Valentine's Day Sale!

 Hi everyone, I hope you're having a wonderful Valentine's Day with those you love! To celebrate this special day of love and romance, I'm having a sale on two of my books. My Wild Highlander and My Brave Highlander are .99 cents each at all ebook sellers, including Amazon, B&N, Kobo and iTunes. These are books two and three in the Highland Adventure Series.

My Wild Highlander

National Readers' Choice Award Winner | Amazon and Nook Top 100 Bestseller.

 

Lady Angelique Drummagan, a half-Scottish, half-French countess, has suffered much pain and betrayal in her past. She wants nothing to do with the sensual Scottish warrior that the king has ordered her to marry because the rogue could never be a faithful husband, but she has little choice in the matter. Dangerous, greedy enemies threaten her from all sides and she's in dire need of his protection.

Sir Lachlan MacGrath, known as Seducer of the Highlands, possesses a charming wickedness and canny wit which has earned him much popularity. After the king decrees that he wed the fiery hellion, Lachlan discovers there is one woman who can resist him—Angelique. Can he break through her icy façade and melt her heart, or will the dark secrets lurking in her past not only cost them their future together, but their very lives?

Only .99 cents!

 

READ CHAPTER 1

 

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

When you buy the Kindle version of My Wild Highlander, the Audible audiobook version is only 1.99!

Listen to Sample

My Brave Highlander

Battle-hardened warrior Dirk MacLerie isn't who everyone thinks he is. He's Dirk MacKay, heir apparent to the MacKay chiefdom and Dunnakeil Castle on the far north coast of Scotland. When he returns home after a long absence, will his clan know him and will the duplicitous enemy who tried to murder him twelve years ago kill him in truth this time?

Lady Isobel MacKenzie is a beautiful young widow betrothed to yet another Highland chief by her brother's order. But when her future brother-in-law accosts her and threatens to kill her, she is forced to flee into a Highland snowstorm. When she runs into a rugged and imposing man she thought dead, she wonders if he will turn her over to her enemy or take her to safety.

Dirk remembers the enchanting, dark-eyed Isobel from when he was a lad, but now she is bound to another man by legal contract—an important detail she would prefer to forget. She wishes to choose her own husband and has her sights set on Dirk. But he would never steal another man's bride… would he? The tantalizing lady fires up his passions, testing his willpower and honor at every turn, even as some of his own treacherous clansmen plot his downfall.

Only .99 cents!

 

READ CHAPTER 1

 

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

When you buy the Kindle version of My Brave Highlander, the Audible audiobook version is only 1.99!

Listen to Sample Thanks!! Vonda www.vondasinclair.com

The Big V

It's a comin'! Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and I'm really looking forward to it. However, probably not for the reason you think. Don't get me wrong; I love getting romantic with my guy. I love wining and dining with him because I love being with him, but engaging in these fun holiday traditions appeals to more than my lover's heart; it appeals to my writer's soul as well. What better time to people watch than on the most erotic and romantic day of the year?

As a writer, I love to watch people and wonder what their stories are. I get lots of ideas for stories for just observing what goes on around me. On Valentine's Day, it's not unusual if we go out to eat to wait at least an hour, and that's an hour that I get to watch the human mating dance in full force, the desire to engage in one basic instinct--romance--being fueled by another--hunger. I've seen people on first dates, couples on their 50th Valentine's Day, and everything in between. Families, couples, and, yes, even singles, venture out to eat on this most loving of holidays, and I get the benefit of it.

I'm very unobtrusive. No one really knows I'm eavesdropping, and I try not to stare. I just listen and make up stories in my head to fill in the blanks. I used to feel bad about it, but then I figured there's someone out there like me probably watching and listening to my Valentine's Day adventure, and so it all evens out.

Whether you're observing others or being observed yourself, I hope this Valentine's Day brings you much joy and love.

Happy Reading!

What Is This Thing Called Love?

Lucky me. I’m the romance author who gets to write a blog on Valentine’s Day. Cliché, right? Well, earlier this week, I found a fascinating special on Public Radio about love, and learned some interesting things:

Neurologist Lucy Brown said the brain of a person head over heels in love resembles the brain of a person high on cocaine.

Anthropologist Helen Fisher believes romantic love is a basic human drive that evolved to keep people together long enough to procreate and continue the species.

Esquire writer and editor A.J. Jacobs underwent an MRI to see how he would react to looking at pictures of his wife versus pictures of Angelina Jolie.  He says he has now scientifically proven  he loves his wife.

Jacobs is one man who believes we’ve over-romanticized romance, and that it’s time for some down-to-earth, feet-on-the-ground Valentine messages. And he’s created some hysterical ones called Valentines for Rational Lovers. Here’s a sampling:

Public Radio's "What Is This Thing Called Love?” one-hour special is part of its series titled The Really Big Questions. You can listen to more at: http://trbq.org/love/

Until next month,

Jenna

www.jennaives.com

Happy Valentine's Day!

For Valentine's Day, I want to share some of my favorite romantic sentiments and love quotes. Also below I'm posting some of the most romantic images of Scotland. Please let me know which is your favorite.

Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it rekindles the great.

-- Comte DeBussy-Rabutin

Sunset over Broadford Bay, Isle of Skye

That love is all there is is all we know of love.

-- Emily Dickinson

Rose in the gardens at Crathes Castle.

 "Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense."

- Mark Overby

Flowers in the park at Broadford Bay

 Judge nothing, you will be happy. Forgive everything, you will be happier. Love everything, you will be happiest.

-- Chinmoy

Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most romantic views in Scotland.

 "Love comforteth like sunshine after rain."

- William Shakespeare

Flowers in the gardens of Dunvegan Castle.

 Thou art to me a delicious torment.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A lovely tree in the gardens at Armadale Castle, Isle of Skye.

 To laugh often and love much... to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to give one's self... this is to have succeeded.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Honeysuckle and a beautiful view of the sea at Armadale Castle.

 Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends.

- Anonymous

Bench in the gardens at Crathes Castle.

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.
Judy Garland

Ceannabeinne Beach, near Durness

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. 

--Lao Tzu

I hope you're having a wonderful Valentine's Day and spending it with someone you love!

Vonda

www.vondasinclair.com

A Most Romantic Gift

In the past, I've blogged a bit about dancing, and I can't think of a more fitting subject for this week's theme because it's the most romantic gift my husband's ever given me. Because of him, my dream to be able to move to music and enjoy it is a reality and a lifelong passion fulfilled.

We'd been dating for a month when the subject came up offhandedly. I was so excited to hear he'd been dancing for years and wanted to share it with me, and he was so excited to find I couldn't wait to learn some steps. He'd been fully prepared to give up his dancing life to be with me if he discovered I wasn't into it.

Is there anything more romantic than THAT?

Who couldn't love dancing, whether watching it or doing it? Dancing is romantic and passionate, and they say that the way a couple dances says quite a bit about their relationship.

Partner dancing is about knowing yourself and your partner. It's about knowing when to lead and when to follow. It's about knowing when to give and when to take. It's about enjoying the pulse and rhythm of life and sharing that with your partner or the world if you're free-styling. In other words, it about...

Love. Love of life. Love of music. Love of that special someone. Love of humanity.

Those who dance suspend for a moment the inherent vulnerabilities of the human spirit and join in accepting themselves and those around them to come together in a celebration of possibilities. They rejoice in the primal beats that tie modern humankind to their ancestors, a connection transcending thousands of years and passing through thousands of generations.

What's more loving than sharing a dance with someone you care about? Perhaps you waltzed with your papa at your wedding, or perhaps you're first kiss happened at the prom during a slow dance. Dancing can be traditional, and it can unite. It's a way to get to know someone but also a way to share quality time with someone you've known for years.

In my novella, Ride 'Em, Girlfriend, hunky cowboy Randy Stide uses the rumba and tango to further seduce the woman his heart's ached for for months. In some of my other books, dancing or music somehow play a role in the couple's love affair. It's so much a part of who I am that it just sneaks in when I'm least expecting it.

Speaking of least expecting something, why don't you, as a Valentine's Day challenge, ask someone you know to dance with you? It doesn't really matter where you are or even if there's music; if you dance, you'll hear it. I wouldn't just go up to any ole person on the street and ask them--well, I probably would, but I definitely don't recommend that you do it--but maybe hustle your sullen teen off the couch and do the Watusi. Grab Granny and try a little slooooowww foxtrot, or maybe just wrap yourself around your significant other and snuggle in for a close slow dance, the kind where you just hold on and rock back and forth.

Wanting to express oneself through the joy of dance is a natural, wonderful desire, and I'm grateful every day that I'm able to do it, as some folks are not. I dance for those who can't and sometimes for those who won't, but mainly I dance because I have to, just like I have to write.

Right now I think I have to go express myself by encouraging my wonderful hubby to join me for a spin around the living room. Happy Valentine's Day!

Demon is a Red Hot

Here's my free Valentine's Day read. Now I know Valentine's Day has just passed, but it wasn't my turn to blog on that day. Besides, I think we can celebrate romance any day, right? If you want to see how a Demon celebrates the day, read on.

"Cupid shot me."

Angel thought she heard the words as she roused out of sleep in her New York City penthouse. But it was the long groan of the big man lying next to her in bed that really woke her.

"Demon?" She raised herself on her elbow to peer down at the unexpected sight. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a holiday, isn't it?" Demon's black gaze moved from her face to her breasts. "Happy Valentine's Day."

She laughed. "This is not your kind of holiday."
He groaned again. "No kidding. But Cupid ambushed me."

He reached a hand toward her breast, then dropped it like she was on fire. "No," he said, "I have to be on my best behavior."

"Your best behavior is not very good." She smiled. "With one exception."

"Damn. Don't look at me like that."

"Why not?" From long experience, she knew he loved the tilted head, look-up-through-the-eyelashes-glance.

"Like I told you, Cupid ambushed me. She dropped me here with instructions to treat you right."

"Treat me right?"

"She said there's more to pleasing an angel than giving her great sex."

"Hmmm. Cupid did not ask for my opinion on this theory." Angel pushed back the sheet. Yup. He was naked. Gloriously naked. His broad shoulders tapered down to hips that performed with all the strength and stamina an angel could want. And she could plainly see that Demon was ready to perform.

Continued here

http://carlycarsonwriter.blogspot.com/?zx=4d7d954aba57846a

Love Isn't Only for Valentine's Day

What better time than February to find a folder of old Valentine’s cards and romantic mementos? I tugged open the ends of the scarlet ribbon and spilled the contents. Crooked red hearts shot through with squiggly arrows peeked up at me from one page—a page of white tablet paper on which my grade-school crush had covered with images and words revealing that he wanted to be my Valentine. The silver plastic Indian-head ring he had slipped on my index finger during one recess lay underneath other Valentine’s cards and letters from years past. I found a cute parking ticket one boyfriend had tucked underneath my wiper blade that told me how many kisses he wanted in payment. Payment for what, you might ask? Payment for speeding into his heart. Pink construction-paper hearts streamed across a golden-thread-wrapped cord. Those were the hearts I’d hung from my visor after the third date with a man I thought I’d marry some day. Didn’t happen, but we remained good friends for many years afterward. Nearby lay an empty miniature Whitman’s sampler inside of which I’d tucked the fortune from my cookie the night my at-the-time Valentine and I dined on cashew chicken and shrimp-fried-rice. The fortune read: “Someone special will come into your life when you least expect.”














Love and romantic commitment are often explored in the stories I’ve written and published. In real life, I’ve run the gamut from…

Puppy Love that made me tongue-tied, weak-kneed, and at a loss for the proper words…





To a more mature love built on faith, respect, sharing and caring…





Whether your Valentine’s Day begins with …


Love


Laughter





Chocolate





Or a Kiss






Whether you find a Frog Prince…




Or spend the day with your handsome hero…








Always remember true love isn’t simply for romance novel. A loving bond can and will withstand many trials and the test of time.


Wishing you all love and happiness,

Shawna Moore
TO HELLE AND BACK AGAIN -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED (Recommended Read) -- Ellora's Cave
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave

Addicted to Romance

I confess, I’ve been addicted to romance most of my life. Not just romance novels, but romance in every form.

Romance and love are things I was drawn to from my earliest years. I was always the little kid staring with wide-eyed curiosity and fascination at the teenagers holding hands. Why were they doing that? Why does that guy have his arm around that girl? My Barbie and Ken were always kissing and going on romantic dates. One of my favorite TV shows back then was The Bionic Woman and, boy, did she have some hot relationships. Or at least, I thought so at the time. LOL My favorite was her romance with The Six Million Dollar Man. I should’ve known then I’d be writing paranormal romance one day about characters with extraordinary abilities. And then, of course, romantic fairy tales like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty always captivated me.

As a teenager, I quickly became addicted to romance in fiction. Gone With the Wind (the book) was one of the first, along with Arthurian legends, then I migrated over to actual romance where the happy endings thrilled me far more than the depressing endings in most literature. Back then, it didn’t matter if they were “sweet” romances. The feeling of falling in love came through loud and clear in the story. Sigh. Each of those stories sent me to dreamy la-la land for a day or two. Who needed those annoying, immature high-school boys when I could fantasize about a hero who looked like a Greek god? He was actually nice to the heroine and entranced by her. He treated her like a princess and he knew how to kiss.

I knew someday I had to find my own prince charming, a man who would accept me for who I am. A man who would love me unconditionally, recognize my talents and be generous to fault. I feel like the luckiest woman on earth to have found him while in college.

We got engaged on Valentine’s Day. It’s always been a special day we celebrate by going out to eat and exchanging gifts. Sometimes we go on mini vacations. My husband knows that I don’t necessarily want the classic romantic gifts. I only want roses if they have roots attached. I’d rather have a trip to Scotland than diamonds. And please leave that box of candy at the store!
He knows all my deep dark secrets, weird quirks, and he still loves me. That’s the essence of romance that I try to bring to my stories. Sometimes we don’t know what draws us to another person. Maybe on first glance, it’s the color of his eyes, but later you can’t pinpoint one thing. It’s a combination of many things.

There are so many facets to romance, but one of the most important in my opinion is… not only do you love the other person, but you also show them respect. Sometimes it’s not what you say but how you say it. It can be the difference between coming across critical or coming across as understanding. We all want understanding and acceptance, don’t we? This is something I like to explore my stories. I love a hero who is supportive of the heroine, underscoring her confidence instead of undermining it.

In my upcoming March 21 Carina Press release, Laird of Darkness, the hero and heroine discover in the darkness of night that they have something in common (aside from a sizzling attraction)--they’ve both been traumatized in the dark and bitten by creatures, either normal rats or Otherworld demons. This gives them an unconditional acceptance and understanding of each other. And as a result they can comfort each other in the darkness of night. The form that comfort takes is both romantic and extremely sensual.

Am I still addicted to romance? Absolutely! What about you?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Blurb for Laird of Darkness: Half-Fae Laird Duncan MacDougall is cursed. His nights are haunted by Otherworld creatures sent to kill him. The only way to stop them is to possess the magic bow currently in the hands of his enemy half-brother, Kinnon MacClaren. In desperation, Duncan plans to take MacClaren's bride-to-be hostage and exchange her for the bow.

Lady Alana Forbes has never met her intended, but she hopes he is handsome-and a good lover, for Alana is no innocent virgin. On her way to Castle Claren, Alana and her escorts are intercepted, and she is kidnapped by a man with extraordinary abilities-and every attribute she longs for in a mate.

Duncan didn't expect the woman he thought of as a mere pawn would be so beautiful, and so arousing. Alana is drawn to him as well-but Duncan still needs the bow, and Alana is betrothed to another. How far will Alana go to save the life of the man she's come to love?

Nicole
http://www.nicolenorth.com/

Valentine's Day: The Romance Holiday

"The most difficult thing to explain in life is the simplest truth called love." Ramanathan Srinivasan

"No three words have greater power than 'I Love You.'"

"Love is much like a wild rose; beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense." Mark A. Overby

"Long after moments of closeness have passed, a part of you remains with me and warms the places your hands have touched and hastens my heart for your return." Robert Sexton


"Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same."

"The power of a glance... It is in this way that love begins, and in this way only... Nothing is more real than these great shocks which two souls give each other in exchanging this spark." Victor Hugo

"No disguise can long conceal love where it exists, or long feign it where it is lacking." Francois La Rochefoucauld

"It is the passion that is in a kiss that gives to it its sweetness; it is the affection in a kiss that sanctifies it." Christian Nestell Bovee

"What did my hands do before they held you?" Sylvia Plath

"Love is the emblem of eternity: it confounds all notion of time, effaces all memory of a beginning, all fear of an end." Germaine De Stael

Happy Valentine's Day from everyone at Fierce Romance!

February - The Month of Love

As lovers of romance, we don't need an excuse to celebrate love. But the rest of the world likes to use February, as the month of Valentine's Day, to talk about love and romance. Here at Fierce Romance, we like to talk about those subjects all the time!



Red Sage is kicking off a brand new, up-to-date website to help you to more easily access their erotic and emotional stories of love and romance. There were admittedly some problems with the old site and I just want to point out that anyone who wanted to buy a copy of my November release, The Better to Eat You With, (or any other Red Sage title) but had a problem accessing the link, I'm happy to let you know that the glitches are fixed. You can now get your very own copy of my twisted take on the Little Red Riding Hood tale. Be sure to check out the new website.



And don't forget to stop over to the Red Sage Revealed blog. All month Red Sage authors are blogging about their hottest heroes and heroines and giving away free books as well!

Nothing is more romantic than a kiss. It's so intimate, lips brushing, breaths mingling, bodies only a heartbeat away, or maybe pressed up against each other. I love romantic movies and movie kisses get me everytime.

I'm up for some good romantic movies to watch this February, um and the other 11 months of the year. I'm ready to add to my Netflix queue. What movies would you recommend??

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Love Makes the World Go Around and More

Never have hearts and the air been filled with more love than when in anticipation of Valentine’s Day. Love for a significant other or spouse. Love for friends and family. Love of life. These are some of the many things we cherish and which make our hearts beat faster. Earlier this morning, I mulled some of the songs and quotes I find most magical during this time when love is capable of melting the deepest snow and warming the body from head to heels.

Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet – Henry Mancini



Dedicated to the One I Love – Mamas and the Papas


Dedicated To the One I Love


World Without Love – Peter and Gordon




All You Need is Love – Beatles

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."
-Ingrid Bergman


"There is no remedy for love but to love more."
-Thoreau

"Some love lasts a lifetime. True love lasts forever."
-Unknown

"If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand."
-Unknown


But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
-Kahlil Gibran

Wishing you all love and many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
TO HELLE AND BACK AGAIN -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED (Recommended Read) -- Ellora's Cave
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Valentine's Wishes and Remembrances

There’s nothing like a snowy winter’s day to make a woman even more sentimental. What better time than February to find a folder of old Valentine’s cards and romantic mementos? I tugged open the ends of the scarlet ribbon and spilled the contents. Crooked red hearts shot through with squiggly arrows peeked up at me from one page—a page of white tablet paper my grade-school crush had covered with images and words revealing that he wanted to be my Valentine. The silver plastic Indian-head ring he had slipped on my index finger during one recess lay underneath other Valentine’s cards and letters from years past. I found a cute parking ticket one boyfriend had tucked underneath my wiper blade that told me how many kisses he wanted in payment. Payment for what, you might ask? Payment for speeding into his heart. Pink construction-paper hearts streamed across a golden-thread-wrapped cord. Those were the hearts I’d hung from my rear-view mirror after the third date with a man I thought I’d marry some day. Didn’t happen, but we remained good friends for many years afterward. Nearby lay an empty miniature Whitman’s sampler inside of which I’d tucked the fortune from my cookie the night my at-the-time Valentine and I dined on cashew chicken and shrimp-fried-rice. The fortune read: “Someone special will come into your life when you least expect.”














Love and romantic commitment are often explored in the stories I’ve written and published. In real life, I’ve run the gamut from…

Puppy Love that made me tongue-tied, weak-kneed, and at a loss for the proper words…





To a more mature love built on faith, respect, sharing and caring…





Whether your Valentine’s Day begins with …


Love







Laughter





Chocolate





Or a Kiss





Whether you find a Frog Prince…




Or spend the day with your handsome hero…








Always remember true love isn’t simply for romance novels. A loving bond can and will withstand many trials and the test of time.

In my latest erotic historical romance novel, TORMENTED, Eve and Charles savor a delicious and amorous moment while he feeds far more than her appetite. The following scene is one of my favorites of those I’ve written. May you enjoy the following passage and many loving moments with those who are special in your life.

Excerpt – TORMENTED (MUST-READ from Dark Angel Reviews)

Click here for more information about TORMENTED

“You are tired. Save your strength. I will feed you.” Rich as the rum custard soaking the golden-brown bread, his words could calm any savage.

Yet they only goaded her heart to a wilder gallop.

He remained unblinking, snatched her spoon and scooped a small portion of pudding. Moving the spoon to the opposite side of the bowl, he dredged the morsel in the melting cream before raising his hand.

She shut her eyes. Her heart thumped harder, making a racket Charles certainly heard. His deeper, bolder breaths overpowered her shallow ones.

He moved so fast.

Faster than any man she’d ever met.

Fast as a wild animal fleeing its foe.

And his gaze struck bone.

Something about Charles bore closer consideration and a measured approach.

“I don’t want to feed your fear, only your appetite,” he said and tapped the spoon against her lips.

Not polite, refusing his hospitality. She opened her mouth. As the spoon advanced and caressed her tongue, what must have been his pinkie played twice over her lower lip.

She pulled the dessert from the spoon and his hand retreated. But not before the faintest of moans rattled in his throat. The fire in her belly flared to between her legs. How sweet, his treat, as the creamy sauce and softened bread covered her palate.

As her lips closed, an image of him played against the blackness of her eyelids. The flavors settled and filled her entire mouth. She chewed and swallowed. Though she could feed herself without dropping any food, Charles’ steady hand was welcome. Her fingers remained folded together. At least that way they didn’t fumble and fuel the tingling that cascaded from the bottom knuckles to the very tips.

“More, Eve?”

Maybe he’d feed her hunger for knowledge? “How long have you lived here in New Orleans and cared for its people?”

The soft scraping of Charles tracing the spoon around the pudding bowl’s rim. “Many years.”

Her damp fingers pleated the napkin on her lap and she glanced at him. “When younger did you suspect you’d enter a healing profession?”

The twinkling of countless stars settled in his eyes. “From the time I removed the first burr from my pet spaniel’s paw. Seven years old and somewhat of a surgeon.”

A gentle shake settled the napkin over her legs. “My father frowned on having animals in our home but he gifted me with a trotter on my tenth birthday. I enjoy riding horses.”

“As do I. Zephyr is the name of my spirited mount. He delights in nipping and throwing my stable boys. And then there’s Janus, my carriage horse.” Charles laughed, eyes closed and head tipped back at a jaunty angle.

“Your brothers and sisters must have held you in awe.”

A tic pulsed in his right cheek. “Only a sister, Cecile. She was born two years before me. On the day after Christmas. Mama and Papa called her their miracle child. Her love of music matched mine. Have you any brothers or sisters, Eve?”

Visions of the family library flitted past her mind’s eye. “None. Books proved my constant companions. I enjoy sharing many of the things I’ve learned with my pupils in Boston.”

His gaze narrowed and his free hand lay on top of hers. “Do you miss Boston when on such voyages as the one to the Transvaal?”

“My father and Edward often journey alone.” No amount of squirming unseated his hot touch. “Actually, I won’t be accompanying them anymore. This past trip proved tedious and I’m far happier remaining behind in Boston.”

He removed his hand and played the spoon over her mouth again. “More?”
Quite a persistent man, her potential healer. She jerked forward and settled. How could she refuse his offer the way her mouth watered for more?

His feeding her wasn’t doing any harm.

At her nod he slipped another spoonful between her lips. Some of the custard dripped down her chin. His warm finger swiped it away. Charles’ soft sucking filled her ears before the silence between them resumed.

He’d licked his finger clean. The fire spread higher and claimed her breasts.

Her next swallow freed a giggle.

Charles patted her hands. “Still more?”

“Yes.” What was she saying? Countless church bells pealed in her brain.

She pushed the chair away from the table. Charles’ laughter held her in place.

A buzzing filled her brain. Back and forth. Good pummeled Evil. Evil returned with a jab to Good’s jaw.

And she hadn’t done anything except sit here and let him feed her bread pudding.

He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.” With his free hand he dunked his spoon into the refreshment. Softened from its soaking with rum custard, the remaining piece of pudding split. Charles let go of the spoon and the handle clanked against the side of the bowl.

She claimed the fallen spoon and lifted the custard to her lips. “No need for an apology. Your willingness to help me means a lot.”

She drifted her gaze from the bowl to his face and back again.

Waste not, want not.

He patted the back of her upraised hand. “Don’t worry about wasting food. Your comfort is more important.”

Not only was he incredibly striking but also incredibly astute.

Somewhere someone hummed. Or could she simply be hearing things?

He pulled the bowl and spoon away and set them near his left hand. “You can enjoy some fresh, warmer pudding later. You’re tired.”

Without further ado Charles stood, helped her up and scooped her into his arms. Her breath huffed out and hit his cheek. There she dangled, becoming smitten with a man whose will couldn’t be broken. Silent and his breathing measured, he retraced their steps and headed straight for the staircase.”

Wishing you all much love and happiness,

Shawna Moore
TORMENTED -- Ellora's Cave (MUST-READ from Dark Angel Reviews)
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
TO HELLE AND BACK AGAIN -- Coming in 2009 to Ellora's Cave Exotika
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace