A Twist of Fate
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... unbidden, her chest tightened and her skin tingled as if the air surrounding them were alive with tension. She felt certain that he must feel it also, just another step and she could reach out and touch that glistening muscled chest. "I was already out here," his slow, controlled voice shattered the spell. "Wh...what did you say?" she stuttered hoarsely, trying to sound impassive while her mind and body ran amuck with the conflicting feelings of shock, guilt, and undeniable desire. "I said I was already out here," he drawled. Searching her features, he was rewarded with an almost frantic light in her eyes; evidence that she was being assaulted by the same sensations as he. He grinned devilishly. She was staring, and he could not help but ask in a politely callous tone, "You see something that interests you, Michele?" The tension broke at his taunting and at the anger she felt towards herself for her inability to control her eyes. "Yes I do," she said bluntly, looking him in the eye. His breath caught at her daring and a jolt of desire pumped through his veins, recklessly urging him over the short railing between them until he stood before her. His long fingers reached up to her lips, touching them ever so lightly, then he pressed his own lips to them softly, very slowly. Michele stood her ground, unsure what to do. Her mind was telling her she should go into her room and shut the doors immediately, but the rest of her wanted to stay and find out what might happen next. "I tried to avoid this," he admitted, breaking the trance of passion, drawing a step apart. "But ‘tis a lovely night, very romantic." "’Tis too hot." "You are beautiful, you know." He was whispering in her ear ... unknowingly knocking down the barrier she had momentarily considered putting up ... gently caressing her face and neck with the light touch of his fingertips. "I have never met anyone so lovely as you." A delicate smile, genuine in its portrayal, graced her lips as she remembered Mathew’s predictions regarding her appearance. "Come now, Captain," she replied nervously, attempting to break the spell he was weaving about her. "After your dashing portrayal of an understanding sea Captain, you made it quite clear that you want nothing to do with me. You’re words are solicitous and polite, but short and to the point. You’ve made it very obvious you don’t want to be friends, merely acquaintances. And I am certain you’ve a pretty girl waiting for you at every port, and possibly one tucked safely at home ready and waiting for you to marry her." "I cannot simply be friends, Michele, and you are incredibly naïve if you believe I don’t want you," he told her flatly, still rubbing his long slender fingers down her bare arm. "And no, I don’t want to be mere acquaintances. I find I am in a rather intriguing and challenging dilemma. My hands ache just to touch you while my mind argues that you’re too vulnerable to be touched," he leaned down to softly kiss her nape, "and that you are Thom Sutherland’s granddaughter." "Captain," she whispered breathlessly, "you are dripping on my toes." "Say the word and I shall kiss them dry," he murmured as his lips finally met hers and his steadying arms came up behind her.
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About the Book
Chaos and excitement erupt on Grand Cayman Island when Michele Sutherland is unavoidably caught up in the matching of wits with a privateer sea captain who befriended her grandparents during the British blockade. With the losses of the Revolution tempering Michele’s usual confidence, Captain Damian VanCoven is unwillingly drawn to the beauty whose wartime upbringing piques his interest, yet whose status as the granddaughter of dear friends creates unbidden rules. In an effort toward distraction, Damian drives Michele to her mind’s limits to avoid seducing her outright and risking all. Amidst Michele’s attempts to navigate the waters of sensual intrigue and Damian’s drastic measures to avoid her, this explosive relationship finds challenge from every unthinkable direction. With a scheming grandmother whose morals are sometimes conveniently bent, and a hoodwinked privateer’s crew plotting against the Captain they know all too well, Damian and Michele discover a heady passion and a growing trust. Yet, at the center of it all lies the threat of a bitter, jilted man who ceaselessly follows this dynamic pair north across the Atlantic Ocean. After repeated attempts to destroy their lives, this stranger’s actions bring about the discovery of a secret never told, revealing truths that cause untold heartache and fear and, ultimately, forging a love as strong as time.
About the Author
Always a dreamer at heart, I took to the dazzling tales of historical romance at an impressionable age. Living the heroine’s life in my mind’s eye, I often replayed the best of stories with my own twists and turns. Hence, I decided to write my own romantic tale. Little did I know that creating the story is just as exciting as reading one – and it takes a lot of work, too! Somewhere along the way, my characters came to life and I discovered, in myself, a drive to spin their lives of history, adversity, and romance into a finely woven tapestry of words. I hope my readers enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy writing them. Because life really should be like a good romance.