paranormal Romance Series 2. Best Paranormal Romance Novel - A SUMMONER'S TALE 3. Best Vampire~Shifter Novel - MOONLIGHT.
Author Bio
If you're interested in me personally, I am also a classically trained musician who defected to Classic Rock music. I'm the utility player which means I play rhythm guitar, keyboards, sing back ups and a few leads. My band has covered everything (note for note) from Styx to Led Zepellin to Rush. We have played biker bars at 3:00 am to 10 people and played Warrior Dash to 35,000. I live in The Woodlands, Texas which is why I sometimes joke about being the witch in the woods. Married. Four children. One very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.

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16089837Luca's Magic Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 2)

An erotic paranormal romance... Sexy vampire, Luca Macquarie doesn’t do love; especially not with humans. Yet, ever since he rescued Samantha Irving, he can’t deny the enigmatic attraction he’s developed for the alluring mortal woman. Concerned for her safety, he’s determined to bring Samantha back to her coven. His mission is to go find the novice witch and bring her home, nothing more, nothing less; falling for her is not supposed to be part of the plan. Samantha doesn’t want to be a witch, yet that’s exactly what she is. After failing to elicit her magic, she escapes to the mountains in an attempt to resume a semblance of her previous human life. When an arsonist torches her cabin, Samantha’s worst fears are realized. Aware that her life is on the line, she reluctantly agrees to return to New Orleans with Luca. In the Big Easy, Samantha and Luca embark on a spellbinding journey, searching for a mystical amulet that promises to release her obligation from an ancient, lethal vampire who’s been threatening her life. With cryptic clues and clandestine allies, will Luca and Samantha destroy the dangerous amulet before others acquire it, setting forth a chain of catastrophic consequences? And will Luca give into his erotic desire for the witch who magically captures heart?


About the Author

5785692Kym Grosso is the award-winning author of the bestselling erotic paranormal romance series, The Immortals of New Orleans. In addition to romance, Kym has written and published several articles about autism, and is a contributing essay author in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum. Kym lives with her husband, two children, dog and cat. Her hobbies include autism advocacy, reading, tennis, zumba, traveling and spending time with her husband and children. New Orleans, with its rich culture, history and unique cuisine, is one of her favorite places to visit. Also, she loves traveling just about anywhere that has a beach or snow- covered mountains. On any given night, when not writing her own books, Kym can be found reading her Kindle, which is filled with hundreds of romances.  

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1916251119162557DARKNESS SERIES, 1 & 2 - K.F. Breene

Sasha has always known she was different, but now she also knows that the shadow men she’s seen all her life, are real. With a life goal of fitting in, Sasha hopes her strange abilities will finally make true friendship a possibility. Unfortunately, her magic doesn’t function like everyone else’s. What she thought would make her belong, sets her apart now more than ever. Stefan, all but promised to a different woman, has tried to keep his mind on his duties instead of the irresistible and free-spirited human. But when she is threatened, he can’t keep his distance any longer. He realizes he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe, and more importantly, make her his. Just when one thing clicks into place, another spirals out of control. Stefan’s clan isn’t the only group that would benefit from an extremely rare type of magic. And their enemies will stop at nothing to get what they want.  


About the Author

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A wine country native, I moved to San Francisco for college just shy of a decade ago to pursue a lifelong interest in film. As I settled into the vibrant city, it quickly became apparent that, while I thought making and editing films was great fun, I lacked cinematic genius. For that reason, my career path quickly changed direction. My next goal was a strange childhood interest, conjured at the dining room table while filling out a form. For some reason, my young self wanted to be an Accountant. Thinking on it now, I wonder how I had any friends. Regardless, it was the direction I finally took. While I could wrangle numbers with the best of 'em, and even though I wore the crown as the most outspoken, belligerent accountant in the world, my mind got as stuffy as my daily routine. It was here that I dusted off my creative hat and began writing.

 

honeymoonbite_133x200Honeymoon Bites by Sharon Hamilton

Anne caught her husband cheating before their wedding cake was cut, so she takes her honeymoon in Tuscany alone. Bitten by a vampire on her wedding night, she is left for dead, until Marcus Monteleone, her 300 year old fated mate, rescues her. Will they be able to navigate Marcus’ rocky and dangerous past to have an immortal future together?  

 

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About the Author

  Romance novelist with three series: SEAL Brotherhood (Accidental SEAL, Fallen SEAL Legacy) Golden Vampires of Tuscany (Honeymoon Bite, Mortal Bite) The Guardians (Guardian Angel Erotic Romance) Heavenly Lover, Underworld Lover Lives in wine country, Northern California. When not writing, she is getting vera vera dirty in her flower and vegetable gardens.

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BBB02_1700x2550Midnight Captive by Arial Burnz

After seven years, James Knightly returns as a master swordsman, ready to captain a ship and wed his childhood sweetheart, Cailin MacDougal. Waiting for him is a dagger-toting hellion for a bride, an immortal father-in-law, and an enemy bent on threatening the family James holds most dear–the MacDougals. Broderick MacDougal is lured away from his family with the promise of a way to protect them from his clan enemy. Broderick unravels the beginning of a prophecy that will lead to redemption for all vampires. The cost, though, may be the very soul of the woman he would die for...his wife Davina.        

 

 

About the Author

Arial_2003Arial Burnz has been an avid reader of paranormal and fantasy for over thirty years. With bedtime stories filled with unicorns, hobbits, dragons and elves, she succumbed to crafting her own tales, penning to life the magical creatures roaming her dreams. Having a romantic husband who's taught her the meaning of true love, she's helpless to weave romance into her tales. Now she shares them with the world. Arial Burnz lives in Rancho Cucamonga, California, with her husband (a.k.a. her romance novel hero)—who is also, quite coincidentally, a descendent of Clan MacDougal—along with their dog and two cats.  

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22232612The Nightlife San Antonio by Travis Luedke

Vampires, Mafia & Mayhem: The Nightlife San Antonio is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy. All she wanted was to escape the police. All he wanted was to get laid. They both got more than they bargained for. EMT on call, Adrian Faulkner resuscitates a beautiful woman after a Mexican mafia shootout. He can't explain why he picks her up in the hospital parking lot three days later and then ducks the San Antonio police and the Feds. Well, the hot sex might have something to do with it. She needed to hide. With no memory of even her name, she didn't know from who. She only knew she wasn't safe. Adrian soon learns she is much more than a damsel in distress, and he’s stuck with her. It isn't long before the past she cannot remember begins to catch up with them both...  


About the Author

6517376#NSFW author of the violently sexy NIGHTLIFE SERIES (Vampires, Escorts & Strippers). Has auditioned for Christian Grey in 50 Shades film. He is currently catching a 3rd degree sunburn in San Antonio, Texas, and loving every minute of it. As the author of the Nightlife Series novels, Travis lives very vicariously through his writings. He invites you to enjoy his macabre flights of fancy, but be warned: The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.  

       

15781629Blood and Snow: volumes 1-8 by RaShelle Workman

Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen Snow White. Snow isn't an ordinary girl. She doesn't know that yet. When Snow gets bitten by a Hunter, her life is thrown into a whirlwind of change where instead of worrying about what to eat, she has to fight not to drink the blood of fellow high school students. She becomes a revenant - not quite human, not quite vampire. With the help of an eccentric old Professor, his seven adoptive sons, and her best friend, Snow learns to control her blood craving. Sort of. She drinks a bloodlust tea, but she'd rather drink from her Hunter. Or, a human. She also discovers a whole other realm, one filled with fairies, dragons, and magic. And not only does the Vampire Queen want her, but there's a pendant called the Seal of Gabriel created for Snow by the Vampire Queen's twin sister.And Snow's supposed to use it to restore balance to all magical creatures. Including vampires.

About the Author

6-7-14me2RaShelle Workman is the author of the popular Blood and Snow series. She loves to reinvent fairy tales teens and adults can sink their teeth into. Her stories include kissing, vampires, werewolves, witches, aliens, and more kissing. Her books: Sleeping Roses, Exiled, Beguiled, and Dovetailed have foreign rights contracts with a Turkish publisher. RaShelle is also one of the co-founders of Indie Recon LIVE, a self publishing conference that will debut October 10-11, 2014 in Sandy, Utah.    

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Giveaway

8 $25.00 Gift Cards
Winner Choice from Amazon, Barnes and Noble or iTunes and
8 Ebooks of author back list.
 

Taking a gamble on love

 
 LAST CHANCE FAMILY
by Hope Ramsay
a Contemporary Romance
from Forever Publishing

Blurb

Mike Taggart has always been willing to take a gamble. But these stakes are just way too high - there's no way he's prepared to become a legal guardian to his five-year-old niece. His only option is to head from Las Vegas to Last Chance to sort things out as quickly as possible. Problem is, he arrives to find an inconsolable little girl, her sick cat, and a gorgeous veterinarian he can't get out of his mind. 
 
Charlene Polk has two talents: healing sick critters and falling in love with the wrong men. Mike has trouble written all over him, but she can't leave him in the lurch. And the more time she spends with the sexy high roller, the more she sees that this ready-made family is the best stroke of luck they've ever had . . .


Buy Links
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1FapmNm 
Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/1qKhFwx 
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1tb4hwH 
 
 
EXCERPT
 
Charlene stood in the kitchen doorway, her hair wet, her stomach empty, and her heart suddenly racing.  Mike leaned against the counter, his head hung low.  He seemed to be struggling to draw breath.
She crossed the room and put her hand on the middle of his back.  His T-shirt was soft, the body beneath it hard and warm. 
He straightened and let out a big breath.  "Sorry." 
"What's wrong?"
"Killer heartburn," he said, then immediately changed the subject.  He moved toward the coffee maker, shaking off her touch.  "You want some coffee?" 
He turned and gave her a quick glance.  That's all it took. 
Her heart wrenched, and she responded the way she always did when confronted with unspoken pain.  She encountered it often, usually in the eyes of animals.  But it was there, beyond that mild-mannered expression he tried to wear.  He was hurting.  She reached up to stroke his cheek.  Her fingers encountered his warm skin and rough stubble.  That touch flipped her switch.  Electricity flowed inside her.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as her fingers moved over his face to his ear and up into his bright red hair. 
"Don't," he whispered, but he made no attempt to move away.  He reminded her of an abused animal that growls when all he wants is a little kindness.  She cupped the nape of his neck and pulled him down as she rose up on tip-toes.
She gave him a soft, gentle kiss.  Nothing deep or sexy, just a little kiss, intended to comfort.  But it didn't stay that way.  Mike grabbed her by the cheeks and pulled her up into it like a man starving for love.  His tongue stroked hers.  His right hand dropped to her hip, and he yanked her forward and into his chest.
Her knees almost buckled.  But she didn't fall, because Mike had her.  His hand found the small of her back as he sagged against the counter.  They leaned together, thigh to thigh, chest to chest.  The kiss turned utterly carnal.  His hand wandered up over her spine to her breast.  He palmed it.  Her nipples came alive.  He groaned.
And her whole body throbbed.
She broke the kiss and looked up into his face.  His eyes had dilated with desire.  His breath sounded ragged.  His skin flushed red. 
"I want you," he said in a hoarse voice.  "I want to strip you naked and do it right here in the kitchen."
His words ignited a bad-girl fire that pretty much torched her reservations about him.  "Okay."
His gaze widened.  "I'm not a reliable bet," he said.
She laughed.  "You think I don't know that?"
"Oh."
She could almost feel him having second thoughts.  And she had no intention of allowing that.  She'd have the rest of her life to regret this choice.  Or not. 
Which would she regret more?  Letting her reservations about him put the kibosh on this?  Or spending the rest of her life wondering if maybe she should have bet on Mike Taggart? 
Heartbreak was her middle name.  "I'm a gambler," she whispered.  "And sometimes the long shots pay off."
"Not usually," he said.
"Maybe not.  But I'm the eternal optimist.”

 

About Hope Ramsay
 
Hope Ramsay grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but every summer Momma would pack her off under the care of Aunt Annie to go visiting with relatives in the midlands of South Carolina. Her extended family includes its share of colorful aunts and uncles, as well as cousins by the dozens, who provide the fodder for the characters you'll find in Last Chance, South Carolina. She's a two-time finalist in the Golden Heart and is married to a good ol' Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her heroes. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia, where you can often find her on the back deck, picking on her thirty-five-year-old Martin guitar. 

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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

When Life and Love are in Danger: Hart Attack




 Hart Attack
Titan series
by Cristin Harber
a Military Romance
from Mill Creek Press


About HART ATTACK

Outside of Titan Group, there are few people that Roman Hart would die for. He’s a soldier, a protector, and he’s haunted that one of the people he should’ve been able to protect didn’t let him. That was years ago, and now a hardened heart and a cocky attitude are his impenetrable shields, until one woman—one challenge—drives him to distraction.

On the outside, Beth Tourne has it all. Luxury car, gorgeous condo, and a job partying with the rich and famous. It’s a plush CIA cover, but she wants more. Anything for an adrenaline rush that can override her guilty numbness and let her forget the tragedy she never saw coming.

Their scars make them perfect operatives. Their mirrored pasts give them deep, wounded reasons to stay alone. But the more they ignore the tension, the more vulnerable they become. Survival means trust. In one another, behind closed doors, and on the job. The only way they’re making it out alive is if they find peace while waging a war.
 


Review by pearls

  Beth and Roman have both used the coldness of their jobs to keep painful emotions buried, but when they come in contact, sparks fly.  Both have to deal with learning to feel again as they come to accept their feelings for one another.  Meanwhile bullets are flying as the team goes through various ops.  I liked that this story has just as much action outside the bedroom as in it.  The action scenes were intense, and the emotional tug-a-war between the two well scripted.  And when Beth had her meltdown, I cried right along with her.  For all of Roman's tough guy act, he gives the best hugs, and his confidence in their relationship once he realizes his feelings will make a believer out of the biggest skeptic. They will make it simply because he knows they will.  For fans of the Titan series, the other characters are all there and their storylines move forward, too; but, this can be read as a stand-alone. 



EXCERPT
 
She closed her eyes and still saw his chiseled face. “Don’t be sweet to me, Roman.”
 
“I’m not.”
 
With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and focused on his lips then his eyes, wishing that he would act like a belligerent ass, not this guy whose words held such gravity. “Then don’t do whatever that was.”
 
“What? Touch you?” His fingers found a curl of hair, and he rubbed the strands. “Why not when it’s so much fun?”
 
Ah, fun. That was the problem. She could barely breathe. Holding herself up much longer would require significant and obvious assistance. Everything he did turned her into a puddle of goo. And here he was having a great time. La dee flippin’ da.
 
“I think I should go.” She jumped off the couch without looking at him. Her legs decided to work at the last second, saving her from a moronic tumble as she tripped while trying get away. “I don’t want to be here.”
 
“Liar.”
 

About Author Cristin Harber

Cristin Harber is a USA Today bestselling romantic suspense and military romance author. Fans voted her onto Amazon’s Top Picks for Debut Romance Authors in 2013, and her debut Titan series was #1 romantic suspense, #1 military romance, and a USA Today Top 100 bestseller.

She lives outside Washington, DC with her family and English Bulldog.

Connect with Cristin Harber

 

 

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Her troubles began with a kiss

TWICE TEMPTED
a Drake's Rakes novel
by Eileen Dreyer
a Historical Romance
from Forever Publishing
 
Blurb:
Fiona Ferguson's troubles began with a kiss . . . 
 
It feels like a lifetime ago that Alex Knight saved Fiona from certain doom . . . and stole a soul-shattering kiss for good measure. Wanting nothing more than to keep her safe, he left her in the care of her grandfather, the Marquess of Dourne. But Fiona was hardly safe. As soon as he could, the marquess cast her and her sister out on the streets with only her wits to keep them alive. Alex has never forgotten that long-ago kiss. Now the dashing spy is desperate to make up for failing his duty once before. This time he will protect Fiona once and for all, from a deadly foe bent on taking revenge on the Ferguson line-and anyone who stands in the way . . .

Buy links:
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1FasQzq 
Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/1ukNFH7 
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1xon12i 

EXCERPT
 
 
He arched an eyebrow. “Lord Whitmore again? Please, Fiona. Don't do that to me. When I hear Lord Whitmore, I think of my uncle, who had six fingers and thought bathing was a trick of the devil.”

            She giggled. “I can understand your wanting to maintain the distinction.”

            “Every time you call me Lord Whitmore, I will call you Eloise.”

            She glared at him, the curtains clutched to her chest like bedclothes, as if she were a maiden in threat of seduction. “You wouldn't.”

            He shrugged. “It is your name. Lady Eloise Fiona Ferguson Hawes.”

            “No one knows,” she hissed.

            He leaned in very close. “I do.”

            She reared back and almost tipping the ladder again. “That is patently unfair.”

            He shrugged and reached up for the curtains. “All is fair in love and safety.”

            She refused to budge. “I do not believe that is precisely the quote.”

            Grinning, he put his foot on the second rung, just beneath her. “Close enough.”

            And then he made the mistake of looking into her eyes. Her blue, blue eyes that were suddenly black with arousal. He heard the sharp intake of her breath and saw the erratic pulse beating at the base of her long white throat.

            His own body reacted just as it had every time he'd gotten close to her. He focused in on her, his grip on her tightening. Still she didn't move, caught in the circle of his free arm, her hip pressed against his chest, her mouth just above his. All he had to do was climb another rung, and he could satisfy a four-year-old craving.

            His heart was galloping suddenly, and he could feel a bead of sweat roll down his back. He could see a glow on her forehead, her upper lip. Her eyes widened, as if she could read his thoughts, and he could scent something new. Arousal. Need. Hunger. His own body was shaking with it. He swore his cock had taken on a life of its own, and his brain simply shut down.

            He leaned a bit closer, his foot still on the step beneath her and paused, giving her a chance to escape, to clout him in the head if necessary. She didn't. She watched him the way prey might a raptor, unsure and wary.  He didn't blame her. He wasn't certain how much control he had over himself. It had been so long since he'd had a woman. So much longer since he'd really liked the one he had.

            Slowly, so he didn't startle her into tipping the ladder, he rose up and set his other foot on the rung. She was frozen in place, one hand fisted around the blood-deep velvet, the other clenched against the ladder, as if she was still uncertain whether to use it.

            She didn't. She inhaled, her mouth opening just a bit, as if there wasn't enough air. As if she were struggling to stay afloat.

            Sink, Alex wanted to say as he lifted himself face-to-face with her, mouth-to-mouth. Sink into me.

            “I knew it!” a voice screeched behind him, shattering the moment. “What did I tell you about lettin' them jackanapes in here?”

            Fiona reared back, as if he'd attacked her, again throwing the ladder off balance. Alex instinctively pulled back to stabilize them. He pulled back too far and the ladder tipped.

There was a lot of yelling and a couple of muffled thuds as Alex landed on his back, cushioning Fiona's fall. He wasn’t so lucky.

            “Are you all right?” Fiona asked immediately, leaning over him.

            “Serves him right,” the housekeeper snapped from the doorway.

            He had hit his head so hard he was seeing stars. But he was smelling cinnamon and Fiona, so he really couldn't complain

            “That is enough, Mrs. Quick,” he heard. “Alex? Your eyes are open. Can you hear me?”

            Rather than admit that he was too distracted by the plump pressure of her breast against his chest to answer, he simply closed his eyes and groaned. The act would have been unworthy of him if his head weren't pounding and his arse aching from hard contact with the floor

            “Mrs. Quick,” she was saying, her hand on his cheek. “See if Mr. Clemson is outside. Send him for the doctor.”

            He knew his injuries didn't merit such concern. “No doctor.” He blinked a couple of times until the multiple Fionas resolved into one. “I'll live. My head is a bit bruised is all.”

            In retaliation, she took away both her hand and breast, which almost set Alex to groaning again. She actually smacked him on the arm. “Then don't frighten me like that....again.

            “Don't know why you let him in here at all,” came the grumble from the doorway.

            Untangling them both from the curtains, Fiona sat up. “Thank you, Mrs. Quick. I think we're all right now.”

            “Ya think that, do ya?”
            Fiona gave her the kind of glare that betrayed her aristocratic heritage. The housekeeper, still grumbling, clasped her hands in a parody of good servile behavior and stalked off down the hall.

            Fiona looked back down to where Alex lay, and he could see the cost of the last tumble on her face. He should have been outraged. He was lying in a nest of curtains with a fresh headache and the humiliation of his fall, and she was...laughing.

            She tried so hard not to. She held her hand to her mouth. She shook her head. He could see her shoulders heave. He would have chastised her, except the minute he opened his mouth, he burst out laughing, too.

            “You are not very beneficial to my amour propre,” he wheezed up at her.

            She couldn't stop laughing, full-throated, full-bellied, as if too much suppressed laughter had simply spilled over. “I...I....didn't...”

            “Mean it,” he managed, making it up as far as sitting beside her. “Yes, I know.”

            She frantically shook her head. “Think anything could be so...funny!” She was gasping, bent over her hands at her waist. “The look on your face!”

            He had meant to get up, to reassert his mastery of the situation. He refused to sacrifice this perfect moment with her on the floor. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he wiped at the tears that coursed down her cheeks.

            “It's not that funny,” he groused.

            She started laughing again. “Oh, yes it is. You can have no idea of how long it's been since I had the chance to laugh. Since I last saw your sister, I think.”

            He had to grin. “Well, yes. Pip would set anybody to laughing. She's a ridiculous little thing.”

            For that he got a resounding smack on his chest. “Do not dare speak ill of my best friend.” She hiccuped, her eyes widening a bit. “My only friend, actually. Except for Sarah and Lizzie. And now that Sarah is married to my brother, I have no idea at all how we will meet again.”

            There was the faintest plaintive note in her voice that made Alex want to curl her completely into his arms and shield her from hurt. Dear God, how lonely she must have been. “I promise,” he said instead. “I fully respect my sister's loyalty. It's her good sense I frequently question.”

            Her breathing was evening out. She nodded. “Pip does have a knack for acting before thinking.”

            “She's like a whirlwind.”

            “She needs to finally capture her Beau,” Fiona said with a definite nod. “That would settle her down.”

            Alex snorted. “Poor Beau. He'd never have another moment's peace.”

            And for a long moment, they just sat there in a pool of sunlight and velvet, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. It felt so good. So whole.

            It couldn't last. If he didn't move, he'd damn well take her here on the floor. He opened his mouth to tell her, and then made the mistake of meeting her gaze again.

            Her lips were still parted, but she wasn't laughing anymore. He could see the pulse jumping at her throat, and her hands were clenched again, as if she were trying hard to keep them to herself.

            He didn't know why. Lifting his own hand, he cupped her cheek. Again he gave her the chance to pull away. Again she didn't. His own heart started to skip around. He was rock hard. There was no longer a question. He had to kiss her.
 
 
About Eileen Dreyer:
 
New York Times best-selling author Eileen Dreyer has won five RITA Awards from the Romance Writers of America, which secures her  fourth place in the Romance Writers of America prestigious Hall of Fame. Eileen is an addicted traveler, having sung in some of the best Irish pubs in the world.  Eileen also writes as Kathleen Korbel and has over three million books in print worldwide. Born and raised in Missouri, she lives in St. Louis County with her husband Rick and her two children.

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