The Lady's Wicked Proposition (Wicked Liaisons series) (5 page)

“Tell me what you need. If you want to leave here and never speak of this again, I will do it. If however, you want to go forward with your plan, you need only ask.”

Saying yes was a risk, not just to her reputation, but to her emotional stability. As she took his lips in a searing kiss, Dina decided that he was worth it. Chevalier had proved to be so much more than a rake. He was kind and the most caring lover she could ask for.

“I was not ready before, but I think I am now. Will you be my lover, Francis?”

“Yes.” Lifting her up and wrapping her thighs around his waist, he walked over to the bed. “Does that mean you agree to be my fiancée?”

She flashed a coy smile. “I shall think about it.”

His clever fingers roamed over her skin, tickling her until she cried out. “Stop! Stop. Yes, Francis. I will be your fiancé.”

“Perhaps I should get confirmation in writing.”

Taking hold of a pillow, she hit him in the face. Francis laughed, pushed the pillow aside, and pinned her down, joining his hands with hers. His kiss was hot, long, and slow.

As the light of morning streamed in, sneaking through the crack in the curtains to dance across the floor, Dina held Chevalier close. In this moment, he was hers and only hers, and for the next few months, she would savor every minute she could spend in his arms.

*~*~*~*

Thank you for reading,
The Lady’s Wicked Proposition
. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you want to keep up to date with other releases in this series, please sign up for my newsletter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vivienne Westlake has been reading and writing romance since the age of fifteen. What makes her stories unique is her love of a sassy heroine who keeps the hero on his toes. Though she has a fondness for redeemable rakes, Vivienne’s favorite Jane Austen/Regency hero is Captain Wentworth.

If you enjoyed Edwina and Francis’ story, please look out for the sequel,
The Rake’s Wicked Seduction
, which follows their engagement. Also coming soon is the prequel to the Wicked Liaisons series:
The Wicked Earl Takes His Wife
.

To sign up for Vivienne’s
newsletter
and learn about upcoming releases, follow her online at:

http://www.viviennewestlake.com

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You can also find Vivienne at the following Facebook groups:

Vivienne’s Agents Provocateurs
(street team & private fan club)

I Love Historical Romance
(general group for HR lovers)

EXCERPTS

Lady Northam’s Wicked Surrender

A midnight encounter between two estranged lovers rekindles a passion beyond their wildest dreams...

Rowena, Countess of Northam, is surprised to find her former suitor has returned from India and is on his way to the very house where she is staying. When he appears in her room late at night, she can only believe it is a dream. Her fantasy soon becomes reality when Simon makes every effort to seduce her.

Despite his six year absence, and the fact that Rowena married his best friend, Simon is determined to have her back now that she is a widow. It soon becomes clear that while her body craves his affections, she doesn’t trust him enough to give her heart. Can Simon forget her past betrayal and convince her to surrender to the greatest love they’ve ever known.

*~*~*~*

Rowena turned away, her gaze travelling from the sea of fine china and silver up to Simon’s face. He tilted his head, fixed his stare upon her-long enough for her to study the patterns in his chalcedony blue eyes. His sandy brows flickered, then he opened his mouth to say something, but Delphine spoke first.

“What about the parties? Surely there must have been occasions for fine dinners or dancing.”

Simon shrugged. “Hmm…the parties. The society in Bombay was such that everyone knows everyone, and while the gathering might be large, you may spend the majority of the evening conversing with the same fellows. Other than the heat, which often makes it difficult to dance, I cannot say they are very different from English parties, though the food is certainly more interesting.”

“In what way?” Rowena asked.

“In nearly every way.” The corner of his lips curved as he spoke, and she soon felt the heat of his scrutiny. Why could you not stay silent?

“You might think strawberries are sweet. In Bombay, you will find delectable fruits more succulent and sweet than ripe peaches. Their taste will forever linger on your tongue.”

Images of his mouth on hers, his tongue on her skin, danced through her mind. She licked her lips, trying to remember how much was the dream and how much reality.

Alice interrupted. “The mangoes. Mmmm. Those were quite delicious. I should have asked you to bring seeds back to see if they might take root.”

Simon continued. “Our meats are seasoned with onions or leeks, salt and pepper. There, you might have the most wonderful roasted lamb or mutton, with spices such as you could not imagine. Some are hotter than the kiss of the sun, bolder than the touch of an ardent lover.”

Alice choked on her lemonade. “Simon!” After wiping her mouth, she pinched Simon’s arm. He’d gone too far, stretched the bounds of what was appropriate for morning conversation.

The gleam of the morning sun through the window touched his almond-shaped eyes, which had fallen under the shadow cast by a tall cabinet behind him. Rowena knew when she looked into that gleam that Simon had no intention of heeding his sister’s warning.

He smiled at Alice. “You have tasted the turmeric. And the peppers that sizzle the insides until a person becomes so feverish that no fan will soothe.”

Rowena felt the same way about his kiss.

“My first month in Bombay, I nearly tore off my shirt after eating prawns spiced with so much curry that no amount of ale could quench the sweltering heat within.”

She squirmed in her seat, imagining Simon stripping off his red coat and crisp white shirt. She gasped at the thought of him clad in nothing but his trousers and boots.

Suddenly the thin muslin dress she wore was too hot for comfort. Warmth spread through her belly. Only the width of the oak table separated them. She wanted to touch him.

They were sitting across the breakfast table, having a normal conversation, yet her mind filled with indecent visions of him in a state of undress. She could feel a throbbing in her sex. What on earth was wrong with her? Forcing herself to look toward the window, she inhaled and tried to think of cool, wintery thoughts.

Lady Northam’s Wicked Surrender is available now:
http://viviennewestlake.com/books/lady-northams-wicked-surrender/

*~*~*~*

Tempting the Governess

Never fall in love with your employer. Any respectable governess knew the cardinal rule. Christine Aubrey prided herself on her devotion to her charges, never suspecting that one day a former pupil would tempt her to break every rule in the book.

Theodore Blake was a “good boy” who grew up into a responsible man. Shouldering the burden of raising his sister’s children and managing his older brother’s affairs, Teddy has always done the right thing. But when his former governess returns to Birchwood, all he can think about is how good it would be to be bad.

*~*~*~*

“I am nothing out of the ordinary,” Christine objected. “I have a sharp mind, but a plain face and I would never be well compared against an elegant lady such as your mother or your sister, God rest her soul.”

Teddy shook his head and smiled. “You have no sense of your own virtues, Miss Aubrey. Perhaps I should endeavor to educate you.”

The chill night air evaporated in an instant. A warm flush wound its way up her arms, spreading across her chest and neck. She glanced away, not able to withstand the heat in his gaze. Where were the servants? Did the maids listen at the door?

They were completely alone-for the time being.

What did this mean? His questions. His stare.

If she wanted-nay, if she dared-she could touch him. His hand lay across the white tablecloth, so close, yet so far. Her palm grew warm, but she could not cross the line between his side and hers.

“You are quiet.”

“I am thinking.”

“About what?” he asked, huskily.

Shivers ran down her sides. There was nowhere to hide from his gaze. Not that she would run, even if she could.

“You,” she admitted. What made her say a foolish thing like that, she did not know. She’d have to think of a fast reply because he would never let that answer go unexplained.

“Tell me what is on your mind, cherie.”

Her nipples hardened upon hearing the French endearment. It spread like honey over her, thick and sweet. It was not a word a man used for his staff.

She evaded his question, unsure of what was happening between them now. She was afraid to break the spell, yet afraid to encourage him. They were heading into perilous territory.

“You have kept up your French, I see.”

“If it would please you, I shall converse entirely in French, ma bichette.”

“If I am your little doe, what does that make you, mon loup?”

“If I were a wolf, you would be my choice of prey, sweet.”

Christine’s body melted under his gentle teasing and she could feel the heavy weight of her legs on the chair. Her thighs rubbed together and her stomach fluttered.

“T-Theodore,” she whispered. She’d almost called him by his pet name again, but caught herself in time. It is Mr. Blake, not Teddy. If she wanted to keep her job, she would have remember that.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my sweetheart, MW. Thank you for your love and support.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Danielle Monsch who originally came up with the
Love Is…
anthology project and Suzan Butler, who took over and managed the project. Without this anthology, I might not have finished this short story.

I would also like to thank the women at Romance Divas who critiqued this book: A.J. Vale, Charlene Roberts, and Dayna Hart. Thank you to Sandra Barkevich and Melissa Karcz for reading the first few pages and offering suggestions.

A special thank you also goes to Joy Sillesen of Indie Author Services, who designed the cover, and Melissa Blue, who helped me refine it.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

© 2014 Vivienne Westlake

Originally published in
Love Is…
anthology

Edited by Dayna Hart

Cover Design by Joy Sillesen of Indie Author Services

Cover Images courtesy of HotDamnStock & @alessandro0770 (DepositPhotos)

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

LICENSE NOTES

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to the original vendor and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.