A Persistant Attraction

by Silvia Violet

  “I love you.” The words escaped before she could stop them.

  Rhys leaned forward, ready to embrace her, but she pulled back. “Wait.” He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  She took a long, deep breath. “I have to ask you a difficult question.” He grew even more pale, and Amanda nearly let her fear get the best of her, but she pressed on.

  “I would never ask you to forget Therese and what she meant to you, but I need you to live in the present, with me. Do you think that’s possible?” Rhys’s lips curled into a smile and he had the gall to laugh.

  Anger hammered at Amanda’s chest. “I don’t see anything funny about my question.”

  Rhys shook his head. “Not your question. Your assumption.” She stared at him, bewildered.

  “I loved Therese like a sister. In fact, she reminded me very much of my older sister who is the only member of my family who ever showed me affection.”

  “But you said you cared deeply for her.”

  “Yes, I did. As a friend.”

  Amanda’s cheeks heated. She felt like a fool. All this time she’d been jealous for no reason. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. I understand why you thought what you did. But I love you, Amanda. In a way I’ve never loved a woman.” He pulled a dented ring box from his waistcoat pocket. “I had this made for you. I intended to give it to you when we returned home from Lady Morgan’s ball.”

  Amanda reached for the box. She couldn’t breathe. Her lungs felt as if they were being crushed under the weight of the emotion Rhys’s explanation had stirred in her. He loved her. He really, truly loved her.

  She knew now she shouldn’t have listened to the hurtful words of those damn rakes at her aunt’s party. She’d doubted her ability to entice a man like Rhys and had been

  looking for an excuse to run ever since she realized she loved him. Cassandra was right.

  She’d been on the verge of throwing away something wonderful.

  She opened the box and gasped. The ring inside was perfect, exactly what she would have picked out for herself.

  “Amanda, will you marry me again? For love this time, not because we must prevent a scandal.”

  She looked up and met his gaze. If she’d had any more doubts about Rhys’s feelings, the look in his eyes would have banished them. Never had she seen such vulnerability in those sapphire depths. He looked as if every façade, every deception he’d ever created had been ripped away.

  She smiled, and his eyes brightened. “Yes.”

  She’d intended to say more, to explain that she’d wanted a true marriage from the beginning, but he crushed her to him in a kiss that consumed them both. The ring box dug into her chest where their bodies pressed together.

  He reached between them, took the box and set it aside. She tried to protest, but he began undoing her bodice, and she quickly forgot that she wanted him to put the ring on her finger.

  His mouth descended to her breast. She moaned and writhed against him. He flinched as her arms came around him. Suddenly, she remembered his injury. “Your side.

  You need to be resting.”

  “I’m fine,” he mumbled as he laid kisses across her now bare abdomen.

  “What if Farrington comes back?”

  “I don’t care,” Rhys growled, shoving her dress down her arms and bending to take her nipple into his mouth once again. When his tongue flicked across the sensitive bud, Amanda forgot all the reasons they shouldn’t be touching each other and gave herself up to passion.

  Rhys replaced his mouth with his skillful finger and rose up to claim her lips once more. He nibbled at her bottom lip then caught her gaze before the next kiss. “I love you,

  Amanda. I’ve loved you since I first saw you in your sister’s drawing room, and I will never let you run away again.”

  She smiled. “I can’t imagine why I’d want to.” He pushed up her skirts and she fumbled with the fastenings of his breeches. She no longer cared where they were or who might find them. She had to have him inside her.

  When she’d freed his cock and he’d fought his way through the layers of her petticoats, he rolled to his back and brought her on top of him. “If you don’t mind, I’m not quite up to being on top this time.”

  She pushed his shirt up and examined his wound. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but she did not want to hurt him, no matter how lust-crazed she was. “Are you sure you can do this?”

  His eyes sparkled. “I can’t not do it.”

  She rose over him and slid down onto his shaft, moving slowly, torturing them both.

  When he was fully sheathed, she forced herself to stop. “If I’m on top, you can’t pull yourself from me when you come.”

  Rhys frowned. “Do you want me to?”

  Amanda shook her head. “No, but you always have before.”

  “I wasn’t going to risk a pregnancy unless I knew you were committed to our marriage. I was an unwanted child. I know how much it hurts.” Amanda smiled. “No baby of ours could ever be unwanted, Rhys.” Instead of answering with words, he thrust up into her. She gasped, and her control broke. She began riding him fast and hard. Her heart beat so quickly, it threatened to burst the confines of her chest. She could scarcely breathe, but she refused to slow down.

  Despite his injury, he met her every stroke. Near painful pleasure coalesced between her legs. She was going to explode any second, but she wanted to hold back, to make this bliss last longer.

  Rhys pulled her against him and took her mouth in a savage kiss. Then he whispered in her ear. “Come for me.”

  She could not help but obey. Lights flashed before her eyes as her body convulsed against him.

  He shouted her name, and she felt the hot splash of his seed inside her. Nothing had ever felt so good.

  She let him slide from her body and collapsed beside him, spent and satisfied. “I love you,” she whispered.

  “I love you too.”

  She lifted her head and kissed him gently. “Thank you for saving my life today.” He smiled. “Thank you for saving my soul.”

  Amanda smiled, confident they were going to have a long, happy life together.

  -end-

  * * * * *

  ~r!z^021012

  About the Author

  Silvia Violet can often be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like, “Do you write children's books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinful chocolate treats, exploring new styles of cooking and reading voraciously.

  To learn more about Silvia Violet, please visit http://violet.chaosnet.org. Send an email to Silvia at silviaviolet@gmail.com or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers as well as Silvia at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/silviaviolet.

  Look for these titles

  Now Available

  A Carnal Agreement

  Magic in the Blood

  Excerpts of Upcoming Books

  In the dangerous world of the selkie underground, a selkie vampire king and a mortal woman join forces to fight the queen of darkness that would destroy them all.

  In the Shadow of the Selkie

  © 2007 M.A. duBarry

  Lady Theodosia Barrett is blackmailed by Dubheasa, Queen of the Dark Fin-Folk, and forced to stalk the Cu Maran crypts in search of a selkie king’s pelt. What she finds is the king himself—and he isn’t only a selkie, but also a vampire. Calling upon her skills as a vampire hunter, Theo stakes him. But she doesn’t complete the kill. A year later, King Roane comes back, demanding her hand in marriage.

  Theo has no choice. To protect her family, she must accept.

  Selkie vampire King Roane Cu Mara is determined to ke
ep his people safe from the Dark Fin-Folk. To do so, he must first solve the puzzle as to why Theo, a soul born to protect the selkies, tried to kill him. Until he can figure out why she betrayed her own kind, Roane sets out to keep a close eye on her by making her his bride.

  But even as Theo begins to warm Roane’s cold, vampyric heart, Queen Dubheasa plots to destroy selkie-kind in a twisted quest to make Roane her own. For she knows something that Roane doesn’t—Theo’s soul holds the key to keeping the selkie kingdom alive.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for In the Shadow of the Selkie: Approaching footsteps came her way.

  Theo swore a mild oath under her breath and turned her back toward the doorway.

  She refused to give herself away so easily. Let the man beg.

  “Your Majesty, allow me to present to you my daughter, Lady Theodosia.” Her father’s quivering voice added to her uneasiness of the situation, but still she remained glued in place.

  Lord Barrett’s firm hand came down upon her shoulder.

  She whisked around, her slipper-covered feet sliding in the haste of her action.

  Keeping her eyes lowered to the floor, Theo gave a slight curtsy. A pair of shiny, black leather boots met her gaze.

  Her father coughed.

  She refused to budge.

  An elbow jabbed her ribs.

  Slowly, Theo raised her gaze from the king’s boot-covered feet up to his tight black breeches. At the apex of his thighs bulged a well-endowed package she imagined contained the largest cock she’d ever seen. Save for on the vampire in the Cu Maran crypt. That beast filled her nice and snug. She cursed her memory of that horrid night, wondering if it would ever cease haunting her. Oddly, she didn’t want to forget everything that transpired between her and the selkie vampire, only what had happened at the end.

  King Roane reached for her hand Devil be damned. Now she’d have to meet him eye to eye.

  Theo continued her slow, visual assessment of her soon-to-be husband. As her eyes traveled farther north, she noticed the elaborate crest sewn into the pockets of his tight-fitting overcoat. The odd design bore a seal sitting under a bat with its wings stretched out wide. Mayhap the king knew about his island being plagued by vampires. Perhaps the man even accepted the cursed creature. She prayed to the gods he didn’t know she was a hunter who fancied the Cu Maran crypts.

  She finally raised her eyes to his chest and above. The man had broad, muscled shoulders and a face that appeared to have been chiseled by the ancient gods themselves.

  With dark yet vibrant eyes, jet-black hair and lips that seemed made for more than mere gentle kisses, Theo decided then and there life with King Roane offered at least a few good aspects. Although she doubted her present thoughts were any that her father had contemplated when making this bloody arrangement.

  King Roane raised her hand to his lips and offered a kiss.

  A shiver of desire raced through her body. Her knees grew weak.

  His eyes met hers as he lifted his lips from her flesh.

  A sense of loss jolted her soul.

  Theo didn’t know what came over her. She’d never experienced such feelings in all her five-and-twenty years. What gave King Roane the right to disrupt her emotions like he did? The man certainly had nerve.

  Roane stepped back, Theodosia’s beauty tossing his good sense amuck. In the darkened chamber of the crypts, he hadn’t the chance to see her exquisite features. He never expected a female vampire hunter to be so dainty, let alone a stunning beauty. The woman stood a good foot shorter than his six-foot-two frame, but what she lacked in height, the gods had made up for in curves. He easily imagined taking her again in his arms and caressing her well-rounded bottom and her more than ample bosom. The sight of her standing in the moonlight by the window when he entered the room nearly took his breath away. The sheer fabric of Theodosia’s gown left little to the imagination and Roane welcomed the delectable sight. Unfortunately, so did his hardening cock. Finding the truth about Theodosia Barrett and why she’d staked him, he surmised, was going to be a very painful task.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Theodosia.”

  “You are too kind, Your Majesty.”

  She didn’t say the introduction was a pleasure for her too. The lack of interest on her part was a blow. Maybe she really did intend to kill him that night.

  “Well,” Lord Barrett interrupted, “now that formalities are out of the way, Lady Barrett and I shall retire to the drawing room. If you have need of anything, Your Majesty, please do not hesitate to ask my man Jeeves here. He’ll remain at the door until you are ready to take your leave.”

  Roane eyed the valet standing at the entrance, then turned back to stare at his future bride. “A moment alone with Lady Theodosia is all I’ll need.” The Barretts scurried from the room.

  Roane drew the conclusion his hosts were more than a bit pleased with this pending marriage. He wondered what other faults the woman bore besides her penchant for staking vampires in cold blood.

  “My father tends to rush matters without thinking them through, Your Majesty. If he’s forced his belief on you that this marriage will work, I am fully prepared to accept your refusal.”

  The woman had a wicked tongue. And much to his surprise, he liked the fact. In truth, he couldn’t remember the last time a person, save for Connor, spoke in so frank a manner in his presence. “I can assure you, Lady Theodosia—” She cut him off. “The name is Theo.”

  The woman obviously had no fear. And that meant only one thing—he was about to take a wife he’d have to worry about. This bloody marriage arrangement was going to cost him more than he cared to spare. Mayhap death hadn’t been the worst of options. If only it weren’t a Barrett he had to rescue.

  With a deep breath, Roane kept his rising annoyance in check. “As I was saying, Theo, I have no intention of voiding the pact I made with your father. I am fully prepared to go ahead with our wedding on the morrow. After which, we will immediately leave for my residence on Cu Mara.”

  A veil of terror crossed Theodosia’s face. “Do you not have a home here, on the mainland?”

  “Yes, but I wouldn’t dream of spending my wedding night anywhere but at Castle Cu Mara.” He toyed with her, and from the look upon her face he’d obviously found the one game at which he could best her. He wondered what she’d say if he told her he knew the truth about her. That he was the selkie vampire who had fucked her, the same creature she then staked. Visions of complete chaos unfolded in his mind. He offered her a sly grin instead. “I assure you, your first night at Cu Mara will be memorable.”

  Banished and disowned for saving a stranger’s life…

  The Importance of Almack’s

  ©2007 Denise Patrick

  In Regency England, lineage and vouchers to Almack’s are everything, but Pamela Clarkdale has neither. After her father casts her out, she considers herself fortunate to have obtained a position as a companion to an elderly widow.

  Kitt Covington has sworn off Almack’s and marriage. Why attend one when he has no interest in the other? Guilt, however, is a powerful motivator. Knowing he caused Pamela to be thrown out of her home, he proposes a sham betrothal between them to ease his conscience.

  Kitt’s offer is tempting and Pamela agrees, with the caveat that the betrothal will disappear at the end of the season. But not only is Pamela refused vouchers to Almack’s, her family is scheming to destroy her to protect a secret she doesn’t realize she knows.

  When the twenty-year-old web of lies and deceit begins to unravel, will Pamela and Kitt discover that Almack’s isn’t really that important after all?

  Enjoy the following excerpt for The Importance of Almack’s: Kitt watched her eat, satisfied with her appetite. His godmother confided in him that she hadn’t eaten much over the last two days. A change of scenery was just what she needed. Although, why he’d brought her here, he didn’t know.

  To be sure, he loved this place—as long as he didn’t allow memories of his mo
ther to intrude on his enjoyment. He tried not to think of his mother very often; her defection still hurt despite her death nearly a decade ago. His memories of this place were of wandering the parkland, swimming in the pond and fishing in the stream. By the time he went off to school at nine, he was closer to his governess than either of his parents. Three years later, his mother deserted her husband and son.

  “I think my father would have sold it, but he didn’t want to displace his sister.”

  “His sister?”

  “My Aunt Lydia came here to live shortly before I was sent off to school. She was an invalid due to a riding accident some years before. I believe she and my mother got along quite well, but once I went off to school, I did not see her much. Frisky stayed on as her companion because she had no other family and would have looked for another position once I no longer needed her. When my aunt died three years ago, Frisky was too old to go anywhere else.”

  As they finished lunch, Kitt asked Pamela if she’d like to stroll around the grounds.

  Dorie was summoned and sent for Pamela’s bonnet, then the two of them set off. As landscaping went, it was very simple. The gardens boasted all manner of flowers, climbing vines, small trees, and two fountains. Once beyond the formal terraces, the parkland spread out before them in stretches of grass dotted with wildflowers and clusters of trees. All it needed, Kitt mused, was a woodland nymph or two.