She looked deep into his tawny eyes. “Don’t joke about this. You are the only man who can fill this jacket. I know it, and Richert knows it. You’ve earned it a thousand times over. No one else could take your place. You are the Baron of Donetsk.”
“Thank you.” Her words had touched his heart. Anya saw it in his eyes. And for the first time, she sensed that he truly believed them, too—that he truly believed in his own worth. The broken boy from Tash was gone. Only her Joshua, the true Baron of Donetsk, remained.
A small smile edged his lips. “Will you marry me, then?”
She laughed. “I guess I’ll have to.”
That velvet brown gaze became very serious. “Are you sure?”
“Stand up.” Anya stood with him, and tugged the jacket sleeve over his tanned hand and up his arm, across his broad back, and helped the other arm through. Then she faced him, her palms on his chest. “If you can handle an unpredictable wife, and elements of chaos in your life…”
“I can think of nothing I want more.”
She smiled. “Then I absolutely want to be your wife.”
Joshua smiled, too, and his hands ran down her back and drew her possessively nearer. He murmured, “Donetsk Terr itory needs a baron today.”
She grinned playfully. “Do the orders begin now?”
“How about persuasion?” His lips met hers. Warm passion simmered in his kiss, and heat licked through her blood. “Will you marry me tonight?”
At that moment, Anya wasn’t sure if she could wait that long. Giddy happiness surged through her. “Yes. Yes, please.”
“I love you, my sweet Anya.” His low voice sounded like rough velvet. “You have always been the only woman for me.” His kiss deepened, until all thoughts left her mind. His hand slid into her hair and gently cupped the back of her head. He kissed her with a warm possessiveness which threatened to steal her heart and soul from her body. With a tiny, joyful sigh, she utterly surrendered her whole heart, soul, and life to this man. No more fears of rejection, nor of Joshua losing his baronship. Just the warm bliss of holding the man she had loved for so long.
She whispered, “I love you, too, my protector.”
*
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I sincerely hope you enjoyed Ice Baron as much as I enjoyed writing it. The story came from a mixture of several ideas coming together at once. Joshua’s character came first, and then Anya’s predicament as a bride with little choice. I lived every minute with her as she jumped out of the shuttle, trying to forge a better life for herself and peace for her territory. I hope you did, too.
Astana, Donetsk Territory, and the other places in this book are a mixture of fact and fiction. I did extensive research on Kazakhstan and the Tien Shan mountains to make sure that the details of the story, although set in an Ice Age, were accurate.
I had always thought that an ice age would reduce temperatures on Earth by 20 or 30 degrees. Imagine my surprise to learn that during the Younger Dryas ice age, 10,000 years ago, temperatures only dropped by 7 to 15 degrees Celsius. However, that is enough to significantly change the landscape of the earth. As well, to my sometimes crazy imagination, it also seemed plausible that a world-wide nuclear war could disrupt the Earth’s atmosphere, and usher in a cataclysmic ice age. Shiver…
The next book will be Michael’s. What do Cadmus and Emelie have planned for Donetsk and Tarim territories? Can either possibly be trusted?
One final note. As a small press author, getting my books before readers is a real challenge. You can help! If you liked this book, please consider writing a short review on Amazon, B & N, or the retailer’s website where you purchased the book. Each review encourages Amazon and other online retailers to promote the book to more readers. Each and every review counts, and means so much!
I love to hear from my readers. Please drop me a note at [email protected].
Best wishes always,
Jennette
Ice Baron (Ice Chronicles, Book One (science fiction romance)) Page 27