Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 10/18/20 Heart of Delight: A Lovely Thank You

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!

This month I’m highlighting my Handful of Hearts series by putting each of four of the novellas on sale, one each week in October and offering a ghostly Regency romance short story, Hearts at All Hallow’s Eve, in the same series for FREE on Smashwords and B & N (On Amazon it’s .99) thru October 31.

This week’s featured book from Handful of Hearts is Heart of Delight.

 

Here’s the blurb:

BLURB:

He’ll do anything to be her heart’s delight—except tell the truth.

Gabriella d’Adventure is on a mission. She has come to England as a lady’s maid in pursuit of the Duke of Rother. When she meets Horace Carpenter, valet to a marquess, she is delighted to enlist his aid in gaining her heart’s desire: a meeting with the duke. But will her growing feelings for the handsome valet interfere with her plans for the duke?

The eccentric Marquess of Halford, Hal to his friends, is tired of the demands of Society, especially his father’s decree that he marry this Season. When a breathtaking young woman intrudes on his solitude, he is captivated and introduces himself as his valet in hopes of learning more about her. Despite his fear about the true motive behind Gabriella’s quest to meet the Duke of Rother, Hal agrees to help her gain an audience with him, all the while praying his deception won’t ruin his chances of winning her love.

Gabriella has just met Horace, a valet to an English marquess who promises to help her meet the Duke of Rother. We are in Gabriella’s POV.

EXCERPT:

“Is there any other English duke so attractive, so splendid, so noble?”

“I grant you, the duke is a fine specimen of an English nobleman,” Monsieur Carpenter’s face had paled, “however, this may prove more difficult than I first believed.”

“Will you help me, monsieur?” Artifice had gone and Gabriella spoke from her heart.

He closed his eyes and nodded. “I will speak to my master about it–if anyone can arrange it, he can.” A long pause, and the valet opened his deep brown eyes and sighed.

“Oh, monsieur, merci, merci,” she said, and flung her arms around him. At last she would meet the Duke of Rother.

Monsieur Carpenter, instead of letting her go, pulled her closer.

And now to finish the scene :

She tried to push back, but he enfolded her in his arms, drew her toward his warm body. Then his mouth met hers. His soft, insistent lips sent a thrill through her she’d not experienced before. Relaxing against him, she gave herself over to pure pleasure as their mouths dissolved into one another. A delightful heat sizzled in her veins. She should not have been enjoying this, yet the tingles he caused to skitter up and down her spine could not be denied.

At last, he broke the kiss and stepped back. “That was the loveliest thank you I have ever received.”

Gabriella came slowly back to the balcony, the music, and thanked God for the dimness of the candles, half burned out in their sconces on the wall. Heat seared her cheeks, and she danced back from this stranger. “I beg your pardon, Monsieur Carpenter. You made me forget myself.”

“You can forget yourself with me any time you like, Mademoiselle d’Aventure.”

Heart of Delight is available on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, and Apple for .99.

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

Handful of Hearts series