A Scandalous Secret: Spies and Lovers
Page 14
Victoria cut her smile short because it hurt her swollen temple, so she nodded. “Perhaps he is the one who should worry. I might take wild advantage of him.”
Eleanor laughed, the tears and angst erased as easily as a sponge on slate. “Your jests never fail to amuse me.”
Once Eleanor was out of sight down the hallway, Victoria closed the door and locked it.
“What are you doing, you minx?” Thomas crossed his arms over his chest, his mouth set in a scowl.
At first glance, he was an intimidating, scary brute. It’s what made him excel at his profession. Victoria knew the truth. A shiver ran through her. That scowly mouth could do unspeakably tender things, and so could his big, hard body.
“I’m going to kiss you.” Stalking him, she forced his retreat until the back of his legs hit the chair, and he plopped down. She draped herself over his lap, twined her arms around his neck, and fulfilled her promise.
She was the aggressor, plundering his mouth and wanting to tempt him into another indiscretion. He resisted, gentling the kiss until he was sipping on her lips like a butterfly. “I shan’t take you tonight.”
“But I need you, Thomas.” The plaintive note in her voice betrayed her frayed nerves over the events of the day. “If things had gone differently…”
He tucked her head into the warm space between his neck and shoulder. “I will not take you, but I will watch over you so you can get the rest you need.”
She took a deep, shuddery breath. His scent was a familiar comfort. And it would be hers to savor forever. He was hers forever. The reality had yet to sink in.
“We will marry?” she whispered.
“With haste.”
“But you did not plant your seed inside me.”
His chest rumbled with what she took for a laugh. “According to my comrades, it is not a foolproof method to prevent a babe. Even so, we’ve waited long enough, haven’t we? Unless you would like a formal wedding this spring in London?”
He shifted to see her face, but she only snuggled closer. “Not at all. The sooner I have you in my bed, the better.”
This time his laugh was unmistakable. She hoped to make him laugh every day. Or at least every other day. “You did take my virtue in a most unladylike manner.”
She smiled and pressed a kiss against his warm skin, her eyes falling shut as exhaustion crept over her. Her body and mind understood she was safe in his arms, and she was able to relax. “I must make an honest man of you.”
“Indeed. An honest man who loves you beyond measure.” A hitch in his breath had her attention. “My new position will come with dangers, Victoria. Are you sure you’d not prefer to escape the game your father and I are forced to play?”
She tightened her hold on him. “Who then would protect you?”
He hummed and brushed his lips against her aggrieved temple. Feeling his complete capitulation, she drifted into a light sleep, dimly aware when he tucked her into the bed.
“I’ll keep watch over you, love,” he whispered when she stirred.
She smiled and succumbed to the rest her body craved, knowing when she awoke he would be there—and they would face the future together.
The End
Ready for more?
An Indecent Invitation Book 1
A Brazen Bargain, Book 2
A Reckless Redemption, Book 3
A Sinful Surrender, Book 4
A Wicked Wedding, Book 5
A Daring Deception, Book 6
A Scandalous Secret, Book 7
Spies and Lovers Boxset
* * *
Introducing the Fieldstones Adventures by Leah Trent
Interested in something hotter? And, I mean *a lot* hotter… Call the fire department hot. Your ereader will spontaneously combust hot.
Centered on the private club introduced in An Indecent Invitation, this series highlights the ladies and gentleman who explore their deepest fantasies at Fieldstones. This is a series of *erotic* romance novellas.
Warning: Don’t venture into the Fieldstones world unless you are ready and willing!
Fieldstones Adventure Novellas by Leah Trent
An Impetuous Interlude, Fieldstones Adventure Book 1
A Naughty Notion, Fieldstones Adventure Book 2
A Mysterious Masquerade, Fieldstones Adventure Book 3
A Dangerous Desire, Fieldstones Adventure Book 4
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Also by Laura Trentham
Historical Romance
Spies and Lovers
An Indecent Invitation Book 1
A Brazen Bargain, Book 2
A Reckless Redemption, Book 3
A Sinful Surrender, Book 4
A Wicked Wedding, Book 5
A Daring Deception, Book 6
A Scandalous Secret, Book 7
Spies and Lovers Boxset
* * *
Contemporary Romance
Sweet Home Alabama Novels
Slow and Steady Rush, Book 1
Caught Up in the Touch, Book 2
Melting Into You, Book 3
Christmas in the Cop Car, Novella 3.5
The Sweet Home Alabama Collection
* * *
Highland, Georgia Novels
A Highlander Walks Into a Bar, Book 1
A Highlander in a Pickup, Book 2
A Highlander is Coming to Town, Book 3
* * *
Heart of a Hero Novels
The Military Wife
An Everyday Hero
* * *
Cottonbloom Novels
Kiss Me That Way, Book 1
Then He Kissed Me, Book 2
Till I Kissed You, Book 3
* * *
Christmas in the Cop Car, Novella 3.5
Light Up the Night, Novella 3.75
* * *
Leave the Night On, Book 4
When the Stars Come Out, Book 5
Set the Night on Fire, Book 6
* * *
Fieldstones Adventure Novellas by Leah Trent
An Impetuous Interlude, Fieldstones Adventure Book 1
A Naughty Notion, Fieldstones Adventure Book 2
A Mysterious Masquerade, Fieldstones Adventure Book 3
A Dangerous Desire, Fieldstones Adventure Book 4
The Fieldstones Adventures Boxset
I love to hear from readers! Come find me:
Laura@LauraTrentham.com
www.LauraTrentham.com
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Are you interested in receiving a FREE book?!
Join my newsletter! There will be links in your Welcome Email for TWO free books!
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About the Author
I hope you enjoyed A Sinful Surrender! If you have a chance please leave a quick review! Although, many readers know me from my Southern-set contemporary romances, the first books I wrote were the Spies and Lovers series! I grew up reading the historical “bodice rippers” of the late eighties and early nineties along with wonderful gothic romances. Now that I have the opportunity to publish all of the Spies and Lovers series, I’m so excited! The Spies and Lovers world will be expanding soon with a new series called, Laws of Attraction!
I was born and raised in a small town in Northwest Tennessee. Although, I loved English and reading in high school, I was convinced an English degree equated to starvation! So, I chose the next most logical major - Chemical Engineering- and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years. Now I live in South Carolina with my husband and two children. In between school and homework and soccer practices, I love to get lost in another world, whether it's Regency England or small town Alabama.
My first two Falcon Football books received TOP PICKS from RT Book Reviews
and a STARRED review from Library Journal. KISS ME THAT WAY, Cottonbloom Book 1, won the Stiletto Contest for Best Long Contemporary and finaled in the National Readers Choice Award. THEN HE KISSED ME, Cottonbloom Book 2, was named an Amazon Best Romance of 2016 and was a finalist for the National Excellence for Romance Fiction. TILL I KISSED YOU, Cottonbloom Book 3, is a finalist in the Maggie contest. LEAVE THE NIGHT ON, the latest Cottonbloom book, was named an iBooks Best Book of the Month and a Recommended Read from NPR. AN INDECENT INVITATION and A BRAZEN BARGAIN were both finalists for the 2014 Golden Heart® Award.
I love to hear from readers! Come find me:
Laura@LauraTrentham.com
www.LauraTrentham.com
Sign up for Laura’s Newsletter
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NOTE: This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
A SCANDALOUS SECRET
Copyright © 2020 by Laura Trentham
Cover by Angela Waters
Edited by Heidi Shoham
eISBN: 978-1-946306-23-4
* * *
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.