"I'd gathered that."
"So you want to buy into my company, Mr. Vlad. I'll have to give that some thought. You have a reputation for taking control."
Luka smiled and his eyes twinkled with humor. "Would I dare try to force my way of thinking on you?" He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.
Clare stared back, oblivious to everything else in the room. A storm of emotion raged in the dark depths of his gaze, tearing down the barriers she'd built in the last two months to contain her feelings. She wanted to crawl inside him, never leave him again.
Clare touched the tanned skin of his jaw. "No more bruises. How's everything else healing?"
"I can do most things without pain."
David Goldberg chuckled. "I think I misjudged these gentlemen. Seems like they're right friendly with you, Clare."
Luka fixed him with an assessing gaze. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Goldberg." David held out his hand but Luka ignored it. Although Luka could touch safely now, old habits obviously died hard. "Please call me tomorrow about the shares."
David peered around Luka. "You want me to leave you, Clare?"
Pablo grinned. "We will look after her very well. Adieu, Mr. Goldberg. Adios. See you tomorrow." Pablo laughed.
"I'm fine, David," Clare said. "I know these two pretty well."
"Yeah, looks like it." David grunted.
"I trust I can depend on your discretion, Mr. Goldberg?" Luka said, a razor-sharp edge to his words. "Miss Moray is very important to me. I would take it as a personal insult if any mention of this meeting comes out."
The attorney paused, eyes wary. "Sure thing." His expression transformed into one of grudging respect.
Luka indicated the door. "Thank you for coming."
Clare watched Luka as he locked the door behind David. She'd forgotten how aloof Luka was when she'd first met him. She understood why now. His manner was the defense he used to keep people at a distance. As he strolled back, a smile spread across his face and his cool formality faded.
"I've missed you, darling." His eyes devoured her face. He ran his thumb over her lower lip, then dipped his head and kissed her. "I've been dying to do that, but not with an audience."
She melted like chocolate in the sun as he tipped back her head and gazed at her mouth. He gave her a long, lingering kiss and sighed. "You taste divine."
She wanted to let herself go and just enjoy being in his arms, but her mind raced around in circles, wondering about his plans. "Tell me more about what you've been doing since I last saw you."
"Ah, you should have seen how Luka pined for you," Pablo said. "He had no eyes for the beautiful Spanish girls who fluttered around him like butterflies and wanted to warm his bed."
"Pablo," Luka grated out in warning.
Pablo winked at her. "My friend will never stray. He is addicted to his sweet Clare."
Clare gazed up at the pink flush of embarrassment staining Luka's cheeks. So he hadn't tested out his newfound freedom to touch. Relief came as a warm, heady rush.
Luka guided her to a blue and gold striped sofa and encouraged her to sit. He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a small red velvet box. For a moment, Clare thought her heart had stopped beating.
With a wide smile he dropped to one knee, and flipped up the box lid to reveal a gold ring set with numerous tiny pearls and diamonds in a beautiful old-fashioned design that captured the styles of both Taldom and Earth.
Clare pressed a hand over her pulsing heart.
"Clare Moray, I've been without you for two long months, and I never want to be without you again, my love. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
For a second Clare couldn't breathe. She hadn't expected this. Dinner and a night in his arms would have been a good start, but… "Yes," she whispered, warming to the idea as the shock of surprise passed. "Yes, I'd love to." She threw her arms around his neck. Love welled up, leaving her light-headed. No words were enough.
"Brava." Pablo clapped and then wrested the bottle of champagne from its icy cradle and peeled back the foil. The men had obviously planned this, and Pablo didn't mind.
Luka took her left hand and slipped the ring onto her third finger. He stared at it for a few seconds, then bent his head and kissed her skin beside the diamond.
Tears of joy sprang into her eyes. She loved him and his old-fashioned ways. "Get up." Clare tugged at the lapels of his jacket to pull him onto the seat, and smothered his face with kisses while he tried to comply. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest. Suddenly all her fears of the past weeks seemed silly. "I was so worried. I didn't know if you—"
"Shh." He eased her head away from his chest and stared into her watery eyes. Then he dropped his gaze to her lips, tilted his head, and kissed her gently. "I adore you. I want us to be together. That's why I want a stake in Moray. We'll work together to get the business back on track."
For the first time she had someone to share her life with. Someone to love.
With a pop that made Clare jump, Pablo uncorked the champagne. "Ay, ay, ay," he said as the foaming golden liquid overflowed the bottle while he sloshed it into three tall flutes. He waggled his eyebrows at her while he sucked the spill from his fingers, then passed them each a fizzing glass. He held up his own. "To a happy future. For us all."
Clare leaned back against Luka's chest and sipped champagne. Bubbles tickled her nose. Every nerve in her body hummed with the awareness of Luka's hot skin beneath the sober suit.
Luka and Pablo shared a look. "Pablo plans to spend time getting to know his family. He'll be leaving soon. Won't you, my friend."
Pablo grinned and tossed back the rest of his champagne. "I'll miss you both but I will be back to visit, so don't forget me."
"How could we," Clare said.
With a lingering breath, Clare melted back into Luka's embrace. For the first time in her life, she belonged with someone and it felt wonderful. She'd thought all she wanted was a successful career, but now she knew that meant nothing without the man she loved.
Thank you for reading Cursed Kiss
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If you enjoyed Cursed Kiss, you might also enjoy these paranormal stories by Helen Scott Taylor.
Ice Gods
A trip to Iceland to find her father turns into a nightmare when she is transported to the icy palace of Valhalla and lands in the middle of the Ice Gods family feud. Odin's son has loved and protected her from afar. Now she is in his world, he can finally make her his. Find it on Amazon.com
Praise For Ice Gods
"This tale is GOOD! So good, I couldn't stop reading." Mimi Barbour
"I was captivated by the unique paranormal twist on the romance by way of a norse mythology tie-in." Hogwarts Wannabe
The Feast of Beauty
Kate’s grandmother’s dying wish is that she should return her pearl pendant to Knocknapog, the tiny fishing village in Ireland where she was born. As production assistant at a television company, Kate is able to book a shoot at the village’s mysterious Midsummer Feast of Beauty. She and her colleagues stay with the wealthy local landowner Esras Mac Lir, who organizes the midsummer celebration. But he is not what she expects. With his unearthly silver hair and emerald eyes, there is something magical about him, something compelling and seductive that mesmerizes her and invades her dreams. And when he claims to have been waiting for her all his life, she doesn't know whether he's a romantic, or living in a fantasy world. Find it on Amazon.c
om
Praise for Feast of Beauty
"It is only a novella but the story is really cute, a type of Cinderella fantasy where the lowly girl wins the prince." Katherine
"Feast of Beauty is a nice romantic escape for a rainy Saturday afternoon." Sally Pink
Warriors of Ra
Christian Lefevre broke Trisha’s teenage heart, but twenty years later she must seek him out to identify a rare Egyptian artifact. The fire-filled pyramid holds the secret to the danger that caused Christian to send her away, the secret to his roots buried deep in the mythology of ancient Egypt. He wants to claim her in an ancient ritual, to love her and protect her. But Trisha won’t become any man’s property. She wants love on her own terms. Find it on Amazon.com
Praise for Warriors of Ra
"I was delighted to discover that Warriors of Ra was based on the Egyptian sun god but with a mythology of the author's own creation. I don't want to spoil the story's surprises, but I will tell you that there's action, adventure, and romance in this different kind of paranormal." Joan Reeves, Slingwords
"I really enjoyed this book, it kept me wondering what would happen next when I was at work and couldn't read it!!" Rita Monroe
A Clockwork Fairytale
A rags to riches fairytale full of danger and romance about a lost princess and a maverick young spymaster who foil the plans of an evil magician bent on stealing her throne.
Praise for A Clockwork Fairytale
"Her lyrical writing and amazing imagination give you characters you’ll remember for a long time, along with stories that take you away into a land of magic that dazzles with danger and romance." Sandy M, The Good, The Bad and The Unread
*
"…you won’t be disappointed by this amazing fantastical tale." Eye on Romance
*
"The story is fast-paced and a very good read." Jo Ann Hakola, The Book Faerie
*
Read a sample or buy A Clockwork Fairytale on Amazon.com HERE
Wildwood
A fifteen-year-old boy is sent to stay in a spooky English village with his grandfather for the summer vacation. He always knew he was different from other kids, he just didn't realize how different until he discovers his father was linked to an ancient pagan cult. If he doesn't get out of the village soon, he might be trapped there forever. Find it on Amazon.com
Praise for Wildwood
"No one can weave suspense and paranormal the way H. Scott-Taylor does." Reader Forever
"Wildwood is full of characters I liked and the story hooked me in and didn't let go until the last page." Persnickety Reader
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About the Author
Helen Scott Taylor won the American Title IV contest in 2008. Her winning book, The Magic Knot, was published in 2009 to critical acclaim, received a starred review from Booklist, and was a Booklist top ten romance for 2009. Since then, she has published other novels, novellas, and short stories in both the UK and USA.
Helen lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful long-suffering husband, she shares her home with two Shih Tzus and an aristocratic chocolate-shaded-silver-burmilla cat who rules the household with a velvet paw. She believes that deep within everyone, there’s a little magic.
Find Helen at:
http://www.HelenScottTaylor.com
http://twitter.com/helenscotttaylo
http://facebook.com/helenscotttaylor
***
Book List
Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
The Magic Knot
The Phoenix Charm
The Ruby Kiss
The Feast of Beauty
Warriors of Ra
A Clockwork Fairytale
Ice Gods
***
Contemporary Romance
Unbreak My Heart
Oceans Between Us
Finally Home
A Family for Christmas
A Family Forever
Moments of Gold
Flowers on the Water
The Army Doctor's Baby
***
Young Adult
Wildwood
Cursed Kiss (Paranormal Romance) Page 18