Thursday, December 17, 2015

New Release: Aisle 6 (and a new raffle)

Now out from Changeling Press!  Aisle 6

Trish is doing her usual thing -- checking out the hot guy she calls The Bod at the supermarket -- when she discovers a weird anomaly in aisle 6. When she gets too close, she finds herself transported to another time and place, and The Bod is waiting for her, dressed as a desert sheik. Anders wants to help Trish work out her sexual fantasies. On the fun scale, it sure beats her job in the IT department.
Anders has been tasked to save his species by mating with a woman from a different version of Earth. Trish is his most compatible DNA match. He must keep her with him by any means possible and give her as much sex as she can stand. But will his deception force them apart?
Cleanup on Aisle 6!



And on December 20, I'll be raffling off this cowl to someone on my newsletter list.  Sign up at right.


An excerpt:

That cute guy was back at the supermarket again. Trish Swanson had watched him for weeks now. Setting out melons and handling tomatoes gently -- like a lover. Most of all climbing to reach something on the top shelf for tiny Mrs. Gilmore. Despite her seventy-odd years, Mrs. G's eyes sparkled whenever he did it. In fact, the old lady was probably putting him up to it and didn't really need the generic, canned dog food up there. As far as Trish knew, she didn't even have a dog. But when he stretched out to his full height, the muscles in his shoulders bunched and released, and he gave anyone watching a good look at a major-league ass. After a while, Trish and Mrs. Gilmore had coordinated their shopping schedules with his shifts so they could both enjoy the view at least once a week.

Today, Mrs. G hadn't shown up, and Trish remained at her station in the pet food aisle. She'd spotted The Bod, as Trish had come to think of him, in the produce section. He'd probably mosey over this way in a minute or two, and if the old lady didn't show up, Trish would either have to confront him herself or wait until next Wednesday for another ogling session.
He rounded the end of the aisle and headed in her direction.

Immediately, her mouth went dry, and her heartbeat started an erratic pitter-pat. She'd always been a complete dunce around good-looking men. Hell, all men. If she were to try to speak to this one, she'd probably stutter and blurt out something that said nothing more than "I'm an idiot."

He had the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Not light blue like robin's eggs but more the hue of a cloudless, California sky. Deep, dark, and dangerous. His chestnut hair and pale skin made him stare-worthy, but his most remarkable feature had to be the dimples that appeared at the corners of his mouth when he smiled. And he always smiled. He was doing it right now.

"Hello," he said. One simple, very ordinary word. But it had a lilt to it. Almost an accent, as if English wasn't his first language. He was Latino, maybe. Or Irish. French?

Whatever the origin of his speech, it drove any response right out of her head. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, so she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers. God, what a moron. Why did she have to be so damned shy?

"Where's your friend?" he said.

"Hmm?" Still stupid, but at least she'd said something.

"The older lady. I assumed you must drive her here," he said. "I always see you together."

"Mrs. Gilmore... no, she and I... that is... I only see her here. With you."

He laughed. "I don't drive her here."

"Of course, you don't. I just meant..." Anything she'd meant would make her sound even more foolish than she already did. She surely hadn't wanted to suggest that he and Mrs. G knew each other from somewhere else or staged their performances for her benefit. If she didn't have anything intelligent to say, she'd keep her mouth shut. So she did exactly that.

He rested an elbow on a shelf and struck a casual pose. Not going anywhere for a while, obviously. His posture only emphasized his considerable height and the breadth of his shoulders. He could hardly have shown himself off to better effect except maybe by bending over. Where was Mrs. G when Trish needed her?

"Can I help you with something?" he asked. His voice had taken on a husky tone... the kind you heard in the bedroom after particularly good sex. Not that she'd shared those delightful moments with too many men, but you didn't have to experience that often to have the sensations imprinted in your brain. The dimples in his cheeks and the light in his eyes told her he knew exactly what message he was conveying to her. He had to be supremely confident that she'd be receptive. Luckily for both of them, he'd calculated correctly.

"Help?" she said. There, that came off as casual. More or less.

"You appear to be searching for something. I'm here to make sure you find it."

"Well, since you asked..." What could she make him search for? Dog food upper shelf? Cat litter lower? Mrs. Gilmore always knew how to get him to show off his build to best effect.

He held up a hand. "Never mind. I know."

"You do?" Well now, that could be embarrassing. He'd figured out their little game? Drat. Could he sue them for sexual harassment?

"Aisle 6," he said. "Everything you want is there."


Monday, November 2, 2015

New raffle!

I'm raffling off this scarf to celebrate my new contract with Changeling Press.  Aisle 6 will be an erotic novella to be out late in December.

What lurks on the detergent aisle of the supermarket?  It's a portal to another universe and a different version of Earth.  And there's a hunky man on the other side primed and ready to mate.

If you'd like to win the scarf, join my newsletter (right hand column of this site) by November 15.  Good luck!

Monday, August 17, 2015

Kiss the Frog is free!

Kiss the Frog is free for a limited time.  If you like your romance really, really hot, give this fairy tale romance a try.  (The first book in the Princes of Danislova series).

http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Frog-Princes-Danislova-Novel-ebook/dp/B00QZCYEX6/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Alice_Gaines_Kiss_the_Frog?id=hBTqCAAAQBAJ

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/kiss-the-frog/id991525083?mt=11

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/501302

Pity sex with the shyest student in the lab?

That’s what Felice Larson’s friends have blackmailed her into. Dev VonRamsberg seems nice enough, if you can see past the hair that hangs in his face, the glasses, and the corduroy slacks. It’ll be embarrassing for her and possibly humiliating for him, but if Felice doesn’t follow through, the others will let their professor know she ditched on a critical research trip. So she borrows a key and lets herself into Dev’s apartment in the middle of the night and promptly gets the surprise of her life.

Christian Devlin Philippe Pascal VonRamsberg, Crown Prince, and Heir Apparent to the Throne of Danislova, has lusted after his co-student, Felice Larson, for months but hasn’t followed through because of his obligations back home. But now that she’s literally snuck into his bed, he takes full advantage, much to their mutual delight. Dev’s been hiding out in plain sight in the United States so he can get his graduate degree and enjoy a more or less normal life before he has to return to Danislova to fulfill his duties to his country. He never expected to fall for an American woman, but now that he has, how can he give her a happy ending?

"Alice Gaines masterfully blends funny and sexy into a page-turner that readers can’t put down" Jasmine Haynes, New York Times bestselling author of Pleasing Mr. Sutton.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Royal Affair is out now!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011J1XTOC

Everyone loved the father of my heroes from the other books in the Princes of Dansilova stories, so I finally wrote the father's story.  This is a novella, so it only costs 99 cents.

Can one man find profound love three times in one lifetime?

Prince Royal Friedrich VonRamsberg’s life has been devoted to his duty to country and family. After many years as a widower, he finds himself feeling the stirring of love (and yes, desire) with a long-time family friend. Can he forge a lasting relationship so late in life?

Lady Marta Damrova has loved Friedrich VonRamsberg since she was a child. Believing he was beyond her reach, she married a much older man and thought she’d settled down. With their spouses passed on, they’re both free to love again. Will they find happiness in each other’s arms, or will an old secret tear them apart?

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/royal-affair-alice-gaines/1122295863?ean=2940152028652

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/559748

authoralicegaines@gmail.com

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Two more days only!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1003004791

Amazon is having a promotion for my book, Captain and Countess.  But only through July 2.  You can get the book for $1.99 rather than $3.49.

The book has 25 five star reviews and one four star review.  It's a jolly good read, if I do say so myself.  Check it out.


The book was one of the first Kindle Scout winners and winner of the 2014 Marlene Award for historical romance.

ps://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1003004791

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Platinum Event Friday, May 29


With host, Vickie Rose, I'll be having a Facebook event this Friday.  Fun, games, and giveaways, including a $100 Amazon gift card.  You can find the event here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/997642646920644/

It starts at 5:00 pm Pacific Time or 7:00 Central Time

Stop by and party

Thursday, May 21, 2015

New release: Garden of Delights from Changeling Press

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2378

Book Summary
Wendy has to win the local garden show. Not only does she need to save her business, but she also wants revenge over her former lover and partner who absconded with the company assets.
Her local nurserywoman and friend directs her to a special place that can supply erotic plants for Wendy's exhibit. Sex sells, so she can't lose, right? What she doesn't count on is encountering a mysterious man named Sage who claims he's her guide. He guides her, all right, to physical intimacy more sublime than she's thought possible.
When Wendy commits the unthinkable in her efforts to defeat her ex-lover, only Sage can guide her back to the right path.

Chapter One
Normally, the sight of a garden center, newly stocked for spring planting, would make Wendy Stewart’s spirits soar, but she’d never had to worry about how to pay the bill before. And she’d never have guessed she’d be flat broke right before the biggest show of the season. Hell, she’d probably have to break her piggy bank to buy the six-pack of Early Girl tomatoes on sale for $2.99.

Mrs. Chance emerged from the storage area in back and headed straight for Wendy. She wore her serene grandmotherly smile as usual. Working with plants all day could give you a sunny outlook on life. Working with people, on the other hand, could sour your stomach, and Wendy had the incipient ulcer to prove it. She steeled herself for the encounter. She adored Mrs. Chance -- sincerely -- but she’d never had to ask for credit before.

“I’ve been expecting you, Wendy,” Mrs. Chance said. “You’ll need plants for the big garden show.”

“Sure will, Mrs. C.” Wendy pasted a smile on her face. “Thing is… I was wondering… we’ve known each other a long time, no?”

Mrs. Chance’s sweet expression didn’t falter. It was her trademark, along with the potting soil smudges on her fingers. “Jeff was in here the other day.”

“Oh, yeah?” Wendy’s stomach did a flop. “Buying stuff for the show, no doubt.”

“Practically bought me out,” Mrs. Chance said. “But I held back some of the best merchandise for you.”

Interesting. She hadn’t told anyone that, along with ending their romantic relationship, Jeff had also walked away with the assets of their business. Unless Jeff had said something, Mrs. Chance would have assumed Jeff was buying for the both of them.

“Really good of you,” Wendy said. “There’s one little thing I should tell you…”

Mrs. Chance crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Wendy to continue. Her smile had faded a bit. Wendy struggled for words but couldn’t come up with anything to sugarcoat the reality that she’d been screwed over royally by her ex-partner, in business and in bed.

“Jeff’s never been in here alone before,” Mrs. Chance said after a moment. “And he had quite a bill. He even bought my prize cymbidium orchid.”

Damn it all. Wendy had lusted after that plant for months, but Jeff had insisted it was too expensive. Now he’d have it for the flower and garden show. The rat bastard.

“Did he, now?” Wendy said.

“Sure did.”

“Figures,” Wendy grumbled.

“Is there something I should know?” Mrs. Chance said.

Wendy might as well spill the whole sorry story. Over the years, Mrs. Chance had been more than a supplier and even more than a friend. She’d acted as a mentor, teaching Wendy all sorts of secrets of how to tend for plants and flowers so they could perform at their best and make Wendy’s business -- and Jeff’s -- look great and get landscaping jobs.

“We’re no longer business partners,” Wendy said.

“So I gathered. A woman was waiting for Jeff in the car.”

“Yvette.” More bustline than brains that one, which explained why the woman adored Jeff so much. Her adoration fed his ego, which really needed no enhancement.

“The whole thing made me wonder what he was up to,” Mrs. Chance said.

“We broke up.” Might as well blurt it out.

“Hmmm.” Even Mrs. Chance’s sunny expression soured.

“And… well… as a result, I seem to be short of funds.”

“He took your money, didn’t he?” Mrs. Chance said.

“I’m going to get it back.” And she would, even if she had to sue his ass $and the person at the bank who let him loot their joint business account. “But for right now, I’m having what you might call a cash flow problem.”

“I can imagine you are.” Mrs. Chance didn’t have to add all the cash had flowed to Jeff. The fact that Wendy was here admitting to be penniless said it for both of them.

“There’s only one thing for you to do, then,” Mrs. Chance said. “You’ll have to win the Grand Prize in the show.”

“I’m going to need plants to do it.”

“You’ve come to the right place,” Mrs. Chance said. “I have lots of plants. Some most people aren’t even aware of.”

“I can’t pay you now.” Wendy fairly held her breath as she waited for an answer.

“Oh, pooh.” Mrs. Chance waved a dismissive hand. “You’ll pay me well enough once you’ve won the trophy and you have more jobs -- and money -- than you know what to do with.”

“My intention, for sure.” Not just to win the trophy but to wave it under Jeff’s nose to taunt him. That’d teach him to try to sink her business.

“Well, then, let’s get you started,” Mrs. Chance said. “I have plenty more cymbidiums and lots of annuals. You’ll want some rolls of grass for a lawn. We can put together a pool and fountain.”

“Wow, you really are thinking ambitiously.” The display was already planning itself in Wendy’s imagination. An enchanted waterfall surrounded by flowers with a gravel path leading past a reflecting pool.

“I have a way to guarantee you’ll win the competition.” Mrs. Chance leaned toward Wendy and gave her a wicked smile -- the sort of woman-to-woman thing that said “the bastard will be sorry he crossed us.”

“I’ve been wanting to tell you about something for a while,” Mrs. Chance said. “But I didn’t trust your partner with the knowledge.”

“I’m all ears.”

“I have a special section of my nursery for only my best customers. I guarantee you’ll find what you need there,” Mrs. Chance said. “In every sense of the word ‘need,’ if you get my drift.”

Wendy had never thought of her favorite plant lady as having ‘needs,’ if she got Mrs. Chance’s drift correctly. But the woman wasn’t all that old, and Wendy had never met a Mr. Chance.  Could she have something or someone around who provided sexual services?

No, too weird. She wouldn’t even consider it. Although Mrs. Chance’s grin had taken a seriously lecherous turn. This was just a plant nursery, right?

“You want to go around to the back. There’s a walled-in garden. Knock on the gate that says ‘positively no admittance.’ I’ll text Sage to let you in.”

“Sage?” Wendy repeated. “Like the herb?”

“More like the learned one -- a sage. Everything back there goes through him.” Mrs. Chance put her hand on Wendy’s shoulder. Conspirators again. “You’ll like Sage, and I’m sure he’ll like you.”

“All right, Mrs. C., and thanks.” Wendy turned to head off toward the back of the nursery, but Mrs. Chance held her for a moment.

“Remember,” Mrs. Chance said. “The gate marked ‘positively no admittance.’”

“Right.”



Wednesday, April 22, 2015

New raffle for May

I'll be raffling off another of my projects, a hand crocheted stole, to celebrate the release of my new story from Changeling Press, Garden of Delights.


The raffle will be announced on my e-mail newsletter on May 14.  I'll announce the winner on May 28.  To enter, you only need to be on my mailing list.  To get added, send me an e-mail at

authoralicegaines@gmail.com



Thursday, March 5, 2015

Available for pre-order: Captain and Countess from Kindle Scout

This book won the Washington Romance Writers' 2014 Marlene Award for historical romance.  It was also one of the first books selected for publication by Kindle Scout.  Needless to say, I'm rather proud of it.

http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Countess-Alice-Gaines-ebook/dp/B00RUP60TI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425591740&sr=8-2&keywords=alice+gaines

In this sensuous Regency romance, Jason, Lily, and Bess become engaged to the wrong people. 

Captain Jason Northcross desperately desires his sister, Lily, to marry into noble society. To achieve a duchy for his sister, he needs a proper marriage for himself. His status guarantees an easily achieved betrothal, and he should have no trouble selecting one of the eligible young ladies during his party in the countryside. However, distracted from his goal, he has a hard time keeping his hands off his neighbor, Lady Rushford.

The late Earl of Rushford's widow, Bess Webster, believes romance has passed her by. So why can’t she keep Captain Northcross out of her dreams? And how does he inflame passions she didn’t know she had? While she should be focused on penning novels and finding husbands for her friends, her thoughts center on broad shoulders and laughing green eyes.

Will these misaligned engagements be set straight before the final vows have been spoken?

http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Countess-Alice-Gaines-ebook/dp/B00RUP60TI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425591740&sr=8-2&keywords=alice+gaines

Also, I'm raffling off a hand-knitted cowl.

If you'd like to enter, send me an e-mail at authoralicegaines@gmail.com

Monday, March 2, 2015

Out now! Beauty Awakened

The third book in the Princess of Danislova series.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

Chapter One
The youngest prince of Danislova was as cute as a bug. And he danced like a dream. So divinely, in fact, that Dixie Anne Beaumont allowed herself to snuggle into his embrace as he guided them around the dance floor.

In her travels, Dixie usually ran in pretty exalted circles. She’d met a few nobles in her day. Most were her daddy’s age. Some had tried to let their happy hands go exploring in places on her body she didn’t appreciate—advances she’d rebuffed by suggesting they’d lose a few fingers if they kept it up. None had interested her until this one. And if she could read his signals correctly, he was interested, too.

“How long are you staying in Danislova?” he said as he managed the exact distance between them to get nice and close but not close enough for others to disapprove.

“I hadn’t given it much thought beyond serving as my friend Casey’s bridesmaid. Or I guess I should say matron.”

His eyebrows went up. “Matron, not maid?”

“I was married for a time,” she said. “The worst five years of my life.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m rid of him now.” Phil, her asshole ex, had tried to ruin Casey’s chance at happiness. Dixie had intervened to save the day, and now she’d been part of a royal wedding party. Great fun all around.

“The men in my family don’t divorce,” the prince said.

“You don’t say. That’s as good a reason to stay single as I’ve ever heard.”

He laughed and pulled her an inch or two closer. “I like the way you think.”

“I like the way you dance, Your Highness.”

The spark of masculine interest entered his blue eyes again. He’d been sending signals since she first arrived for the rehearsal dinner. After a lifetime of flirting, minus the five years with Phil, Dixie knew how to send them back. Things were moving along smoothly.

“We know each other well enough to use first names, don’t you think?” he said.

Indeed. And they’d know each other more than well before she headed home. Maybe sooner rather than later. “I’m Dixie Anne, but my friends call me Dixie.”

“Only people who don’t know me call me Your Highness,” he answered. “And only my family uses my real name, Ulrich. I’m Rick to everyone else.”

The everyone else probably included a whole lot of women. He stood tall and wore finely tailored clothes. Unlike his brothers and father, who were eye candy in their own right, Rick VonRamsberg had blond hair and blue eyes with insanely long lashes. Dimples and a mouth created for sin made him perfectly irresistible, and she had no reason to resist.

He swirled them and dipped so when they came back up, their bodies touched. Interesting.

“My father is planning to take Casey and her parents on a tour of Danislova,” he said. “Can you stay long enough to come with us?”

“No one’s invited me.”

“I’m inviting you.” His voice dropped in pitch, just enough to suggest his invitation had less to do with touring castles than touring each other.

“I don’t know. I have responsibilities at home.”

He stiffened ever so slightly. “What responsibilities?”

“My dog, for one.” Come to think of it, she probably didn’t have any other responsibility at all.

“Where’s the dog now?”

“My ex is taking care of her.” It had been Phil’s idea to get a dog, but he’d wanted something big and masculine, not a tiny mutt.

“Can he continue to keep the dog?”

“I guess.” Phil would complain. Let him.

“There, you see?”

The music stopped, but he didn’t release her for a few seconds. They stood, staring into each other’s faces, until common sense returned and she stepped back. Still, he didn’t let her go completely but curved her arm around his to lead her from the dance floor.

“Let’s find some champagne, shall we?” he said.

“Let’s do.”

Luckily, a server carrying a tray of champagne flutes stopped by, and the prince took two glasses. As he handed one to Dixie, he gave her a slight bow. All very regal and proper. The gleam in his eyes as he did it suggested he could follow up with improper behavior if given the chance. Her breath caught for a split second. He made a stunning display of masculine beauty, and for a moment her imagination went wild picturing what she’d find under the starched, white shirt. Or more importantly inside his pants. Somehow, she’d have to find a way to get beyond subtle to direct or they could end up dancing around each other for days before they got down to the nitty-gritty.

Keeping her gaze steadily on his, she tipped her glass against the one in his hand and then curled her arm around his to bring her champagne to her mouth.

His eyes widened in surprise for no more than a heartbeat, but then, he bent his own arm so he could drink as well. The action brought their faces only inches from each other, and she couldn’t help but stare as his lower lip touched the glass. He caressed it, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to look away, the scamp. It was a purely seductive move that connected to her heart and places south, excitement zinging along her nerves. Oh, my. Oh, my, oh, my.

Suddenly, the air seemed to grow hot, and she pulled back and lifted a hand to fan her face. He simply stood, smiling. He knew the effect he had on her, and he was enjoying himself. Two could play at that, and she could get a rise out of him if she tried. Literally.

She turned toward the dance floor, as if she had any interest in anyone out there. Her heartbeat continued at a rapid pace.

“You don’t resemble your brothers or your father,” she said.

“I look like my mother’s side of the family,” he said.

“You’re all handsome devils, though, aren’t you?” she said. “Even your father.”

He took a position next to her, almost touching, and also feigned an interest in the dancers. “Are you including me in that?”

“What do you think?”

“I think I’m flattered,” he answered.

“Not flattery if it’s true.”

“Shall I return the compliment?”

She glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes. “Only if it’s honest.”

“Honesty,” he said. “You’re the most beautiful woman here.”

The rapid beat of her heart became a flutter. “I don’t see how that’s possible. I mean, the bride—”

“Casey’s lovely. So are Felice and Lady Marta and any number of other women.” He turned toward her. “They aren’t you.”

“Why, sir, you take my breath away.” In times of stress and excitement, the southern part of her personality snuck out. She was certainly excited now.

He didn’t remark on the accent she still carried but smiled in a way that suggested she’d charmed him. “What shall we do to get your breath back?”

“Nothing. I like it this way.”

“You’re very direct, Miss…Dixie.” He was smiling in earnest now, his expression suggesting openness to anything she might say.

“My granny taught me to say what I mean and mean what I say,” she replied.

“Very admirable of her.”

“So, what I’m thinking is one of us should seduce the other,” she said. “I just can’t decide which.”

His eyes widened in surprise, no doubt at her directness, but then, his grin widened. “Why not make it mutual?”

“Mutual seduction.” Success. If she’d stayed around for the tour of Danislova, she would have ended up in his bed at some point. Why put off the pleasure?

“That sounds wonderful,” she said. “But we should be discreet. The whole world doesn’t need to know our business.”

“Agreed,” he said. “Later, then? I’ll come to you.”

“I’ll find you, instead.” That way, she could leave once they’d had their fun. No point getting attached to anyone because after five years of Phil Comstock she’d never get married again.

“Fine,” he said. “I’m in the family wing, near Casey and Kurt. I’ll leave my door ajar so you’ll know where I am.”

“I’ll come after the party winds down.”

“I’ll be there.”

Just then, Casey came running up to Dixie almost at top speed. She caught Dixie’s wrist. “Come on. I’m going to throw the bouquet.”

Dixie held back. “Oh, no. You’re not getting me into that crowd.”

“But you might catch it,” Casey said.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Dixie said. “I made that mistake once.”

Casey tugged in Dixie’s wrist again. “Come on.”

Rick took Dixie’s glass. “If the bride wants you to do something…”

“Rick’s right,” Casey said. “It’s my wedding. I get to order everyone around.”

“Oh, all right.” Dixie allowed Casey to pull her away from the gorgeous man she’d be having sex with later. She’d have to kill time until then, anyway. In the meantime, she’d duck if the bouquet got within ten feet of her.




Monday, February 9, 2015

Guest excerpt: Only You by Kate Kelly

A friend recommended this book to me.  It's up on Kindle Scout right now.  It looked good, so I nominated it for publication.  I thought you might be interested in reading the excerpt and voting for it, too.  Alice


Finally free of her cheating husband, Maggie Kennedy is searching for a “real man” to be a sperm donor for the baby she desperately wants, and figures cowboy country is the place to find one. She’s set her sights on JD Cooper, who fits the bill to a T. 
A famous architect, JD retreated to his brother’s ranch three years ago when personal tragedy struck. He doesn’t want a child. He doesn’t want to fall in love. And he most definitely doesn’t want to be part of Maggie’s Next Great Idea.


Maggie Kennedy has propositioned JD Cooper to one night of hot sex, and he’s trying to do the right thing by suggesting going to dinner instead. Poor guy. He doesn’t have a chance! She wants a baby, and he wants her. He doesn’t learn until later that she’s picked him as the father of her child. This is the build-up to the first time they make love. Maggie and JD have a rough emotional ride in this story. Thank goodness for happy endings!


Excerpt:

JD pulled his cowboy hat lower on his head as he settled into the low-slung seat beside Maggie. He was in for a lot of ribbing once they arrived in Cooper Creek. He hadn’t grown up in the small village that sat a few miles east of Jackson Hole, but over the years he’d met most of the town folk, and if there was one thing he knew about the locals, they liked a good laugh. Especially at someone else’s expense. Seeing him folded into this ridiculous pink car would give them fodder for months to come.
“Nice car,” he said as he maneuvered his legs in the cramped space in front of him. His knees practically came up to his chin. Wasn’t he the biggest goddamn fool who ever lived? He swore if Maggie had said Jump over the moon, he’d try his best to please her.
He glanced at her profile. He’d never met anyone like her before. As far as he could understand, she wanted to have sex with him. Not a relationship. Just sex. Was that some kind of cosmic joke? A beautiful, vibrant woman strolled into his house with a chocolate cake and said she wanted to have sex with him. She’d given him an instant hard-on, and it had been years since that had happened. Not the hard-on, but the immediacy. The urgency. He was starting to get hard right now, imagining those incredible long legs wrapped around him.
What was he doing taking her to Arnie’s, for chrissakes?
“You’re awfully quiet.” Maggie glanced over at him.
“I’m rethinking my options.”                      
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I think we should go back to my place.”
She stomped on the brake, and the car skidded to a stop. “Right now?”
“Yeah.” His nerves jangled so much, he wondered if he was glowing in the dark. “No. Damn it. Hang on a sec.”
He reached for her and pulled her toward him. His breathing eased when he pressed his mouth against hers. She tasted sweet and mysterious at the same time. He slid his tongue along her lips and inhaled her breath. He’d inhale her if he could. Her lips were so soft. And eager. As greedy as his. It had been so long. He’d dated women since his divorce, had even tried to take the relationships to the next level, but no one had come close to making him feel like this.
If he didn’t take her right now, he’d explode.
He pulled away. Welcomed the cool night air that washed over him. She’d pulled his shirt out of his jeans, and he sucked in a breath as her hands explored his stomach.
“We can’t—”
“Yes, we can.” She tried climbing over the stick shift to get to him.
He laughed and caught her hands. “No, baby. Not here in the middle of town. Let’s go home.”
Home. She really was driving him crazy. He’d never called the house home before. It had always been “the house.”
“You’re right. I guess.” She pulled her hands through her hair and looked around and laughed. She started the engine and turned the car around and gunned it back to his house. “Talk to me. Talk to me about anything but sex, or I swear we won’t make it back.”
He put his hand on the back of her neck. He needed to feel her warm skin under his fingers. Needed to feel her pulse throbbing with excitement. To get her out of her clothes and lay her on his mattress. He didn’t even have a proper bed, for God’s sake. Just a thousand dollar mattress on the floor. What was wrong with him? He was squatting in his own home.
“Why is the car pink?” He pulled the question out of the air. He didn’t want to think about why he lived the way he did. All he wanted was Maggie’s warm, silken skin against him. He wanted to be inside her. Deep inside her. Over and over again.
“My ex wanted the car as part of the divorce settlement. I bought it for him as a wedding present.”
“And?”
She shrugged. “He’s cheap, and I knew if I painted the car pink and made the seats and everything inside pink, he’d never spend the money to change it back.”
“He must have hurt you a lot.”
She downshifted as they flew up the last grade. “He got what I wanted the most, so I thought it only fair that I got something he wanted.”
“What is it you wanted?” He knew he shouldn’t ask. It was far too personal and didn’t have anything to do with him and Maggie. He wanted to keep things light with her. Not get too involved. Maggie wasn’t going to be here for long. He might not be, either, but then again, he might.
She parked the car and smiled sadly at him as they sat in the dark listening to the ticking of the engine cooling. “It doesn’t matter anymore. What does matter is whether I’m going to get what I want tonight.”  
“That I can deliver on.” 


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Monday, February 2, 2015

New release: The Glass Slipper

The second book in The Princes of Danislova series


Chapter One
Getting dumped ought to hurt more. Poets wrote about lost love, pining away as if the world would stop turning on its axis. Half the popular songs Kurt VonRamsberg knew were about the one who got away. People became obsessed with their ex’s. Late night phone calls, orgies of liquor and tears. Restraining orders. They were the stuff of a lover cast aside. And he couldn’t muster more than a sense of regret as he walked the few blocks from his apartment building to his office at the UN. What kind of future husband did that make him to care so little?
Kurt had built his life around three things – service to his country, his family, and the woman who’d give him his very own family to continue the traditions his father had taught him. He’d just lost number three, and he ought to be teetering like a stool missing a leg. He ought to be mourning the loss of Ilsa’s kisses or planning some way to get her back. Maybe she’d had it right when she’d written that his passions didn’t run very deep.
A car horn blared, pulling him back to reality. For the love of God, he’d almost stepped into First Avenue without looking.
“Mister, you’ll get yourself killed,” a man called.
Kurt didn’t look back to find him. Embarrassing enough he’d almost stepped in front of that cab without having to face witnesses. He waited for the light to change and crossed the street more carefully.
He could have had his driver take him to the UN as he usually did, but walking helped him clear his mind. And this was one of those mornings when you couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful than Manhattan in the spring. It would cheer him up if he were heartbroken. But damn it all, he couldn’t figure out what he was. A failure, perhaps. He’d had the perfect woman for a prince of Danislova. Beautiful, cultured, royal in her own right. They got along. By all indications, they’d suit well in bed. And he’d failed to hold her interest.
“My dear Kurt,” he recited the letter in his head. On stationery, through the international mail, not over the computer. Cultured. “I hate to hurt you, blah, blah, blah. You’re a sweet man, and you deserve a woman who can love you blah, blah, blah.”
What man wanted women to think of him as sweet? No one he knew. At least, Ilsa didn’t seem familiar with the American kiss of death – I love you but I’m not in love with you – or she might have thrown that in, too.
As he continued, the sun warmed his shoulders, and the scents of spring seeped into his brain, turning his thoughts into oatmeal. Bland but nutritious for the most part, but occasionally he’d stumble across a raisin – something substantial to gnaw on. He ought to want Ilsa, or at the very least, he ought to think about dating someone who could fit the role of princess. But to be perfectly honest, the only thing bubbling up inside him was relief. Relief that he’d failed?
“As much as I adore your father,” Ilsa’s letter continued. Of course. All women adored his father. No woman would ever tell Friedrich VonRamsberg, the Prince Royal, she loved him but she wasn’t in love with him. Kurt even looked like the old man, or he would when his hair turned white. But where Friedrich was commanding and alluring, even in his sixties, Kurt was solid and reliable.
Solid and reliable. Sweet. He stopped in his tracks in the lush garden in front of the vintage apartment building on 42nd Street. For a moment, his feet seemed nailed to the pavement. Before him stood the UN and his work. This morning’s meeting with the Minister for Eastern European Rural Development. A dispute about goats no one else seemed able to settle except for good-old, dependable Kurt. Behind him waited his apartment. Luxurious but neat and ordered, just like the rest of his life. Going back there wouldn’t solve anything, either. What the hell was he doing with his life? Did he even have a life? And was he going to stand in the middle of one of the most expensive parts of Manhattan and have a mid-life crisis? Would anyone notice?
He ended up so caught up in mental self-flagellation he didn’t notice the woman approach until she had her hand on his arm.
Instinctively, he pulled back. “I beg your pardon.”
“You’re late,” she said. “And you’re going to get me in a lot of trouble.”
“I? I don’t even know you, madam.” She was hardly a madam but more like a miss, and a young one at that. The top of her head scarcely came up to his nose, but her grip remained firm as she stared at him out of eyes almost as dark blue as sapphires. Barely restrained at the nape of her neck, sable curls spilled down her back, making a contrast with pale skin. Pale except for her cheeks, which were flushed with excitement or, more likely, irritation.
“You don’t have to be in character,” she said. “You just have to be inside.”
“Character?”
She paid no attention to his objections as she tugged on his arm, leading into the apartment building. “I have one of the city’s most expensive photographers and another model waiting for you. My ass is going to be grass if we don’t get some good shots.”
“Grass?” She had said that her ass, or arse as the case might be, would be grass, hadn’t she? Well now, he couldn’t very well let that happen. Especially because the arse in question looked like a nice one, based on the few quick glances he’d managed. And who was he to keep an expensive photographer and model waiting for him? Of course, none of this could possibly have anything to do with him. She must have mistaken him for someone else, but…sure. If he could help her out for a few minutes, the escapade could help fill the urges he’d been having lately to do something just for the hell of it.
She nearly dragged him toward the elevators, with the receptionists at the front desk looking on as if they witnessed this sort of scene every day.
“You’re in the wrong costume, do you know that?” she said as she continued, pulling him along through the marble and brass reception area.
He flatly refused to repeat the word costume just because it didn’t make any more sense than being in character or having one’s ass turn into grass. When the elevator doors whished closed behind them, she crossed her arms over her chest and studied him. “We’ll find something for you to wear.”
“For my character,” he said.
“Exactly.”
“Dare I ask what that might be?” he said.
“Gumshoe.”
Right. Gumshoe. That explained absolutely nothing, but who cared? This didn’t have to make sense. He’d help her out, and he’d only be a few minutes late for his meeting. Somehow, assuming the character of a gumshoe to keep her ass from turning into grass held more promise than a meeting on a warm, spring morning like this.
“Here we are,” she declared when the elevator doors opened.
“Right you are.”
Still holding his arm, she paused. “You’re not American, are you?”
“Sorry, no.”
“Not English, either. You have a different accent.”
“German,” he lied. If he mentioned Danislova, she might recognize him. If he was to give a performance as a gumshoe, whatever that was, he’d best do it incognito.
“That’s okay. No one has to listen to you.” The elevator doors threatened to close, but she stuck her hand out to keep them open. “Hurry up.”
Now committed to whatever she had in mind for him, he followed her down the hallway to a pair of double doors. She pulled a key from the pocket of her slacks and opened one. It let them into a living room with a view of the river. She only gave him a glimpse of plush carpets and modern furniture before she led him to another room full of exercise equipment.
At one end of the space, a sheet hung from some scaffolding. A man waited there with a camera slung around his neck. Nearby on one of the machines, a woman sat, dangling one leg over the other, her foot wagging with impatience. She wore several layers of makeup, and her clothes hugged her slender hips and artificially large breasts. What passed for beauty these days, at least in magazines.
“We have our hero,” his young woman said. “We can get started.”
The man with the camera checked his watch. “It’s half past.”
“You only paid me for an hour,” the model said.
The young woman held her hands up as if to keep them where they were. “We’ll get it done. I promise. No more screw-ups.”
“What do you want me to do?” Kurt said.
“Get changed, of course,” the young woman answered. “You’re not supposed to be a CEO or international financier.”
“Right here? In front of everyone?” Not that he’d do that, of course. Escaping the Minister for Eastern European Rural Development was one thing, but his cooperation did have limits.
She pointed toward a corner of the room where a screen stood with female clothes draped over it. No doubt where the model had changed into her costume.
“I see,” he said.
The young woman sighed. “Why do the pretty ones have heads full of Styrofoam?”
He could have stood there contemplating the fact that she thought he was empty-headed or the even more interesting fact that she found him pretty, but all three of them were staring at him. Waiting for him to change his clothes, no doubt. So, he went behind the screen and glanced around for what he was supposed to wear. He only found feminine things, and he’d no more try fitting into that than he’d undress in front of the rest of them.
He hesitated for a moment before asking what he was supposed to change into. As pleasant as the pretty comment had been, he didn’t particularly relish having to listen to another one about his head being filled with plastic.
After a moment, a hand snaked around the screen, holding a pair of pants and a shirt. He grabbed her arm and pulled the young woman to him. Her eyes widened until she noticed he hadn’t undressed.
“More questions?” she asked.
“What’s your name?”
“Casey. What’s yours?”
“Kurt,” he answered.
“Nice. Now get dressed,” she ordered as she stepped back around the screen.
He obliged, folding his clothing as carefully as possible and setting it into a pile on the floor. He quickly put on his costume and had just sat on the floor to put his socks and shoes back on when an irritated huff came from the other side of the screen.
“We aren’t getting any younger out here,” Casey called.
“Just putting on my shoes.”
“We’re not going to be taking pictures of your feet,” she called back.
“Right.” He rose and walked barefoot around the screen. He almost collided with Casey on the other side.
She stepped back and let her gaze wander over him. “Not bad.”
“The pants are tight.”
She said nothing but gave him a look that had “Styrofoam” written all over it. Then she reached for the buttons of his shirt and began undoing them.
“Wait.” He covered her hands with his own. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Exposing your chest, of course. How long have you been in this business?”
With no idea what business she was referring to, he had no way to answer that. But she probably hadn’t really expected a reply, so he dropped his hands and let her continue. With his shirt only. If she went for his pants, he’d let her know exactly who she was dealing with and end the whole charade.
She stopped just north of his belt and for a moment did nothing but stare at him, her head cocked to one side. The air thickened around them as her hand came up in slow motion and she pressed her palm to the place just over his heart. She had small fingers, although by now, he knew their strength. They felt warm against his skin. Some devil inside him made him lift his own hand and cover hers, squeezing gently. As natural as if he’d done this dozens of times before or planned to do it for a long, long time.
Finally, a throat cleared. The camera man snapped a few pictures and then pointedly stared at his watch. The model, on the other hand, seemed almost as intent on studying his chest as Casey was. Though he was certainly no stranger to what went on between men and women, all this female adoration was something new and slightly intoxicating, especially when it came so freely from the little dynamo standing so close he could detect the scent of shampoo in her hair.
“Can we take a picture now?” the camera man asked. “Please?”
Casey dropped her hand and gave him a sheepish smile. “You know what to do?”
Under the circumstances, honesty seemed like the best policy. “No.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll make it up as we go along.”
“Delightful,” he said. “Now, if you’ll explain what a gumshoe is…”
The camera man groaned.
Casey turned toward the man. “He’s not American, okay?”
“I hope they take pictures wherever he comes from,” the man said.
“He’ll be fine. Just give me a second,” Casey said.
“Well, I’m outta here in a couple,” the model said. “You only paid for an hour.”
“It’s very simple.” Casey put her hands on his shoulders and looked up at him. This close, she had to tip her head upward, and for a mini-second, she appeared to be asking for a kiss. Kurt had to mentally shake the idea out of his mind, but it wasn’t easy. He hadn’t notice before that freckles adorned her nose. Five of them exactly. And her blue eyes seemed to have golden highlights.
“You’re a private detective,” she said. “You spend your days chasing down the ugly underside of life. It’s made you hard to the world.”
“I see.” He squinted in imitation of a Hollywood actor who played a tough guy.
“Uh, maybe not that hard,” she said. “Just try for intensity.”
“Could we try for a picture instead?” the camera man said.
“Sure, sure.” Casey waved her hand in the general direction of the camera man. “This woman has hired you to do something especially seedy, but you’re going to make her pay a special price first.”
Across the room, the model stepped in front of the sheet. She struck a saucy pose, her hands on her hips. Her blouse open far enough to expose the black lace of her bra, she stood there, waiting for him to complete the scene.
“Okay, go get her, tiger.” Casey clapped him on the shoulder and then nudged him in the direction of the model.
When Kurt joined the model in front of the camera, she immediately stepped into his embrace. To make things even more provocative, she tipped her head back in a pose that showcased the length of her neck and pulled her bosom away from his chest so the camera could catch some cleavage. Casey had told him to try for intensity, so he did his best to smolder, staring at a spot above her collarbone.
“Well, shit,” the cameraman said. “That’s about as sexy as my aunt’s canasta parties.”
“I know.” Casey joined them and placed her hand on the back of Kurt’s head to bend it toward the model. “Kiss her neck.”
“He’s a detective, not a vampire,” the cameraman said.
“Try it,” Casey said.
Kurt bent closer to the model. Now with his face only inches from her skin the scent of her make-up and hairspray was overpowering. He pulled back but not in time to keep him from sneezing. Twice.
“That does it.” The model stepped away from him. “Your time’s up. I’m tail lights.”
“No, please.” Casey reached for the woman’s arm, but the model avoided her and went behind the screen. Pieces of clothing disappeared, one at a time, from where they’d been hanging, and after a moment, the model re-emerged with a large bag draped over her shoulder. Bits of fabric stuck out of the top as the woman walked out.
Casey turned toward the cameraman. “You have to stay. I need to finish this, or I could lose my job.”
Damn. That explained the ass being grass remark. Whoever was supposed to serve as the male character had failed her completely by not showing up, and Kurt hadn’t done a lot better with his miserable performance. At least he’d tried, even if he’d been a disaster.
“You want me to take solo pictures of him?” The cameraman gestured with his head toward Kurt.
“No,” Casey said. “I need to get another female.”
“I’m not sticking around for that,” the cameraman said. “It took long enough to get him here.”
“All right, we will all remain calm.” She rubbed her forehead as if trying to ward off a headache. “I’m a female. I’ll pose with him.”
“You?” the camera man said. “You’re not even made up.”
“You can cut out my head and insert the model’s, right?” Casey said.
“If you want to look like Frankenstein,” the man said. “All stitched together.”
“It’s my only hope, and you have to do it. Raven Publishing paid you a lot of money,” Casey said.
“Sure, why not?” The cameraman threw his hands into the air in frustration. “Knock yourself out.”
She unbuttoned her blouse…not quite as far as the model had but enough to show the swell of small but firm breasts. Then she pulled the clip that held her hair in place, dropped it to the floor, and shook out her curls. A waterfall of sable fell around her face and graced the length of her throat. The warm brown contrasted with her pale skin, drawing his gaze downward.
Before he knew what was happening, she’d pressed herself against him from his pelvis to his chest. In contrast to the nothing-but-bones body of the model, Casey felt soft everywhere. Exactly the way a woman should melt against a man, and his man’s anatomy responded in a very predictable, if embarrassing, manner.
He might be a prince and an ambassador to the UN, bound by courtesy and protocol, but he was also human. He hadn’t become so fully erect so quickly since his youth, but within seconds he’d reached a state that would normally lead to lovemaking.
Casey’s eyes widened as she gazed up at him. She’d noticed his hardness. She couldn’t have missed it, snuggled up against him as she was. She didn’t say anything, but her lips parted. The model had pretended an invitation. Casey meant it, and he couldn’t help but bend toward her, seeking a taste of her mouth.
“That’s hot,” the cameraman said as he clicked away. “Give me more.”
Kurt shook himself mentally. For a moment, he’d lost track of reality. He’d only just met this woman and knew nothing about her but her first name. Even if they hadn’t had a witness, he couldn’t kiss her less than an hour after meeting her. And they did have an audience. He shouldn’t have reacted this way, and he shouldn’t want nothing more than to strip her slowly and guide them both to the carpet so he could sink into her.
She gave him a hazy smile, full of sin and seduction. It set his heart to racing. The click of the camera grew constant so that he hardly noticed it any longer. He had a woman in his arms, soft in all the right places and as excited by the situation as he was.
“You two are dynamite together,” the cameraman said. “Smoking hot.”
“Let me try something else.” Casey stretched backward as the model had before. This time, the pose made sense…a woman offering her neck to her lover in hopes of a caress. Her skin had a rosy hue to it, and her pulse beat visibly at the base of her throat. This time when he bent toward the woman in his arms, he encountered the pleasant scent of shampoo he‘d noticed before.
“Hold it right there,” the cameraman shouted. “Don’t kiss her. Just anticipate. That’s it…hold it…hold it…”
As soon as the man told Kurt not to kiss her, the need to do exactly that consumed him. He paused, his lips an inch away from her soft skin, her curls brushing his nose. One more movement, and he could taste her. Instead he had to hold himself away. So unnatural. He should place caress after caress along a path up to her ear, and he would…if only that man would disappear and take his clacking camera with him.
She made no secret that she felt the same way he did. She trembled in his embrace, and her breath grew unsteady. In a moment, he could have her moaning. Soon after that, he could hear her gasps and finally the cry that signaled her satisfaction. If only he were free to do what his body demanded.
In the end, his willpower deserted him. He had to kiss her, or the lost opportunity would haunt his dreams. He closed the distance and pressed his lips to the place where her pulse raced. Now her perfume surrounded him, fogging his brain for anything but her. When she let out a soft gasp, he continued upward caressing her neck up to her ear.
Abruptly, she pulled back, holding his face between her hands. “Do you have what you need now?”
“Need?” Kurt repeated.
“I meant Joe,” she said. “The guy taking pictures.”
“Do I ever,” Joe said. “There should be at least eight or ten shots we can use.”
“Well then…” she said.
“Right.” Joe grinned. “I get the message.”
Whatever message the man had received, it helped him to gather up his lenses and pack them in a case quickly. A moment after that, Joe left. Kurt was alone with his arms around a woman who obviously had the power to make him more than a little crazy.
“You’re something else, Kurt,” she said.
She was right. Something else or someone else. He’d started out the day his normal, predictable self. Now he found himself locked in an embrace with a perfect stranger, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Because that stranger was smiling and not stepping out of that embrace, he could show her just how perfect she was. He did that by kissing her again. Not a press of his lips against her neck, but a total possession of her mouth. The word “sweet” exploded at the back of his brain as he nibbled, and stroked, and sucked.
He’d had as much sexual experience as most men and rather more than some, but none of that prepared him for the power of his response to her. Even with her short stature, they fit together perfectly. Her softness welcomed him everywhere, especially where his stiff member pressed against her belly.
For her part, she seemed as caught up in the passion of the moment as he was. She clung to his neck as she parted her lips under his, and her tongue darted out to make explorations. When he touched it with his own, a shock traveled through him. Hot and strong, it sent a clear message—stop here or continue to the end.
No. He didn’t know this woman. He didn’t have any protection. Though his body craved the ultimate with a hunger that shook him to his bones, his mind had to win out. He gently took her shoulders and put her away from him. Not far. Just enough to say “no more.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never lose control like that.”
“Never?” She ran her tongue over her lips as if to taste him there. The gesture almost snapped his tenuous hold on sanity, so he closed his eyes for a moment and took even breaths.
He searched through his lust-addled brain for an honest answer to her question. Had a woman ever moved him so completely with no more than a kiss? “Never.”
“I think I’m flattered.”
“I’m relieved.” He’d take flattered over angry at his forwardness. He really had pressed the kiss too far.
“You thought I’d be offended?” Her blue eyes held the twinkle of a woman who knows she has a man at a disadvantage. “They must do things differently in Germany.”
The reference to Germany shook him for a second. But then, he’d told her he was German to explain his accent. “I assure you men don’t take advantage of women in my country.”
“I can slap your face, if you like, but it’s really not that big a deal.” She bit her lip, and the gleam in her eye turned positively wicked. “On the other hand, something was a big deal, wasn’t it?”
Lieber Gott.” His cheeks burned. He’d be blushing so brightly she’d have to notice.
“Hey, look, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
In the outer room—the living room they’d walked through—a door closed.
“Casey?” a man’s voice called. “Casey, where are you?”
She flinched. “Shit, you have to get out of here.”
He just stopped himself before he said “Lieber Gott” again, this time shouting. “That’s your husband? We’ve been standing here, doing…this…when you have a husband?”
“My boss, and he can’t catch you here.” She went to the door, opened it, and stuck her head around the side. “I’m exercising, Phil. I’ll be out in a bit.”
“At this hour? You’re supposed to be working on my blog tour,” the man’s voice called back.
“I had to get my heart rate up, get the old juices flowing,” she said. “I’m really sweaty. Don’t come in.”
“All right. I’ll be in the library. Ten minutes, Casey. I mean it,” Phil said.
“Ten minutes. No problem.” She waited for a while and then let out a breath. “He’s gone. Out the back way. Hurry.”
She once again grabbed him by the arm and started to lead him somewhere, but he hung back. “My clothes.”
“Okay, but hurry up, will you?”
He’d barely gone behind the screen and grabbed his things before she reached for his arm again and pulled him out the door and into a short corridor. That ended in a huge, state-of-the-art kitchen. He hardly had time to admire many hundreds of dollars worth of copper pots and pans hanging over a butcher-block work table before she propelled him toward another door.
“Why do I have to hide from your boss?” he said.
“If you knew Phil, you wouldn’t ask. He’s going to want to bite the head off everyone involved in that cover shoot.”
Kurt dug in his heels, jerking her to a stop. “That includes you.”
“I get my head bitten off at least once I week.”
“Then why do you work for him?” Kurt demanded.
“No time to explain.” She released him and opened the door to reveal a hallway of the kind servants used so as not to disturb their employers. “You have to leave.”
He stood his ground. “How will I see you again?”
“I don’t know…um…”
“I can come back here when you finish work,” he said.
“No. ” She put up both hands as if to warn him off. “Not here.”
“Then where?” If he could pursue a more rational relationship with her, he might rightfully enjoy more of those kisses and follow them to their logical conclusion. He might be old world and cautious in how he approached affairs of the heart—at least he had been in the past—but he wasn’t foolish enough to throw away the promise of their embrace.
“I’ll give you my phone number.” He fumbled with the suit draped over his arm and found the pocket of his jacket. After pulling out his pen, he reached for a business card. He couldn’t use that, though, without revealing his status as prince of Danislova and United Nations ambassador. “Do you have a piece of paper?”
“Reams of it,” she said. “In the other room. With Phil.”
He handed her his pen and continued fumbling.
“Give me your hand,” she said.
“My hand?”
“Just do it.”
He did as she ordered and she pressed the pen to his palm. After a moment, she’d written her phone number on his skin. “There you go. Now, you really have to leave.”
With that, she pushed him out the door and closed it behind him. Prince Kurt Wilhelm Richard VonRamsberg, third in line to the throne of Danislova, found himself standing in a servants’ corridor wearing too-tight pants and a shirt open to his waist, his own clothes tangled in his arms and a young woman’s phone number scrawled on his palm.
For the love of God, what had just happened to him?