First Kiss Friday with Collette Cameron
Welcome back to my First Kiss Friday blog. I’m happy to have you here with us today. My guest is the fabulous Collette Cameron who has an excerpt from her novella Moonlight Wishes and Midnight Kisses that can be found in Under the Harvest Moon: A Bluestocking Belles with Friends Collection. Happy reading and enjoy this first kiss scene!
Excerpt:
The last seemed an afterthought, but he asked with such tenderness that she couldn’t refuse.
He held up his injured hand. “You’ve seen my hand. I can use it but shall never have the same capacity as I did.” He then stuck out his leg. “My leg fares better, but my gait may always be uneven. I don’t know if I can run, dance, or do a thousand other things, but I mean to try.”
She’d never cared about his injuries other than how he’d suffered. A hand and leg did not the man make.
“Why are you telling me this?” she whispered.
Rather than answer her, he went on.
“I suffer from horrid nightmares, though they’ve abated a trifle of late. I cringe when I hear gunshots and do not know if that will ever change. Restoring Northwycke Court will take years of hard work and dedication, and even then, there is no guarantee I’ll succeed.”
“I ask you again, Cortland. Why are you telling me this? It changes nothing.”
Because none of those things mattered to her. She would have accepted Cortland blind, without legs, and poor as a pauper.
The smile he bestowed upon her would’ve melted iron.
How could a mere female withstand such seductive charm?
“I want you to know exactly what you are getting—what you are agreeing to should you consent to marry me.”
Avery had no doubt she looked and sounded like an idiot.
Her jaw fell open, and her eyes went wide as saucers. She shook her head over and over as she made inarticulate sounds.
Cortland’s face fell into devastated creases.
“I’m too late then.” He glanced over her shoulder, his eyes haunted and jaw tense. “I’d hoped… But I understand, darling. I do. I waited too long and inflicted too much angst.”
He cleared his throat, a rough rasp resonating through the tranquil garden.
Avery tried to collect her scattered wits, but the stupid things fluttered around like inebriated butterflies.
Cortland said…
He wanted to…
Agree to marry…
Good heavens.
Cortland wanted to marry her.
A small closed-lip smile framed his mouth as he skimmed a knuckle over her cheek.
“I hope you find happiness, Avery. I pray you are able to forgive me for the pain and suffering I caused you. And when you think of me, know that I love you. Have always loved you.”
He kissed her forehead with such reverence that tears sprang to her eyes, then made to turn.
Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes, her heart shouted.
Avery sprang forward and grabbed his arm.
“Don’t go. I…” She laughed. Pure, unfettered jubilation. “I was taken aback.”
Astonished. Flabbergasted. Flummoxed. Ecstatic.
And a hundred other euphoric emotions.
“Yes.” She touched his jaw.
“Yes?” Incredulity tempered with hope lit his eyes. “You will marry me. Just as I am?”
“Yes.” Avery nodded, unable to control the exuberant grin stretching from ear to ear. “Yes. The sooner, the better.”
It was Cortland’s turn to laugh. It welled out his chest and sent the birds to flight.
“She said yes!”
He picked up Avery and swung her in a wide circle, raining kisses on her face.
Breathless, giddy, and overflowing with joy, Avery clung to him.
At last, he lowered her to the ground, holding her steady but not releasing her.
“I love you, Avery. Everything about you, from your smile to your stubbornness to your blue eyes I get lost in every time I look at you.”
“I know you do.” And she did because she loved Cortland like that too. “And I love you. Now kiss me, silly man. I’ve waited quite long enough.”
“With the greatest pleasure.”As he settled his mouth over hers and Avery’s eyes slid shut, her last coherent thought before passion and bliss overtook her was, moonlight wishes do come true.
Moonlight Wishes and Midnight Kisses
By Collette Cameron
A scarred veteran with no future, Courtland Marlow-Westbrook wants to be left alone. Scottish heiress Avery Levingtone never stopped loving him and is determined to win his love again. Will these former sweethearts find happiness together, or will the wounds of the past keep them apart?
About Under the Harvest Moon boxset:
As the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.
But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge.
With two prominent families feuding for generations and the central event of the Harvest Moon festival looming, tensions rise, and secrets begin to surface.
Nine award winning and bestselling authors have combined their talents to create this engaging and enchanting collection of interrelated tales. Under the Harvest Moon promises an unforgettable read for fans of Regency romance.
Buy Link: https://books2read.com/UnderHarvestMoon
About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling romance author Collette Cameron® invites you to escape into the worlds of Scottish and Regency historicals. With a passion for witty and smart historical romance, Collette creates both entertaining and thought-provoking stories. Her roguish heroes and daring heroines are inspired by her love of historical trivia and castles, and she brings a dash of inspiration and a pinch of humor to every tale she writes.
Based in the Pacific Northwest, Collette is surrounded by the lush greenery and rainy skies that inspire her writing. She dreams of one day splitting her time between the Pacific Northwest and Scotland, and in the meantime, she indulges in her love of all things cobalt blue, dachshunds, and Cadbury chocolate. With over 55 books published and multiple writing awards to her credit, Collette is an established award-winning author of Sweet-to-Spicy Timeless Romances®.
So if you’re looking for an escape to the world of Scottish and Regency historicals, look no further than Collette Cameron. Her books perfectly combine wit and humor, leaving you both entertained and inspired. Website: http://collettecameron.com
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