by Nichole Van
Ever so deliberately, he placed a hand into the wall too, just above her head.
Leisurely perused her from head to toe, lingering on her lips longer than anywhere else. Loving the jump of her pulse in her throat.
Hoping he had made her tingle everywhere his eyes touched.
“Go figure. I walk through the door and find the most beautiful woman in all of Britain. Past or present.”
Her eyes flared gratifyingly.
He leaned in so close he was sure she could feel the scorching heat of him.
Two could play at this game.
He wasn’t a World Champion Flirt for nothing.
“So why aren’t we kissing yet?” she asked, biting her bottom lip.
Plump and ever-so-kissable. Teasing. Just to torture him.
Talk about World Championship Flirting.
He reached out and traced his fingertips up her neck, along the silky skin of her jaw. Leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake.
“Does such desperate begging for a kiss actually work?”
She closed the few inches between them, fisted her hands into his t-shirt, a wicked smile on her face.
“Every. Single. Time,” she said.
With a groan, Marc crushed her against him. Lost himself in the lush promise of her lips.
Soft and ever-so-sweet.
Kit ran her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, threading her fingers into his hair. Holding his mouth tight against hers.
It was a long while before either of them came up for air.
“Mmmmm.” Her breath feather-light against his lips. “I don’t know if my hands will ever stop itching to touch these magnificent shoulders of yours.” She emphasized her point by wrapping her arms around said shoulders.
Chuckling, Marc gathered her even closer, burrowing his nose into her hair, until his lips were just an inch from her ear.
And then ever so softly whispered, “Itching, eh? That wouldn’t happen to be due to a festering rash, would it?”
At last. That did it.
Kit threw back her head and laughed. That wicked, delighted, throaty laugh so uniquely hers.
Finally!
Grinning widely, Marc caught her up in his arms. “I won!” he crowed, spinning her around. “You laughed! That means I get one of your secrets.”
Kit twined her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, still giggling in his ear. “You can have all my secrets, Mr. Wilde.”
“Like the fact that you actually watched Croc-nami?” He set her down, but still kept both arms wrapped firmly around her.
“Exactly! Though that is hardly a secret anymore. I also watched all three Ninja Pirate movies, The Fast and the Spurious, The Docs of Hazard and even dredged up a copy of The Codfather.”
“Wow. I don’t even think my own mother has watched that one yet. That’s an act of true love.”
She laughed again and tugged on his jacket collar, pressing her nose into his throat.
“I hoped you would see it that way,” she murmured, pulling back slightly.
“I am so sorry. About the portal—”
“Hush. I’m at peace with it.” She placed a finger over his lips. “I found the letter Daniel left for me, and it explained everything.”
She told him the tale. That Daniel was actually the first Lord Whitmoor—the man who started their family dynasty in the first place.
Marc blinked. Stunned. “So . . . let me get this straight. Daniel is his own great-great-whatever—”
“Seventh,” Kit helpfully supplied.
“Right.” Marc cocked his head. “Daniel is his own seventh great-grandfather?”
She nodded.
He opened his mouth. Started to speak. Stopped. Shook his head. “That . . . that is unexpected. Isn’t this one of those time travel conundrums that should be impossible?”
Kit laughed. “Probably. I’m sure someone somewhere is having a serious conniption fit over it. But it honestly doesn’t bother me. It’s just one more way in which I’m connected with Daniel. Even though he is gone, I suddenly feel him around me all the time. I mean, he deliberately purchased the house I live in. Established the barony in such a way that I could inherit it. All done with me in mind. How could I not feel of his love through acts like that?”
“True. And despite you having different goals for your lives, you still love each other.”
“Exactly! And speaking of goals for my life . . .” Kit tugged him closer again, pressing her cheek against his.
Marc breathed in the scent of her hair. Citrus and peppermint. Enfolded her in his arms.
Intent on never letting her go.
“I wish I could promise not to screw up again,” he whispered. “But I am sure I will make mistakes—”
“Congratulations on being human. I plan on continuing to make mistakes too. But I promise to never shut you out.”
He hugged her to him. Heart too full to respond.
“It’s what you do when you love someone,” she murmured into his neck.
All the breath whooshed out of Marc at her words.
Pulling back, she captured his head in her hands, holding him tight, pressing her nose into his.
“That’s my final secret.” Her words a soft puff of air against his lips. Her eyes boring into his. “I love you, Marc Wilde. Heart and soul.”
Something stung in the back of Marc’s throat. Probably just the lingering effects of smoke inhalation.
Because Marc Wilde didn’t cry . . . right?
“Ah, Kit. Darling, wonderful Kit. I love you too, beautiful.” He swallowed. Hard. “Am I forgiven then?”
Kit shrugged. “I don’t know. How good is your make-up kiss?”
“Uh-mazing.” He lowered his mouth to hers.
And made sure the kiss lived up to his promise.
Epilogue
A beach house
California coast, north of Laguna Beach
October 16, 2014
Review of the Preview: Croc-valanche
Ego: With Croc-nami becoming a worldwide sleeper hit, I have been shamelessly awaiting Marc Wilde’s return to the big screen in Croc-valanche. I have been so excited for this to come out.
Superego: Me too! What’s not to love? Melting glaciers in the Rockies thaw prehistoric crocodiles trapped in the ice. Who then ravage downtown Seattle only to be stopped by the hunky Marc Wilde in all his abs-olutely stunning glory. It’s going to be the must-see movie of the year!
Ego: And not just because Mr. Wilde lost those horrid blond dread locks for this sequel—
Id: Stop. Just stop. Both of you. Abs-solutely? I think a baby panda died just hearing that. Besides, you are only saying all this because La Pochette got engaged to Marc Wilde last week. You are in love with this man, making this entire discussion so hopelessly biased—
Superego: [Long deliriously happy sigh] I know, right?! It was the most perfect moment of my life. We were on the beach near La Jolla, and Marc went down on one knee and had this incredibly romantic speech about how I was his beating heart—
Id: La-la-la-la, I’m not listening to you. Don’t want to hear it. It’s abs-solutely irrelevant—
“Mmmmm, I don’t think it’s entirely irrelevant.” Marc nuzzled Kit’s neck from behind, causing her hands to jump on the keyboard.
She looked up from her laptop and angled her head back, smiling at her darling boyfriend.
No wait. Fiancé.
She grandly admired the large diamond ring sparkling on her finger, making sure Marc saw.
With a happy chuckle, Marc walked around the couch and sat down next to her, running a hand into her hair and kissing her cheek. He was in board shorts and flip flops, smelling of sunscreen and fresh air. Showing off those magnificent abs—
“Is it time for Bronco kickoff already?” Kit set her laptop down and cuddled into his chest.
The back half of the beach house where they were staying was all glass, giving a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean. Waves lapped h
ypnotically.
“Almost.” Marc craned his neck, squinting, trying to see the clock in the kitchen. And then turned to gather her even closer. “I just wanted to sneak back to have a few moments with Lady Whitmoor before everyone else crowded in to watch the game.”
Kit laughed softly and relaxed into him. “I don’t know if I will ever get used to that, by the way.”
“Lady Whitmoor? Or being alone with me?”
“Both.”
Marc kissed her head.
“How’s Emme feeling?” Kit asked.
“Well enough, I suppose. James is waiting on her hand and foot. She managed to sit on the beach for a bit before waddling—”
“Be nice.” Kit smacked his chest.
“I meant walking up to the house.” Marc gave his best annoying-big-brother laugh.
Kit mock-glared at him.
“What?” Marc asked in response to her look. “She is my little sister. If I can’t razz her when she’s eight months pregnant, when can I?”
“Poor thing. It’s only going to get more uncomfortable from here.”
“Only thirty-five more days of gut-wrenching heartburn to go.”
“I’m sure she appreciated you pointing that out to her.”
Marc shrugged and gave a decidedly wicked grin. Kit actually loved the constant good-natured banter between Marc and Emme. They obviously cared deeply for each other.
“Everyone else is finishing the last couple waves and packing up. They should be here any minute.”
Kit sighed and just reveled in the beauty of the moment. Of having Marc here with her. Of being surrounded by love and life and, yes, family.
When she had decided to stay in 2014 and allow Daniel to pursue his life in 1814, she had assumed it meant giving up on being with family.
But Marc changed all that.
Why had she never realized how amazing it would be to have a sister?
She and Emme had become incredibly fast friends. Forget brothers. A sister was like having a built-in best girlfriend for life.
In fact, Emme’s pregnancy had inspired them to collaborate together on a new website, www.KitandKaboodle.com. It was like FauxPause, only geared toward parenting and childhood.
James had also welcomed her with open arms. The elder Knight only vaguely resembled his more serious younger brother. Open and full of life, he made Kit feel accepted just as she was.
And then there was Marc and Emme’s mother. Kind and thoughtful, she pulled Kit into the arc of her love. Filling a parent-sized hole in her heart.
Though she still missed her brother and always would, Emme and James and her (almost) mother-in-law and their host of aunts, uncles and cousins made up for a lot. Having lost her family made her appreciate even more how blessed she was.
She and Marc were still cuddling on the couch together when the door opened, letting in Marc’s mom, James, Emme and several cousins. Everyone gathered for a family reunion.
Soon the room was full of people, laughing and eating and just enjoying being together. Football played loudly in the background, Marc and James arguing with the referees. Emme resting on the couch, round but radiant, shifting every few minutes, trying to find a more comfortable position.
As the sun set and the game wound down, Marc slipped an arm around her, snugging her against his chest.
“C’mon, let’s sneak away. I have been dying to slow dance in the surf with my fiancé. And the moon promises to be glorious tonight.”
And indeed it was.
Upcoming Books
The House of Oak series will eventually feature four books.
As of this writing, the books in the series are/will be:
Intertwine (James and Emme)
Divine (Georgiana and Sebastian)
Clandestine (Marc and Kit)
Refine (Linwood and Jasmine—coming late Summer 2015)
If you haven’t yet read Intertwine, book one of the House of Oak series, click here for a preview.
Author's Note
As usual, when writing a story set in the past, I have incorporated select aspects of history and then blatantly made up others.
Some facts that I borrowed from reality and/or history:
The shipwreck in the first chapter truly exists on Fraser Island, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Called the Maheno, the steam ship was grounded there in 1935. It’s well worth a visit (and photoshoot) if you’re ever in the area.
Gentleman Jackson’s Boxing Salon was run by a former boxing champion named John Jackson. Though called a salon or a saloon, it was more of a gym where ‘Gentleman’ Jackson taught proper fighting and boxing form. During the Regency era, any sporty gentleman of means would take instruction there, learning how to box.
The ducks with their tarred feet were definitely a feature of the era. Livestock was reared in rural areas and then taken by drovers to larger cities for sale and slaughter. Ducks and geese were prized commodities, but their feet weren’t suited for traveling over long distance. So they would be dipped in tar, providing the animals with some protection.
Mmmmm, what else? I won’t bore you with a lengthy discussion of British laws of primogeniture (succession through firstborn male children), but needless to say, Britain has historically been extremely biased toward male heirs. That said, some baronies and even a duchy or two (the dukedom of Marlboro, for example) are set up in such a way that the female line can inherit should there be no male heirs. There has been strong interest in recent years to include all children in an aristocratic inheritance, male and female (the changes made with the birth of little Prince George a few years ago being just one example).
As usual, I made up a good many things: the town of Marfield and all house names, as well as all websites used/mentioned. For each of my books, I create a Pinterest board of all the visual references I used when writing. So if you would like to see them, don’t hesitate to look me up over there. As usual, I’m NicholeVan.
As with all books, this one couldn’t have been written without help and support from those around me. I know I am going to leave someone out with all these thanks. So to that person, know that I totally love you and am so deeply grateful for your help!
First of all, thank you to all those who read Intertwine and Divine and sent me excited emails, asking about the next book in the series. Your encouragement and enthusiasm means more than I can say.
To my beta readers—you know who you are—thank you for your helpful ideas and support. And, again, an extra large thank you to Annette Evans, Kelly Crawford and Norma Melzer for their fantastic copy editing skills and insights.
A huge thank you goes to Lois Brown for her always helpful plot suggestions and insights.
And I cannot even begin to thank my brilliant editor, Erin Rodabough. She has the amazing gift of being able to hone in on problems and provide solutions. No to mention just being an all-out awesome friend and travel buddy. Thank you so very much.
Thanks, again, to Andrew, Austenne and Kian for your patience and being willing to play Minecraft for hours on end while I wrote.
And finally, no words can express my love and appreciation for Dave. Thanks for always supporting me and listening as I work through problems. Without you, none of this would be possible.
Reading Group Questions
Oh yes, this book has reading group questions.
Why?
Well, the English professor in me couldn’t publish this book without making it vaguely educational. And obviously your reading group would show excellent taste by selecting this book—reading groups don’t always have to be about the classics and Oprah’s Book Club. Sometimes you just need a shameless don’t-judge-me read. And any book that has reading group questions has to have redeeming literary qualities, right? So you’re totally justified in assigning it.
You’re welcome.
1. Throughout the book, Kit is frantic to hold on to her brother. Her relationship with him is more like a mother/caregiver figure than a sister. Do
you feel that her attachment to him is understandable? Or should she just have let him go long before she actually does?
2. Unlike the first two books in this series, Marc is a twenty-first century hero. How did that change your reading experience? Did you like seeing a modern man in the past and all the humor it brought? Or did you find it less romantic and engaging?
3. How did you feel about the surprise reveal that happens about 60% of the way into the book? Did you suspect it? Did you feel betrayed by it or did you think it fun? How did it change the way you viewed the action in the book?
4. How concerned should we be over how our actions affect others? How much responsibility do we bear, particularly when those actions are done through our line of work?
5. How do you feel about the conclusion with Daniel? Do you like the explanation of his history or does it trouble you? Why or why not?
6. The next book will feature Linwood as the romantic hero. Do you think it will be possible to redeem him? Is he a truly evil person or just a product of his environment? Why or why not?
7. For me, writing is only fun when I can incorporate a lot of voice, meaning there is attitude and personality in the narration—so you get a sense of Marc and Kit’s thoughts throughout the book. Do you find this kind of narration more enjoyable to read or do you prefer the writer’s tone to be ‘invisible’?
8. When writing historical fiction, you face a conundrum. Do you stay completely true to the language of the period or do you allow it to be more modern (and therefore more accessible to readers)? Some argue that the language of the past would sound colloquial to those of the same time period. For example, a gentleman of 1813 might describe a new carriage as ‘bang up the mark,’ whereas my brother would describe his new truck as a ‘sweet ride.’ Though the phrasing is different, the words would have the same casual meaning in both eras. Considering this, how should language be used in historical fiction? Should authors use completely modern language, instead of trying to recreate the cadence of older English, in order to more perfectly capture the sentiments expressed?