Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 8/30/20 Only Pleasure Will Do ~ “Who the Devil Hit Me?”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!

 

Today’s snippet is from my  historical romance, Only Pleasure Will Do, currently on pre-order with Amazon. This is the fifth and final book of the House of Pleasure series which will release tomorrow on August 31!

 

 

Here’s the new blurb for Only Pleasure Will Do:

BLURB: 

The pleasure is all hers…

Amorina Vestry, madam of the House of Pleasure for six long years, has wrested a living out the establishment by devising a variety of ways to give men pleasure. But behind the persona of the ruthless businesswoman, schooled in the erotic arts, lurks another woman with a secret she dares tell no one. Now, in vengeance for thwarting a dastardly plan, Amorina is kidnapped and forced to commit murder to save the one person she loves unconditionally…unless the man she secretly yearns for can rescue her before it’s too late.

When Amorina Vestry goes missing, Sir Reginald Matthews, former Runner now magistrate at Bow Street, agrees to search for the very provocative woman he met a year ago and cannot seem to forget. He manages to track her down, only to be captured by the same madman who took her. Their close proximity in a make-shift prison leads inexorably to a night of passion in which Amorina lowers her guard to reveal a shocking truth. Spurred by his growing attraction to her, Reginald is determined to free them before she commits the most heinous crime imaginable.

As Reginald races to save Amorina, he comes to fear another foe as well. He may very well save his love only to find he must give her up or risk the censure of a society that will condemn her.

Amorina Vestry has been kidnapped and held in two basement rooms for two weeks. In the middle of the night, the door at the top of the stairs–the only possible means of escape–opens. Terrified, she slips into the other room and waits for her chance to escape. Last week she hit the man who had invaded her prison with a chair and knocked him out. Now she’s bent on finding out just who she’s knocked out. I’m skipping ahead a few pages for this week’s snippet, to where Amorina has put Mr. Matthews on the makeshift bed and he is just coming to.

EXCERPT:

Bouncing out of the bed, he came to his feet, his head still turning, searching for danger. “Madam Vestry, thank goodness I’ve found you,” he raised his hand to the back of his head and winced, “who the devil hit me?”

“I’m afraid I did, Mr. Matthews–I beg your pardon, Sir Reginald, I believe, is correct now. May I congratulate you on your good fortune?” Smiling, she urged him to sit once more–broken heads were rather chancy and she didn’t want him to keel over again. “Do sit down. I am sorry to have been the one to incapacitate you. Had I known it was you, I would never have done so, of course.”

“Indeed,” he sat then leaned back against the wall and his shoulders slumped, “I must commend you on your aim. My head feels as though a horse kicked me.”

And now to finish the scene :

“What brings you here, Sir Reginald?”

“When you didn’t put in an appearance within a reasonable time, she contacted me. Said she was following your instructions.”

“That is correct.” Avoiding his gaze, Amorina eased down onto the cot beside him. “I’d given instructions that if anything ever befell me, if I disappeared or was being held for ransom, or anything out of the ordinary, she was to contact you at Bow Street.” Always one to follow directions to the letter, Jenny had done as asked. Amorina only hoped she didn’t live to regret it. “Thank you for granting my request.”

“I owed you a debt, Madam Vestry, nothing more.”

“A debt?”

“Last summer you aided my kinswoman, the Marchioness of Dalbury, at the risk of your own life, I’m certain. You also gave succor to her sister-in-law at Christmas, I’m told.” He sketched a bow from his waist then winced. “My family is more than indebted to you. As soon as Jenny told me you were overdue, I began to search for you.”

“I pray my request has not endangered you in any way.”

Sir Reginald grunted and rubbed the back of his head again. “Not until now, it seems.”

Only Pleasure Will Do is available on Amazon for the pre-order price of  $2.99. The book reverts to its regular price of $4.99 on the day after Release Day, September 1. Grab yours while you can!

A Matter of Pleasure, the prologue to Only Pleasure Will Do, is available for FREE on Amazon, Smashwords , Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway I’m running to celebrate the upcoming release of Only Pleasure Will Do.  To enter via Rafflecopter, just click here. I’m giving away an e-copy of Only Marriage Will Do, a swag pack including a lavender sachet, Jenna Jaxon pen, a handcrafted magnet, a piece of jewelry themed to tie into the book, and a $5.00 Starbucks gift card.

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.