I’ve been MIA all week. Took on a third job that had me going from dawn until midnight, almost literally. I’m back with more of Only A Mistress Will Do. It’s still on sale for .99! If you want it at that bargain price, here’s the Amazon link!
In this snippet, I’ve moved to a scene between Tristan and the woman he is betrothed to. It’s an arranged marriage so Tris can gain a valuable piece of property. He and Dora have met only a couple of times and danced perhaps twice. So Tris tries to reassure his young bride-to-be. This week I’m continuing on from last week. Tris has just told Dora, his betrothed, that their wedding will be in three weeks, then asked her, “Have you never been kissed before?”
(Creative punctuation used to conform to the WWW rules. The published text may be slightly different.)
She turned her head to the side and shook it, then tried to slip her hands out of his.
“No need to be afraid, my dear. I won’t hurt you.” Slowly, sensually, he brushed the back of her hand with his lips, then turned it over and grazed her palm as well. “Kisses are a normal part of married life.”
“I know.” Her voice was stronger than a whisper, but still low. “I’ve seen my brother Simon kissing his wife Judith.”
“Would you like for me to kiss you?” He stared into her clear blue eyes and cupped her cheek.
An almost imperceptible nod.
BLURB:
The man of her dreams…belongs to another woman.
Destitute and without friends, Violet Carlton is forced to seek employment at the House of Pleasure in London. She steels herself for her first customer and is shocked when the man rescues her instead of ravishing her. A grateful Violet cannot help but admire the handsome Viscount Trevor. But she must curb her desire for the dashing nobleman she can never have because he is already betrothed to another . . .
Tristan had gone to the House of Pleasure for a last bit of fun before he became a faithful married man. But when he recognizes the woman in his bed, he becomes determined to save her instead. Now, his heart wars with his head as he falls for the vulnerable courtesan. Unable to break his betrothal without a scandal, Tris resolves to find Violet proper employment or a husband of her own. Still, his arms ache for Violet, urging him to abandon propriety and sacrifice everything to be with the woman he loves. . . .
Only A Mistress Will Do is on sale for .99 on
Amazon and B & N
Books in the House of Pleasure series:
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
What a sweet snippet. I wonder how it will all play out.
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In this book, you once again managed to write a situation there seemed no good way out of (Dora is actually a likeable character) and you justified what needed to happen for a HEA for her as well as the two MCs. 🙂 Always in awe of your story abilities…
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A tender moment. I curious to know how he’ll keep his kiss in check. Seems like she’s willing but too much may scare her away. 🙂
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That’s such a sweet, tender moment between them. Contrary to what my anti-kissing ex thinks, most people in relationships enjoy kissing!
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Eeep, three jobs? That’s insane. I hope you get chances to rest! In other news, this is a great snippet and I’d like to see where it goes!
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Well, the third one was only for a week, so not but so insane. 🙂 So glad you’re enjoying it! Read on the next couple of weeks for the rest of the scene.
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I love this. Can’t wait to read.
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Thank you, Christina! I do hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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Totally lovely and what happens next. I sense trouble ahead.
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Hmm, yes and no. You have to read on through my next couple of snippets. 🙂
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He’s so tender with her here – you have to love him. I give up – I’m off to One Click. I have to read all of it!
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Awww, thank you Nancy! I hope it lives up to the promise of the snippets!
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Hard to imagine a time when things were so shy and delicate and ‘hidden’, but you convey the mood and moment so very well. Enjoyed the snippet – he’s really trying hard, which I like. Did you say third job??? Wow. Sending good thoughts!
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Yes, women were very sheltered during various periods. The Georgian period was a blend of very wild and very strict. Dora’s been brought up strictly, but she’s also been neglected by the men in her family and has come to expect that. Tris begins to change those expectations.
And yes, last week, in addition to teaching 3 classes of summer school and writing, I taught three classes at a camp and worked with the drama activities at night. It ended with a production on Saturday morning, so I’m back to a “normal schedule” for me. LOL
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Such a tender, sweet moment, yet scary at the same time for Dora. It’s waiting on my Kindle app for me to read. 🙂
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Thank you, Jessica! I do hope you enjoy it! In this scene he really is making an effort to woo her and make her more comfortable around him.
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Dora is such a sweet character. You took a chance, Jenna, by making the “other woman” so adorable!
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Thank you, Ed! I think I did make the right decision. Originally, Dora was a spoiled brat, but then I thought, where’s the conflict in that? I wanted Tris’ dilemma not to be so black and white. There are good reasons other than the land for him to marry Dora, even if he doesn’t love her.
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