First Kiss Friday with Aurrora St. James & a Giveaway!

Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog! Let’s welcome today’s guest, Aurrora St. James who has an excerpt from her contribution The Earl’s Haunted Heart in the boxset A Wraith at Midnight. Aurrora is also offering a giveaway today so be sure to read all the way to the end to enter! Happy reading and good luck, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

The ballroom was larger and grander than Lady Levinson’s, with its tall windows and gilded columns, though somehow sad in its disuse. Next, Ambrose showed her the library lined with bookshelves, with plush chairs and sofas to read upon.

“Did you live here as a child?” Eve asked. They’d been speaking only of books until now. Nothing personal, and she very much wanted to know Lord Stamford.

He hesitated. “No. In fact, I hadn’t been here at all until I inherited the title. This was once the family seat, but it hadn’t been used in some time.”

“Did it fall into disrepair?”

“No. There were tragedies here. After that, my family chose to never return.”

Eve thought about the man in the attic. Something had happened to the woman he loved. Something tragic. “Why did you choose to live here?”

“I had no choice,” he murmured.

She turned to him. His dark blue eyes appeared haunted, then the emotion was gone. Buried behind a stony expression.

“Tell me about yourself, Eve. You’ve yet to share even your last name.”

“Eve Langley,” she replied softly.

He tilted his head. “I believe there is a Baron Langley. Your father?”

She nodded.

“Yet you fled unattended into a snowstorm. Is your father unkind?”

“Not precisely.”

Lord Stamford stepped closer. His eyes glittered down at her. “Abusive?”

“No. He…” She crossed her arms over her stomach, unable to meet his eyes. “He has drawn up a marriage contract for me with a man older than himself, who intends to use me for an heir, then lock me away somewhere so that I do not embarrass his family.”

“You are free to decline the arrangement though. That is your right,” he growled.

“My father said he’d force me to agree to the match if I refused. I feared he would, so I fled.”

He tipped her chin up, studying her face. “You’re afraid of him.”

Her throat grew tight. “I’m afraid of being locked away, forgotten, until I die. Like my grandmama,”

Pain etched his features, and the earl closed his eyes. When he opened them, he asked, “Where had you intended to go?”

“There is a church that shelters women near here.”

He was silent.

Fear bubbled up her throat. Eve gripped his shirt. “Please, Lord Stamford. Please don’t make me return. I’ll leave once the storm is over, only please don’t send me back.”

One of his warm hands covered hers and the other stroked her jaw with gentle fingers. “You may call me Ambrose.” His thumb traced her lower lip.

Butterflies took flight in her stomach at his tender touch and the sound of his husky voice. She’d never felt this way around a man. No one had ever evoked the flutter of her heart or the warmth in her chest.

“I’ll not send you back, Eve. It is enough that one of us is imprisoned for life. A beauty as bright as yours should shine for all the world to see.”

Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

Eve melted under his tender kiss, lost in the feel of his lips against hers. It was her first kiss, and it was more wondrous than she’d ever imagined.

Ambrose moved his lips gently over hers, as he pulled her close to his chest.

When he lifted his head, he traced her lower lip one last time with his thumb, regret already flashing through his eyes. He stepped away.

“Forgive me, Eve.”

Before she could protest, he strode out the library door, leaving her quite alone.

A Wraith at Midnight Anthology Info: 

When spooky manors and or ghostly specters call, this stunning collection of haunted Historical Romance novellas is sure to answer, leaving you breathless with ethereal, romantic tales…

A derelict old castle? A spectral lady wandering the forests? These tales will give you a chill, a thrill, and have you reading them over and over. From the moors of Devon to the ballrooms of Regency London, and far north into the Scottish Highlands, these stories will bring you wistful dreams of legendary and haunting romance.

Contains 11 all new short stories by bestselling Regency romance authors.

Blurb: 

The Earl’s Haunted Heart by Aurrora St. James

Her secret can save his sanity, but revealing it will destroy her future…

An innocent woman fleeing an arranged marriage is stranded in a snowstorm at an imposing manor with a reclusive earl who is brooding, mysterious, and far too attractive. He’s also going mad. She should fear him, but as the snow continues to fall, his loneliness makes her ache for him, and his every touch sets her on fire. To claim his heart, she must break the curse bound to his bloodline. But in doing so, she’ll be forced to reveal her own secret and risk being sent back to the man she’s running from.

Note to readers: The Earl’s Haunted Heart is near the end of the anthology. Don’t miss it! 

Link:  https://geni.us/ASJ-Wraith

Author Bio:

Aurrora St. James writes passionate heroes, sizzling heat, and unforgettable romance. Whether it’s in time travel, magic, action, or shapeshifters, she loves to write about heroes with deep wounds fighting to be the heroic man his woman needs and women finding the strength within to face anything that comes her way. You’ll always get a touching love story, an HEA, and a bit of humor. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, making her own journals, and drinking coffee. But really, what’s better than coming up with the magic of a happily ever after?

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://www.aurrorastjames.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AurroraStJamesAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurrorastjames/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/ladyaurrora/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/aurrora-st-james

Giveaway Opportunity!

Aurrora is offering a giveaway where the winner can choose one of the books from her website: https://www.aurrorastjames.com/books. To be in the running, just answer this: What’s your favorite trope? That’s it! Aurrora will pick a winner on Sunday. Good luck, fabulous Readers!