First Kiss Friday with Aurrora St. James
Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog. Please help me welcome back author Aurrora St. James who has an excerpt from her story The Lyon’s Last Chance in this Night of Lyons boxset, . Happy reading and enjoy.
Excerpt: (Grace needs a husband. She thought any man would do…)
“You can trust me, Gracie,” he murmured.
His warm breath brushed her ear, sending a delicious shiver through her body. It took great effort not to lean back into his warm, strong embrace. “No,” she whispered. “I can’t.” Why did he have to smell so divine? Like leather and musk? Warmth bloomed low in her belly and she was acutely aware of the brush of his chest to her back through the thin silk of her gown. “I want a husband who will keep his promises. Someone to care for me and any children we have. Not one who will run off with my brother at a moment’s notice to fill his belly with ale, line his pockets at the tables, and bounce a ladybird on his knee.”
She tried to pull out of his grasp but he held firm and spun her to face him. “Marry me, Gracie. I will take care of you better than any man in all of England. And should we have children, I would consider myself a blessed man.”
His words cut at her insides. She’d longed to hear them years before when he’d kissed her and promised to meet her the following day. That he spoke them now prodded at the wounds he’d left in her heart. If only he wanted her the way she once wanted him, but she knew he didn’t, and shook her head. “You’re too much like George and my father. Drinking and gambling in places like this until you forget you have others who depend upon you. Regardless, Mrs. Dove-Lyon has chosen another suitor for me and I intend to marry him.”
“Who?” Owen’s voice rumbled with a deep growl.
She tried to pull away once more but he tightened his grip until she was pressed to his chest with only her hands between them. “I will know him when I see him. Now, if you’ll excuse—”
“Tell me what the other man looks like.”
“No.”
He gave her a gentle shake. “I’m trying to protect you. Do you even know his name?”
She shook her head. “As long as he is agreeable and can show more than a brief, false interest in me, he will do. Mrs. Dove-Lyon has already chosen him and I understand she does research on each gentleman.”
Own snorted.
Grace shoved at his chest until he relented and released her. She stared at him, her heart thumping against her breast. “You confuse me. Once, you made me believe that you cared for me, only to humiliate me. Now you offer to marry me and promise your protection when you haven’t spoken to me in years? Is this another trick? Some elaborate bet meant to make a fool of me again?” It shamed her that her throat felt thick with emotion. She shouldn’t allow him to affect her after all this time.
“Is that what you believe, Grace? That my intent is only to make a mockery of you?”
She nodded, afraid that her voice would tremble if she spoke.
Owen tilted her chin up until she looked into his eyes. He traced the curve of her lower lip with his thumb. “You don’t know how often I’ve dreamed of these lips,” he murmured.
Her heart clenched. Oh heavens, he was close. The desires of her youth warred with her good sense. She should push him away. Or… or laugh at him for his silly attempt at a seduction he wouldn’t pursue. She should not be leaning toward him, wondering if his kiss would be different now that she was older.
He cupped her face with tender hands and searched her gaze. When she didn’t pull away, he lowered his head and kissed her.
Grace swayed toward him as his lips moved over hers. This was different from before. The kiss in her youth was a sweet press of his mouth. Now, Owen captured her mouth with an intensity she hadn’t expected. He urged her lips open and swept his tongue against hers. She moaned at the decadent taste of him, like champagne and the musk of his skin.
Long moments later, Owen broke the kiss, his quick breaths fanning over her wet lips. “Marry me, Gracie.”
His words broke through the haze of her desire like cold water. He appeared earnest, though she couldn’t read the expression behind his mask. Grace wanted to trust his intentions, but she couldn’t. He broke her heart once; she wouldn’t let him do it again.
Night of Lyons Anthology:
It’s the hottest ticket in town! One night a year, the infamous gaming hell The Lyon’s Den hosts a masquerade ball in honor of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s birthday. This invitation only event is the talk of the Ton, and only a select few receive the prized golden ticket for entry. Everyone wants one… but who will receive it this year?
Contains 13 all new short stories by bestselling Regency romance authors.
The Lyon’s Last Chance
By Aurrora St. James
Choosing between love and loyalty has never been so painful…
Owen Granville has secretly been in love with his best friend’s sister, Grace, for years. A disastrous bet from his youth ended with his promise to never speak to her again, so when Owen finds himself in need of a wife, he knows he’ll have to choose another woman. An invitation to a masquerade ball hosted by a renowned matchmaker seems to offer the perfect opportunity to find a suitable wife. But fate has other plans because Grace is also at the ball in search of a husband. Suddenly Owen has a chance to win her back, but if he succeeds, it comes at a great cost—the betrayal of his best friend.
Note to readers: The Lyon’s Last Chance is a short story related to the Taken by Destiny trilogy.
Pre-Order Link: https://amzn.to/44jspWu
First Kiss Friday for related books:
Book 1, The Earl’s Timely Wallflower: https://sherryewing.com/2023/03/31/first-kiss-friday-with-aurrora-st-james/
Book 2, Tempting the Reclusive Earl: https://sherryewing.com/2023/06/09/first-kiss-friday-with-aurrora-st-james-2/
About the Author:
Aurrora St. James writes sexy historical and fantasy romances featuring tough heroes, strong women, quirky characters, and a touch of humor added in for spice. She loves coffee, making her own journals, old B, C, and D-movies, and the magic of a happily ever after.
Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.aurrorastjames.com
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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/aurrora-st-james
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1562285277340374/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AurroraStJames
