William
Chesterton, the Earl of Chester, might be the perfect gentleman, but
his feelings for Constance Bridgewater are anything but gentlemanly.
Constance
Bridgewater, the daughter of the late Earl of Bridgewater, might be the
perfect lady, but her feelings for the Earl of Chester are anything but
ladylike.
They both know that if they were together, everything would be just perfect.
So what is keeping them apart?
********* EXCERPT ********
London, England 1825
William
Chesterton, the Earl of Chester, sat in his comfortable parlor swirling
an untouched glass of brandy in his hand. Spring had come at last to
London, though the April evening was still chilled and damp. His staff
had seen to the modest fire burning behind the grate, and the warmth
lulled him into a false sense of serenity. It did nothing to dispel the
turmoil deep inside, however.
Most
of the ton, his closest friends included, believed he was a steady man
with a calm demeanor. That was true, for the most part. In the whole of
his life, from his privileged childhood through his early ascension to
the earldom upon his dear father’s passing, he’d been as steady as the
Thames. Stalwart companion, dutiful only son, closest confidant. It was
all so bloody boring.
He
drank from his glass at last, his eyes on the fire. Tonight had gone
just as so many nights before. The season was in its early stages and
yet the parties and frivolities had already started. He’d joked with his
friends, danced with their wives and sisters, and made certain not to
show undue attention to marriage-minded young ladies. Their mothers
would love to snare the calm and affable Earl of Chester for their
daughters. That was certain.
He’d
played his part as was expected, and even managed to ignore the urge to
dance with one particular young lady more than the allotted two times.
It had nearly killed him. Constance Bridges, the late Earl of
Bridgewater’s daughter, was the only woman he wanted for more than two
dances.
Her
lithe body, her pale golden hair and sparkling gray eyes, were like no
other woman’s he’d encountered. Last year, at yet another interminable
house party, at one of his happily married cohorts’ estates, he’d
attempted to make her see she was more than a pleasant diversion. He
wasn’t merely a willing dance partner or riding companion, either. He
might have acted a bit wild, however, and no doubt frightened her out of
her wits.
He
lifted the glass to his lips again and smiled. Ah, but that five
seconds he’d spent holding her close, her breath warm on his cheek, her
pink lips so close to his . . . he still got hard thinking about the
heat she hid beneath that alabaster skin. He’d seen burgeoning knowledge
in those gray eyes of hers, too. She’d wanted him. He’d stake the
considerable estate his father left him on that fact.
She
was a puzzle, to be sure. So serene and bashful on the surface, yet he
knew she was more than the perfect picture she presented. He downed his
brandy and let out a frustrated breath.
He
was tired of playing the nice fellow. If he risked his lauded
reputation in the process, so be it. He wanted more in his life than
polite dinners and mildly pleasant diversions. He wanted love and
passion and everything his friends had been lucky enough to find.
He
knew Constance was the one to show him that heat. He drained the glass,
letting the smooth liquor burn pleasantly down his throat.
He couldn’t wait to find out just how hot the fire inside her burned.
JoMarie
DeGioia has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and
has spent years giving voice to the characters in her head. She’s known
Mickey Mouse from the “inside,” has been a copy editor for her town’s
newspaper, and a bookseller. She writes Historical and Contemporary
Romances, along with Young and New Adult Fantasy stories. She divides
her time between Central Florida and New England. You can contact her at JoMarie@JoMarieDeGioia.com
******** GIVEAWAY ********
JoMarie will be
awarding Loose Tea and chip nuts to two randomly drawn commenters during the
tour.
Please remember to leave an email address in case you are one of the lucky winners. Also for more chances to win you can follow the tour HERE
3 comments:
Thanks so much for hosting today’s Book Blast Blurb Tour! I had so much fun writing Just Perfect, a story readers kept asking for. It’s Lord Chester and Constance’s tale, and if you read it please tell me what you think of Constance’s cousin, Sarah. She’s a new favorite of mine, and I’m planning a series based on her and her scandalous (!) family. I’m at Romance Writers of America’s Annual Conference in Atlanta, and will try to drop by again later. Thanks again!
Interesting premise
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Sounds like a great book, thanks for sharing!
tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com
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