Bethany Munro was once madly in love with dashing Ian Rockwell. Then Ian left on a mission for the crown, and Bethany was forced to put her heart aside...until one glittering night when she spies him across a crowded ballroom, and the feelings she once felt come rushing back. But she has her secrets...

...and so does he. Sir Ian Rockwell has led a dangerous life and is now a suspect in a crime he did not commit. He never imagined the naive girl he knew so long ago could be the beauty standing before him now or that she could help prove his innocence. But in a world of glamour and intrigue where nothing is as it seems, their perilous game of seduction soon turns into a night of sin, a night where they both discover the only thing more dangerous than passion is falling love.

Cedere al Peccato...

Bethany Munro era una volta pazzamente innamorata dell'affascinante Ian Rockwell. Poi Ian se ne è andato in missione per la corona e Bethany è stata costretta a mettere il suo cuore da parte… fino ad una notte scintillante quando lo intravede attraverso una sala da ballo affollata ed i sentimenti che aveva una volta ritornano più forti che mai. Ma lei ha i suoi segreti…

… e così lui. Sir Ian Rockwell ha condotto una vita pericolosa ed è ora sospettato di un crimine che non ha commesso. Non avrebbe mai immaginato che la ragazza ingenua che conosceva così tanto tempo fa potesse essere la bellezza che stava in piedi di fronte a lui ora o che lei potesse aiutarlo a dimostrare la sua innocenza. Ma in un mondo di fascino e intrigo dove niente è quello che sembra, il loro gioco pericoloso di seduzione presto si trasformerà in una notte di peccato, una notte dove entrambi scoprono che l'unica cosa più pericolosa della passione è innamorarsi.

Excerpt: First scene

England / Inghilterra

For Bethany Munro, gaiety and frivolity ended the moment Ian Rockwell walked through the arched doorway.

As if the winter snowstorm outside had swept into the glittering ballroom, a stir of cool, speculative whispers preceded him, reaching those finding respite at the sumptuous buffet table in the back of the crowded room. A scandal in black, his broad shoulders shaped by an elegantly cut evening jacket, he walked with physical grace, a quick dimpled smile and that at promise of sin prevalent in his eyes--a gaze reserved solely for the woman on his arm.

Champagne flute arrested against her lips, she found her breathing constricted by a tightly laced corset. Since venturing from secluded country life two years ago, she had learned quickly enough the world was rife with temptation. It surrounded her, taunted her. Yet she had never been tempted, for the carnal fantasy of only one man haunted her from the past and seemed to frame her future.

But now here he was with the beautiful widowed Countess Dermott draped on his arm, the one man who had ruined all other men for her, cordially greeting their host, casually stepping back into her life even as he did not know it yet. She watched as he moved with a smooth urbanity, stopping occasionally to speak with people as he worked his way across the room, a man comfortable amidst the aristocratic glamour of his wealthy surroundings.

Bethany had not seen Ian in three years, and she had never expected to see him again. Her blond hair perfectly coiffed; her blue azure silk and tulle gown nothing more than another jewel amid a sea of rainbow-colored attire. She wondered, if he would recognize her in the crowd, then her growing apprehension usurped the initial warmth she’d felt--because he was really here at Whitley Court, a very dangerous place for them both, and the last place in the world she wanted to encounter him.

Her awareness of him became so palpable that it seemed to stretch taut across the distance separating them. Her heartbeat raced. She suddenly wanted to slip from the ballroom. Did she dare? But as she considered the question, he suddenly looked across the ballroom directly at her.

She froze as rigid as the naked mermaid ice sculptures to her left and right. His eyes touched and held her, only the merest hesitation in his sensual features, his face dark and intent. Then the woman on his arm spoke to him and, just that quickly, the contact shattered.

He bent his leonine head to listen, his mouth widening into an easy smile, his handsome face taking on a boyish cast in the warm glow of lamplight reflected in the golden tissue-draped walls and ceiling of the ballroom--all as if the last ten seconds had not occurred, as if Bethany had only imagined the touch of green fire in his eyes when they’d fallen on her.

Ian Rockwell had barely noticed she was alive.

Bethany felt a stab in her chest, yet despite herself, she made herself stand straight and tall and wrapped herself in cool composure as if she had never laid her heart at his feet and he had walked away.

Charlene giggled close to her ear. The tip of her crimson lace fan strategically placed at her chin shut Bethany’s mouth. “Don’t bother lusting after him, oh friend of mine,” she whispered. Bethany and Charlene Dubois, her host’s daughter, had met at England’s Academic Conservatory for Young Ladies two years ago. “As you can see, my Aunt Serena has taken Sir Ian off the market.”

Bethany was astounded by an unfamiliar timidity and the growing tightness in her chest. Had he been a “Sir” when she had known him? “I have no idea of whom you are speaking,” she replied, snapping open her own fan.

As the orchestra opened another waltz, the final set for the evening, Ian escorted the exotic Countess Dermott onto the floor. He seemed to tower over the dark-haired beauty. She was not tall, so perhaps every man around her looked that much taller.

“Yes, you do.” Charlene laughed, the movement setting fire to the diamond necklace that lay atop the pale shelf of her ample bosom. “He is quite wealthy, rich as Croesus they say,” she added coyly. “My Aunt met him a few months ago at the home of a mutual acquaintance. It would be a coup for Papa if Sir Ian should decide to join our organization. The Rockwells are an established family.”

“Are they?”

Charlene giggled, as if Bethany should already be privy to such local details when, in reality she’d only arrived at Charlene’s home from the conservatory two weeks ago. “His family has resided in these parts since the Vikings dominated this countryside. He is a bachelor again. His wife passed away some years ago.”

Wife? Bethany’s heartbeat stumbled. “He was married? When?”

“Three or four years ago.” Charlene waved her plump hand dismissively as she turned her focus to the banquet table. “Some whirlwind courtship and wedding that ended tragically. No one really knows what happened.” She examined the creamed salmon and cucumber hors d’oeuvres with the eye of a connoisseur. “Do you want one?”

Bethany shook her head, a sudden queasiness overtaking her. She wasn’t feeling her best.

Charlene plopped the cucumber wedge between her lips. “Sir Ian wasn’t married long enough for him to bring his wife home. In fact, the prodigal son only just returned this fall. He has been somewhat reclusive. Papa must have included him at the last moment. He isn’t on the guest list.” Charlene turned the topic to the group of Italian gentlemen currently approaching from the other end of the buffet table

Outside the large windows, huge snow flakes had begun to crystallize against the glass as the storm sweeping off the North Sea began to blanket the provincial estate in white. But inside, the air was clement, nearly hot. Drink and food were liberally proffered to guests. Couples filled the dance floor. Bethany sighed. Ian had been married and widowed since she’d fallen in love with him those years ago.

As a handsome Italian count requested her hand in the waltz, she forced a smile, accepting his invitation to dance as if she were an actress stepping into the part of a grand play. She danced with an exuberance and a passion that extended to every corner of her life. Indeed, she never did anything halfway. The world was her oyster and she was its pearl, she’d always told herself, many times, as if saying it often enough would make her believe it was true. Perhaps that had been her greatest fault. She put too much of herself into the act of living. People were always telling her she worked too hard at making others see her, and now, when all she wanted was to disappear into the tiny cracks in the floor, she felt as if a huge ball of light were shining down on her, revealing her most embarrassing flaws.

“You are here for the two weeks?” her partner asked, sweeping her in a majestic circle to the flowing strains of music.

The fragrance of his flowery cologne surrounded her in an altogether unpleasant way, but she presented him with a distracted smile. “Yes. And you?” she asked, despite knowing he was. She’d seen the exclusive invitation list and knew exactly who was invited to this event, which was why Ian’s presence had caught her off her guard.

The count followed with a chat about the weather and other mundane topics that did not require her full attention and enabled her to catch glimpses of Ian and the countess. “Yellow,” the man said after another turn.

Yellow? She pulled herself out of her thoughts.

“I have seen you in London recently,” he said. “Some weeks ago, I believe. You were wearing yellow.”

Something in his tone cooled her. “I haven’t been to London in months.”

“No?” He leaned back and considered her. “I am sure I saw you there. But I cannot put my finger on where.”

She threw herself into the waltz, a fact noted by her partner for he pulled her nearer.

“And as I said, sir. You are mistaken. Miss Dubois and I were still at the conservatory where we both lived until the break two weeks ago.”

“You are good friends with Lord Whitley’s daughter?”

“We attend university together. Her father sponsors the science curriculum at the conservatory.”

“Ah, an enlightened woman,” he said, his dark eyes intent on her face. “It is odd to me that I should find a woman with your, um, assets...unmarried.”

“My assets?” She feigned ignorance. “I am hardly wealthy. Certainly not as you are, sir.”

Pleased with her flattery, he tightened his hold. “You are very beautiful, Signorina Munro.”

Bethany traveled alone with her maid, and some men erroneously considered her easy pickings. She spent the rest of the dance fending off the loquacious count, as he seemed bent on seducing her. She suddenly wanted out of this room. She stepped on the man’s polished shoes nearly causing him to trip, her usual glib riposte hidden in her apologetic smile. Oaf, she thought, and couldn’t care less if this foreign lothario thought her ungainly and gauche.

The music concluded in a resounding crash of cymbals. The man, limping, escorted Bethany off the floor back to the buffet table, with a flourish typical of every Italian she had ever met, bowed over her gloved hand and quickly made his escape. Snapping open her fan, she watched him move into the crush exiting the floor. Her eyes suddenly froze on the couple standing just at the edge of the dance floor. Her pulse halted.

Bethany had stopped searching for Ian. Now without any effort at all, she stood less than thirty feet from him, his tall form easily recognizable in the crowd. Her gaze rose from the white-gloved hand intimately splayed on the woman’s small waist ...and collided with his eyes.

Her breath shuddered to a complete halt. Ian was watching her over Countess Dermott’s diamond- sprinkled hair, his expression now devoid of polite mask as he raised a glass of wine to his lips and sipped.

Bethany did not imagine the touch of green fire in his gaze, assessing her, closing the distance between them, melting the years as if they were no longer part of the past. She felt that touch deep within her like a bruise on bone.

They each looked away from the other at the same time. And, despite the initial shock and illogic of her response, she felt something else, something familiar and very much alive. Something that made her a little afraid. He not only knew who she was, but he was not pleased to see her--anymore than she had been to see him.

She relaxed a little as another man stepped forward to claim her hand for the next waltz, until she saw who it was.

Lord Whitley’s secretary and bodyguard, Sir John Howard, stood in front of her. If there was any man present tonight that made her sick to her stomach, this was he.

Dressed much as Ian was in a formal jacket with tails, he might have been dashing if Bethany had a penchant for older, slippery men who took advantage of younger women. “Miss Munro,” he said. “I believe I am on your dance card.”

She had no dance card and didn’t pretend to be polite. He’d been watching her, she realized, and not in the way one watches a woman he wishes to seduce. “My feet ache, Sir John. I have finished waltzing for the night.”

She sidestepped him but he moved to block her exit, casually reaching across her for a chocolate strawberry on the table. “I see you have taken note of the countess’s latest lover.” He bit into the sweet fruit.

It was never a good sign to come under Sir John’s scrutiny, and, while his words bore a hint of indifference, his eyes continued to study her. His conversation bothered her. Not because the exchange was highly inappropriate, but because he had discovered her uncertainty with such ease and would make her the insect in his petri dish.

“You believe they are not?” he asked.

She fixed her gaze on Sir John’s face. “Why would I take note of anyone Countess Dermott considers her lover?”

Why would it matter to him what he thought?

“I see I have made you uncomfortable,” he conceded.

She smiled. “Not at all, Sir John.”

Uncomfortable was too mild a response for a man she suspected of being a cold-blooded murderer. Without excusing herself, she swept past him and let herself vanish into the crowd.

Per Bethany Munro, il gioia e frivolezza sono finite nel momento in cui Ian Rockwell è entrato attraverso la porta ad arco.

Come se la tempesta di neve invernale all'esterno avesse spazzato la sala da ballo luccicante, un mulinello di bisbigli freddi e speculativi lo aveva preceduto, raggiungendo quelli che cercavano sollievo alla sontuosa tavola del buffet nella parte posteriore della stanza affollata. Uno scandalo in nero, le sue ampie spalle messe in risalto da una giacca da sera dal taglio elegante, camminò aggraziatamente, un sorriso veloce che formava delle fossette sul suo volto e quella promessa di peccato nei suoi occhi - uno sguardo fisso riservato solamente alla donna al suo braccio.

Il bicchiere di champagne che si bloccava contro le sue labbra, scoprì che il suo respiro era costretto da un corsetto di merletto allacciato strettamente. Da quando si era avventurata lontana dalla vita reclusa di paese due anni fa, aveva imparato abbastanza rapidamente che il mondo era pieno di tentazioni. La circondavano, schernendola. Tuttavia lei non era mai stata tentata, dato che la fantasia carnale per un unico uomo la perseguitava dal passato e sembrava incorniciare il suo futuro.

Ma ora lui era qui con la bella vedova Contessa Dermott abbarbicata al suo braccio, l'unico uomo che aveva rovinato tutti gli altri uomini per lei, che cordialmente salutava il loro ospite, facendo un passo con indifferenza nuovamente dentro la sua vita proprio come se non lo sapesse ancora. Lei lo guardò mentre si muoveva con una cortesia affabile, smettendo occasionalmente di parlare con la gente mentre si faceva strada attraverso la stanza, un uomo a suo agio in mezzo al fascino aristocratico dei suoi ricchi vicini.

Bethany non aveva visto Ian da tre anni e non aveva mai pensato di rivederlo. I suoi capelli biondi perfettamente acconciati; il suo abito di seta azzurra e tulle nient'altro che un altro gioiello in mezzo ad un mare di abbigliamenti del colore dell'arcobaleno. Si domandò, se lui l'avrebbe riconosciuta nella folla, poi la sua apprensione crescente usurpò il calore iniziale che aveva provato - perché lui era realmente qui a Whitley Court, un posto molto pericoloso per entrambi e l'ultimo posto al mondo in cui lei desiderasse incontrarlo.

La sua consapevolezza di lui diventò così palpabile che sembrava allungarsi attraverso la distanza che li separava. Il suo battito cardiaco si accelerò. Desiderava improvvisamente uscire furtivamente dalla sala da ballo. Avrebbe osato? Ma mentre considerava la domanda, lui improvvisamente guardò attraverso la sala da ballo direttamente verso di lei.

Si impietrì come le sculture di ghiaccio nude delle sirene alla sua destra e sinistra. I suoi occhi la toccarono e imprigionarono, soltanto una leggera esitazione nei suoi lineamenti sensuali, il suo volto tenebroso e intento. Poi la donna al suo braccio gli parlò e, altrettanto rapidamente, il contatto si frantumò.

Piegò la sua testa leonina per ascoltare, la sua bocca che si allargava in un sorriso leggero, il suo volto affascinante che assumeva un abbozzo fanciullesco nel caldo riverbero della luce delle lampade riflessa nelle pareti tappezzate e nel soffitto della sala da ballo - tutto come se gli ultimi dieci secondi non ci fossero stati, come se Bethany avesse solo immaginato il tocco di fuoco verde nei suoi occhi quando si erano posati su di lei.

Ian Rockwell aveva notato a mala pena che lei era viva.

Bethany sentì una stretta al petto, tuttavia malgrado sè, si obbligò a rimanere in piedi e a testa alta e si avvolse in un atteggiamento freddo come se non avesse mai posto il suo cuore ai suoi piedi e lui se ne fosse andato via.

Charlene rise scioccamente vicino al suo orecchio. La punta del suo ventaglio di merletto cremisi disposto strategico davanti al suo mento tappò la bocca di Bethany. “Non vi disturbate a bramare dietro lui, mia cara amica„, le bisbigliò. Bethany e Charlene Dubois, figlia del suo ospite, si erano incontrate all'Accademia Musicale Inglese per Giovani Signore due anni prima. “Come potete vedere, mia zia Serena ha messo Sir Ian fuori mercato„.

Bethany era sbalordita da una timidezza poco familiare e dalla restrizione crescente nel suo petto. Era stato un “Sir" quando lo aveva conosciuto? “Non ho idea a chi vi stiate riferendo„, rispose lei, aprendo di scatto il proprio ventaglio.

Mentre l'orchestra iniziava un altro valzer, il ballo finale per la sera, Ian scortò l'esotica Contessa Dermott sulla pista. Sembrava torreggiare sulla bellezza dai capelli scuri. Non era alta, così forse ogni uomo intorno a lei sembrava molto più alto.

“Sì, lo sapete„ rise Charlene, il movimento che irradiava fuoco alla collana di diamanti che si posava sopra il pallido ripiano del suo ampio petto. “È abbastanza ricco, ricco come Creso dicono„, aggiunse lei ha aggiunto timidamente. “Mia zia lo ha incontrato alcuni mesi fa a casa di una comune conoscenza. Sarebbe un colpo per Papa se Sir Ian decidesse di unirsi alla nostra organizzazione. I Rockwells sono una famiglia stabile„.

“Lo sono?„

Charlene rise scioccamente, come se Bethany dovesse già essere al corrente di tali particolari locali quando, in realtà lei era arrivata nella casa di Charlene dal Conservatorio soltanto due settimane prima. “La sua famiglia risiede da queste parti da quando i Vichinghi dominavano questa campagna. È di nuovo uno scapolo. Sua moglie è morta qualche anno fa„.

Moglie? Il battito cardiaco di Bethany salto qualche colpo. “È stato sposato? Quando?„

“Tre o quattro anni fa„. Charlene agitò la mano grassoccia mettendo fine alla discussione mentre si spostava la sua attenzione verso la tavola del banchetto. “Un qualche corteggiamento vorticoso e delle nozze che si sono concluse tragicamente. Nessuno sa realmente cosa è accaduto„. Esaminò gli antipasti di crema di salmone e cetriolo con l'occhio di un intenditore. “Ne desiderate uno?„

Bethany scosse la testa, una nausea improvvisa che la opprimeva. Non si sentiva al suo meglio.

Charlene lasciò cadere il cuneo di cetriolo fra le sue labbra. “Sir Ian non è stato sposato abbastanza a lungo da portare sua moglie a casa. Infatti, il figliol prodigo è tornato a casa soltanto questo autunno. È stato in qualche modo ritirato. Papa deve averlo incluso all'ultimo momento. Non è sulla lista degli ospiti„. Charlene cambio argomento di discussione puntando sul gruppo di signori italiani che si stava avvicinando in quel momento dall'altra estremità della tavola del buffet.

Fuori delle grandi finestre, enormi fiocchi di neve avevano cominciato a cristallizzarsi contro il vetro mentre la tempesta che arrivava dal Mare del Nord cominciava a ricoprire la proprietà di provincia di bianco. Ma all'interno, l'aria era clemente, quasi calda. Bevanda e cibo erano offerti liberalmente agli ospiti. Le coppie riempivano la pista da ballo. Bethany sospirò. Ian era stato sposato e vedovo da quando lei si era innamorata di lui anni fa.

Mentre un affascinante conte italiano chiedeva la sua mano per un valzer, lei si sforzò di sorridere, accettante il suo invito a ballare come se fosse un'attrice che si immedesimava nella parte di una grande commedia. Ballò con un entusiasmo e una passione che si estendeva ad ogni angolo della sua vita. Effettivamente, non aveva mai fatto qualche cosa a metà. Il mondo era la sua ostrica ed lei era la sua perla, si era sempre detta, molte volte, come se dirlo abbastanza spesso la incitasse a credere che fosse vero. Forse era stata la sua colpa più grande. Aveva messo troppo di sè nell'atto di vivere. Le persone le dicevano sempre che lavorava troppo duramente per fare in modo che gli altri la vedessero ed ora, quando tutto quello che desiderava era sparire nelle piccolissime crepe del pavimento, si sentiva come se una sfera enorme di luce stesse splendendo su lei, rivelando i suoi difetti più imbarazzanti.

“Siete qui per le due settimane?„ le chiede il suo compagno di ballo, guidandola in un cerchio maestoso accompagnato dai suoni fluenti della musica.

La fragranza fiorita della sua colonia la circondava in un modo del tutto sgradevole, ma lei gli offrì un sorriso distratto. “Sì. E voi?„ chiese lei, malgrado sapesse che lo era. Aveva visto la lista esclusiva degli invitati e sapeva esattamente chi era stato invitato a questo evento, e questo era il motivo per cui la presenza di Ian l'aveva presa di sprovvista.

Il conte continuò a chiacchierare circa il tempo ed altri soggetti mondani che non richiedevano la sua completa attenzione e le permise di incrociare lo sguardo con Ian e la contessa. “Giallo„, disse l'uomo dopo un'altra giravolta.

Giallo? Si sforzò di uscire dai suoi pensieri.

“Vi ho vista di recente a Londra„ disse lui. “Alcune settimane fa, credo. Indossavate un vestito giallo„.

Qualcosa nel suo tono la congelò. “Non sono stata a Londra da mesi„.

“No?„ Si inclinò indietro e la guardò attentamente. “Sono sicuro di averla vista là. Ma non posso dire con certezza dove„.

Lei si fece coinvolgere dal valzer, un fatto notato dal suo compagno di ballo che la attirò più vicino.

“E come ho detto, signore. Vi sbagliate. La signorina Dubois ed io eravamo ancora al conservatorio in cui entrambe abbiamo vissuto fino alla pausa due settimane fa„.

“Siete buona amica con la figlia di Lord Whitley?„

“Frequentiamo insieme l'università. Suo padre patrocina il programma di studi di scienza al conservatorio„.

“Ah, una donna illuminata„, disse lui, i suoi occhi scuri intenti sulla sua faccia. “È strano per me trovare una donna con i vostri, um, beni… nubile„.

“I miei beni?„ finse ignoranza. “Sono appena ricca. Certamente non come lo siete voi, signore„.

Compiaciuto dalla sua adulazione, lui aumentò la sua stretta. “Siete molto bella, Signorina Munro„.

Bethany viaggiava da sola con la sua domestica ed alcuni uomini erroneamente la consideravano una presa facile. Passò il resto del ballo respingendo il loquace conte, poichè lui sembrava impegnato a sedurla. Desiderò improvvisamente uscire da questa stanza. Pestò le scarpe lucide dell'uomo e quasi lo indusse a inciampare, la sua usuale risposta disinvolta nascosta nel suo sorriso di scusa. Uffa, pensò e non avrebbe potuto importarle di meno se questo libertino straniero la considerasse goffa e maldestra.

La musica si concluse in un clamoroso scoppio di cimbali. L'uomo, zoppicando, scortò Bethany fuori della pista da ballo di nuovo alla tavola del buffet, con un inchino tipico di ogni italiano che aveva incontrato, piegandosi sopra la sua mano guantata e rapidamente guadagnando la sua fuga. Aprendo di scatto il suo ventaglio, lei lo guardò entrare nella folla che usciva dalla pista da ballo. I suoi occhi si fissarono improvvisamente sulla coppia che si levano in piedi appena sul bordo della pista da ballo. Il suo battito si fermò.

Bethany aveva smesso di cercare Ian. Ora senza alcun sforzo, lei stava in piedi a meno di un metro da lui, la sua figura alta riconoscibile nella folla. Il suo sguardo fisso salì dalla mano guantata di bianco intimamente appoggiata sulla vita sottile della donna… e si scontrò con i suoi occhi.

Il suo respiro tremò fino a fermarsi completamente. Ian ora la stava guardando al di sopra dei capelli spruzzati di polvere di diamante della Contessa Dermott, la sua espressione priva della maschera gentile mentre alzava un bicchiere di vino alla sue labbra e sorseggiava.

Bethany non aveva immaginato il tocco di fuoco verde nel suo sguardo fisso, che la valutava, chiudendo la distanza tra loro, sciogliendo gli anni come se non facessero più parte del passato. Sentì quel tocco in profondità dentro lei come una contusione ad un osso.

Entrambi distolsero lo sguardo allo stesso tempo. E, malgrado lo shock iniziale e l'illogicità della sua risposta, sentì qualcos'altro, qualcosa di familiare e molto vivo. Qualcosa che la rendeva un poco impaurita. Non solo lui sapeva chi era lei, ma non era contento di vederla - non di più di quanto lo era stata lei di vedere lui.

Si distese un poco mentre un altro uomo si fece avanti per esigere la sua mano per il valzer seguente, fino a che lei non vide chi era.

Il segretario di Lord Whitley e guardia del corpo, Sir John Howard, stava in piedi davanti lei. Se c'era stasera qualche uomo presente che le faceva star male di stomaco, questo era lui.

Vestito come lo era Ian in una giacca formale con le code, avrebbe potuto essere affascinante se Bethany avesse avuto un inclinazione per gli uomini più anziani e viscidi che si approfittavano delle donne più giovani. “Signorina Munro„, disse lui. “Credo di essere sul vostro carnet di ballo„.

Lei non aveva un carnet di ballo e non fece finta di essere gentile. Lui la stava guardando, realizzò e non nel modo in cui si guarda una donna che si desidera sedurre. “I miei piedi fanno male, Sir John. Ho finito di ballare il valzer per stanotte„.

Lo oltrepassò ma lui si mosse per bloccare la sua uscita, allungando la mano con indifferenza attraverso di lei per una fragola ricoperta di cioccolato sulla tavola. “Ho visto che avete preso nota dell'ultimo amante della contessa„. Morse il dolce frutto.

Non era mai un buon segno finire sotto esame dell'accurato Sir John e, mentre le sue parole palesavano un che di indifferenza, i suoi occhi continuavano a studiarla. La sua conversazione la importunava. Non perché lo scambio era altamente inappropriato, ma perché lui aveva scoperto la sua incertezza con tale facilità e questo l'aveva resa l'insetto nella sua capsula di Petri.

“Credete che non lo siano?„ chiese lui.

Lei fissò il suo sguardo sulla faccia di Sir John. “Perchè dovrei prendere nota di chiunque la contessa Dermott consideri suo amante?„

Perchè questo importava a lui, che cosa stava pensando?

“Vedo che vi ho messa a disagio„, le concesse lui.

Lei sorrise. “Per niente, Sir John„.

A disagio era una risposta troppo tiepida per un uomo che lei sospettava essere un assassino a sangue freddo. Senza scusarsi, scivolò oltre lui e si lascò svanire tra la folla.

Third - Torc’s Salvation by Melany Logen

Torc has been hired to retrieve a Delicant, a prized pleasure slave, and return her to her birth family. Rescuing the beautiful slave is easy for the solitary killing beast. Being able to harness his lust as she constantly offers herself to him is another story.

Enslaved since childhood, Ailyea has no concept of life without a Master ordering her every move. She's completely selfless, knowing only how to give pleasure. Ailyea is terrified when she finds herself under Torc's control, and it's not just his fangs that throw her for a loop. He doesn't abuse her — won't even use her for sex. And she finds herself wishing he would.

Torc is determined to teach Ailyea to become her own person before he leaves her alone in a dangerous, bloodthirsty universe where females are scarce and in high demand. Ailyea has a few lessons for him, too — if she can convince him that she genuinely wants the sex she offers. Along the way, both must confront the deeper feelings between them — before they reach her planet and have to part ways forever.

Honorable Mention - The Lawman’s Wife by Lara Santiago

The Wives Tales 3
Grace needs a man to bid on her and will say "I do" to the Devil.

The impeccable Lawman Jonathan Brent never expected to marry until he sees the woman who haunts his many dreams put up for bid at an auction. He buys Grace for the pittance of ten dollars, then goes on the run to protect her and her daughter Emma. [Erotic Futuristic]

Honorable Mention - Roping Savannah by Jory Strong

Part of the Fallon Mates series.

Draigon d'Amato will do what is required of him. He will choose a Vesti co-mate and accept the human woman the Council scientists have determined is his match. But while he might be reconciled to his fate, as soon as he sees Savannah Holden, duty becomes desire and he can't claim her fast enough.

Unfortunately for him, Savannah is a policewoman intent on making a difference on Earth. And she's already taken a Vesti for a lover. Not just any Vesti, but Kye d'Vesti, whose clan has a reputation for bending if not breaking the laws Draigon feels compelled to uphold.

For Kye, sharing a bond-mate goes against every instinct of his Vesti heritage. But with criminals determined to prevent Savannah from getting too close, keeping their feisty and independent mate safe and out of trouble is a job for two men.

Draigon and Kye discover sharing the bodyguarding duties has certain…benefits, and their "duty to pleasure" is one they embrace with great enthusiasm. Until one of them takes their "duty to protect" her literally, with a devastating result.

Historical:

First - Burning Tigress by Jade Lee

Living in Shanghai has proved one thing to Englishwoman Charlotte Hicks: she wants more from life than an Englishwoman normally receives. When she finds a set of erotic scrolls left behind by her friend, she decides to begin with learning what those scrolls depict. Serving as First Boy in an English household has also proved to Ken Jin that he needs more from life, but when he learns that Miss Charlotte had found sacred Tigress scrolls, his first mission is to wrest them from her possession and return them to their rightful place. Stubborn as ever, Miss Charlotte refuses, unless he agrees to teach her what the scrolls truly mean. The latest in Lee's Tigress series, following Hungry Tigress and Desperate Tigress (both 2005), offers a more humorous tone, but have no fear: Lee's deft eroticism hasn't lost any of its power. With her latest variant on the Tigress practice, Lee's star continues to burn bright. (Nina Davis)

Second - Sin by Sharon Page

A taste of the forbidden…

Venetia Hamilton is no stranger to erotic art—her father’s lush paintings are one of society’s secret pleasures. But Venetia has never experienced true desire. Not until she meets Marcus Wyndam, the Earl of Trent—a powerful man who holds her future in his hands and awakens her curiosity with one searing kiss. His expert touch is only the beginning of her carnal education, but something more dangerous than submission may be the price she pays for such unimaginable delight…

Third - Master of Desire by Jessica Trapp

Blackmailed into exposing the naughty secrets of the nobility, she became The Spy of the Night in a desperate bid to secure her son's future.

When the king's bounty hunter captures her, all honor and duty fall aside in a night of forbidden desire. But sins of her past thwart their future when she escapes and he is imprisoned for her crimes.

Now he will stop at nothing to own her, body and soul.

Honorable Mention - Ask for It by Sylvia Day

England, 1770. Beneath the silk and lace of London society lies a secret, elite organization of spies. Protecting the Crown from its enemies is hazardous, but for Marcus Ashford, protecting his heart from an unyielding passion is the far greater peril…

A MATTER OF DANGEROUS INTRIGUE…
As an agent to the Crown, Marcus Ashford, the Earl of Westfield, has fought numerous sword fights, been shot twice, and dodged more than any man’s fair share of cannon fire. And yet nothing excites him more than the primitive hunger his former fiancé, Elizabeth, arouses. Years ago, she’d jilted him for the boyishly charming Lord Hawthorne. But now, the elegant widow is his to defend, and he will do so while tending to her other, more carnal needs, showing her the depth of a real man’s desire…

…AND UNDENIABLE PLEASURE
Dangerous secrets led to the murder of Lady Hawthorne’s husband. Secrets she now holds in a diary many would kill to obtain. But to entrust herself to the protection of the most seductive man she’s ever known? Outrageous. Unthinkable. Irresistible. For it was Marcus’s strong passions and burning desire that frightened her into abandoning him years ago—and her answering craving has never waned. Now, he means to be at her service, in every sense. And perhaps the only sensible course isn’t to resist temptation, but to surrender to it completely…

Inghilterra, 1770. Sotto la seta e i pizzi della società londinese giace un segreto, un'organizzazione di spie d'elite. Proteggere la Corona dai suoi nemici è pericoloso, ma per Marcus Ashford, proteggere il suo cuore da una innegabile passione è il più grande dei pericoli...

Un questione di intrighi pericolosi...
Come agente della Corona, Marcus Ashford, il conte di Westfield, ha lottato contro numerosi nemici, è stato ferito due volte, ed è stato più volte in mezzo ai fuochi di cannone. E tuttavia niente lo eccita di più che del desiderio primitivo che gli suscita la sua ex fidanzata, Elizabeth. Anni prima, lei lo ha respinto per l'affascinante Lord Hawthorne. Ma ora, deve difendere l'elegante vedova, e lo farà mentre le sottoporrà altri, più carnali bisogni, mostrandole la profondità del desiderio di un vero uomo...

... e un'innegabile piacere
Pericolosi segreti conducono all'assassinio del marito di Lady Hawthorne. Segreti che lei tiene in un diario che molti ucciderebbero per ottenere. Ma può fidarsi della protezione del più seducente uomo che abbia mai conosciuto? Oltraggioso. Impensabile. Irresistibile. Anni prima c'era la forte passione di Marcus e il bruciante desiderio che la terrorizzava nell'abbandonarsi a lui anni prima, e la propria risposta. Ora, lui dice di essere al suo servizio, in ogni senso. E forse l'unica cosa giusta è non resistere alla tentazione, ma arrendersi completamente...

Honorable Mention - The Courage to Love by Samantha Kane

First in the Brothers in Arms series.

Kate Collier is still recovering from a vicious rape and trying to make a success of her dress shop when Jason Randal and Anthony Richards return to London from the Continent, intent on winning her. She's known them for years, ever since they served with her late husband in the Peninsula against Napoleon. She'd been in love with them for almost that long. To discover they feel the same is a shock, but Kate isn't ready to turn her life back over to a man, or men.

Jason and Tony prove hard to resist, however, especially when their close friendship blossoms into desire for each other as they make Kate's body burn with passion. The combination of their insatiable desire for her and their journey into a sexual relationship with one another is irresistible to Kate.

A nightmare from her past tries to keep them apart, but the three long for a life together in spite of society's censure, and they will not be denied.

Novella:

First - Five Alarm Neighbor by Anna Leigh Keaton

Gracie Terrence has lived next door to firefighter Steve Sheldon for two years. She’s lusted after his hot body since day one, but Steve is a taken man. Gracie is no home wrecker and keeps her fantasies locked safely behind closed doors. Besides, all she wants is one hot night with him.

After getting dumped by his fiancée, Steve decides it’s time to have a little fun with Gracie. She makes his blood heat.

But when one night turns to two, and emotions complicate their simple affair, can they survive the inferno of their growing love?

Second - Rodeo Man by Nikki Alton

Rodeo Man by Nikki Alton: LA Magazine writer Anna Hartley is on assignment in Wyoming when she meets champion rodeo rider Grant Olson. Lean, blonde, rugged, and sexy, he's enough to make a city girl trade in her high heels for a wild ride, Western style.

Third - Defending Serenity by Loribelle Hunt

Boyd Graham spent ten years in prison for defending the woman he didn't dare love. The town bad boy, he didn't need anything good in his life, especially when that good came in the form of a cop.

Lynn Jameson spent the years atoning for sin. One night of passion and its consequence was enough to teach her to distrust sentiment. As the new police chief dealing with a smuggling ring on the Florida Gulf Coast, the last thing she needs is Boyd showing up.

Can they find a way to come together or will they be forever at odds?

Honorable Mention — Invisible Touch by Summer Devon

Book 1 in the Shrink Wrap series.

When Bonnie spurns the sexual advances of a real creep, she suddenly finds herself invisible to any man she finds attractive. She soon learns that the creepy man she turned down is also an amateur sorcerer who has placed an invisibility curse on her. Now he's threatening to make it permanent unless she agrees to spy on his boss, a man Bonnie finds irresistible. She just can't keep her hands from exploring his sexy body!

At first Jared thinks he's going crazy. He knows he's embracing a delicious female but he doesn't know if the invisible being is an actual woman or ghost. When things heat up between Jared and Bonnie, they find a way to communicate. Now they have to figure out how to thwart Jared's enemy or Jared will never get a good look at the woman he's felt…all over.

Honorable Mention — Return To Me by Anna Leigh Keaton and Madison Layle

A woman of mixed race born into slavery found love in the arms of her owner's son. Separated by his death and her murder, she’s cursed to live a ghostly life on the land she once longed to flee.

Dr. Travis Moreland—internationally renowned expert on paranormal phenomena and a spiritual medium—helps spirits cross over to find peace, but he’s never met a succubus. Hearing of homeowners desperate to rid themselves of one such specter, his curiosity is peaked.

After he meets Dominique, however, he questions his sanity and longs to respond to the siren's call... Return To Me

Paranormal / TT:

First - Fallon’s Revenge by Mackenzie McKade

Vengeance is what she sought…eternal love is what she found.

Young and inexperienced, Fallon McGregor is an immortal with one thing on her mind. Revenge. She’ll do anything to destroy the demon that killed her daughter and made Fallon his flesh and blood slave. One step ahead of her tormentor, she knows her luck is running out. She needs to discover the mysteries of the dark—and fast. When she meets Adrian Trask she gets more than she bargains for in tight jeans and a Stetson.

Adrian will share his ancient blood and knowledge with Fallon, but he wants something in return…her heart and her promise to stay with him forever.

But Fallon doesn’t have forever. Once her nemesis is destroyed she will seek her own death. Tormented, she must choose between a promise made and the love of one man.

Vendetta è quello che cerca... amore eterno è quello che trova.

Giovane ed inesperta, Fallon McGregor è una immortale con una sola cosa in mente. Vendetta. Farà qualsiasi cosa per distruggere il demone che ha ucciso sua figlia e fatto di Fallon la sua schiava di carne e sangue. Un passo davanti al suo torturatore, sa che la sua fortuna sta per finire. Deve scoprire i misteri dell'oscurità - e presto. Quando incontra Adrian Trask ottiene più di quello che voleva in jeans attillati e Stetson.

Adrian dividerà il suo sangue antico e la sua conoscenza con Fallon, ma vuole qualcosa in cambio... il suo cuore e la sua promessa di rimanere per sempre con lui.

Ma Fallon non ha per sempre. Una volta che il suo nemico sarà distrutto cercherà la propria morte. Tormentata, deve scegliere fra una promessa fatta e l'amore di un uomo.

Second - Bloodlines: Conduit by Mechele Armstrong

Think all blood is the same? Think again.

Copper has always been in her twin sister's shadow. But now her sister's been kidnapped, and only Copper can save her. Trouble is, she'll need help -- from a domineering vampire who knows just how special Copper truly is.

Bastian knows Copper is a rare woman, and not just because of the mind-bending passion she makes him feel. Copper is a Conduit -- a rare human whose blood can magnify a vampire's powers. Now he has to protect her, claim her for his own...and somehow keep his vampire brethren from discovering her secret.

Copper has what she’s always wanted, to be unique and special. But being the Conduit isn't a bed of roses. She could be used by Bastian's vampire enemies for all eternity -- or killed to prevent it. And how can Bastian himself resist the urge to taste blood so rare?

Third - Seduced by Magic by Cheyenne McCray

Copper Ashcroft is an accomplished D'Anu witch, but the magic she wields is a potent force—strong enough to hurl her into a mysterious Otherworld when a spell backfires. Before Copper can escape, another being is pulled into her realm—Tiernan, a powerfully virile Tuatha D'Danann warrior. Blond, blue-eyed, and shamelessly seductive, Tiernan could be Copper's savior…and his touch sets her body on fire.

Like others of his kind, Tiernan stands alongside the D'Anu witches to battle the demons of the Underworld. Obligation to his cause and his people cautions against any entanglement with Copper, yet each second spent with this beautiful, uninhibited woman stirs an insatiable hunger. Desire explodes into carnal bliss, but the visions that haunt Copper's dreams are growing stronger, and they foretell a terrifying evil waiting to be unleashed…

Saving the city will take more than brute strength…more than witchcraft. Only together can Copper and Tiernan find a way to overcome the dark forces—and seize a passion that has bewitched them both.

Copper Ashcroft è una accodiscendente strega D'Anu, ma la magia che detiene è una forza potente, forte abbastanza da costringerla in un misterioso mondo ultraterreno quando un incantesimo le si ritorce contro. Prima che Copper possa fuggire, un altro essere viene trascinato nel suo regno, Tiernan, un potentemente virile guerriero Tuatha D'Danan. Biondo, occhi azzurri, e seducente senza vergogna. Tiernan potrebbe essere il salvatore di Copper... e il suo tocco infiammare il suo corpo.

Come gli altri della sua specie, Tiernan sta al fianco delle streghe D'Anu per combattere i demoni del mondo sotterraneo. Dedito alla sua causa e alla sua gente è cauto circa ogni coinvolgimento con Copper, tuttavia ogni secondo che passa con questa bellissima, disinibita donna risveglia in lui un'insaziabile fame. Il desiderio esplode in una gioia carnale, ma le visioni che perseguitano i sogni di Copper stanno diventando più forti, e predicono una malvagità terribile che aspetta di essere liberata...

Per salvare la città ci vorrà più della forza brutale... più di un incantesimo. Solo insieme Copper e Tiernan potranno trovare un modo per vincere le forze oscure, e domare una passione che ha stregato entrambi.

Honorable mention - Enthralled by Laura Baumbach

A suicidal young man, Colin Dobson, seeks death, but finds an unconventional reason to live in the arms of a seductive, dark stranger. Rowland Campbell is an ancient and powerful vampire on the brink of death after a surprise attack by vampire hunters. Dark desires are awakened, as one strives to survive and the other begs for deliverance from the burden of life.

Un uomo con manie suicide, Colin Dobson, cerca la morte, ma trova un ragione di vita poco tradizionale nelle braccia di un seducente, oscuro sconosciuto. Rowland Campbell è un anziano e potente vampiro che si trova quasi in punto di morte dopo un attacco a sorpresa di alcuni cacciatori di vampiri. Oscuri desideri vengono risvegliati, mentre uno lotta per sopravvivere e l'altro implora di essere liberato da una vita insopportabile.

Honorable mention - d’Argent Honor 2: Eternally His by Ann Jacobs

Book 2 in the d'Argent Honor series.

d'Argent Honor…fine-tuned over a millennium to fight evil, its hunters are focused now on stopping an evil vampire in his mad quest for revenge on the d'Argent queen who refused his suit.

In self-imposed seclusion for centuries, Stefan d'Argent emerges to join the hunt. His assignment: to seduce the Fox's next intended victim in order to protect her. When Stefan sees Julie Quill, touches her, makes love to her, he realizes he puts his own heart at risk.

Vampire compulsion or lust at first sight—Julie doesn't understand the immediate, irresistible desire Stefan generates in her, but that doesn't matter. She loves him, believes his incredible story…and wants to join him in his shadow world. One erotic bite…one slip into vampiric ecstasy could make it happen.

But Stefan fears repeating the experience that sent him into seclusion centuries earlier, of killing the woman he loved while trying to convert her. A near-death experience tips the balance, giving him the courage to make her…eternally his.

http://www.passionateink.org/index.php

Past Year Winners:

2005 - 2006