Midnight Conquest – Excerpt

Greetings!

Midnight Conquest is finally finished! Thank you to all my fans, family and friends for your support during this milestone in my writing career! Woot!

As requested, here is an excerpt of “Midnight Conquest” – When Broderick and Davina have their first steamy encounter! Have fun!

The spicy aroma of incense drifted through her senses and her body tingled from the memories of the last time she stepped into this exotic world.

She turned and faced him.

Her breath caught in her throat. Her memories seemed watered down and faded compared to the vivid reality before her. His burning-red hair and emerald eyes captivated her, entranced her like the blazing dance of a fire. She stood rooted at the entrance of the tent, taking in every angle, muscle, and rippled surface of his body. When her eyes met his, her face grew hot. His dark eyes brazenly assessed her as boldly as she did him.

“Do ye wish to have yer fortune told, lass, or shall we continue to eat each other with our eyes?” His deep voice, smooth like cream, made her legs tremble. She continued to stare at him, unable to speak, and he crossed his massive arms over his chest, a roguish smile turning up one corner of his full mouth. Her heart pattered wildly at the sight of that dimple.

Davina managed a swallow and found her voice again. “You don't remember me, do you?” she asked in Gaelic.

The Gypsy's eyebrows crossed and he looked at her with new interest. “I think I would have remembered . . .” His eyes traveled down her body before he continued. “A face . . . such as yours.” The roguish smile returned.

Though her face burned with irritation and embarrassment from his words, she still felt drawn to that creamy voice and those hooded eyes. Davina uprooted herself and sat before him, trying to keep her disappointment from showing. He didn’t remember her.

Her giant leaned forward, coming very close to her. “Lend me your hand, lass,” his voice whispered seductively.

Davina obeyed, trying to keep it steady. His hands burned her skin and she gasped and reflexively pulled away.

He held tight, his emerald eyes meeting her sapphire ones intensely. “Relax, lass.”

Davina drew in her bottom lip, holding it between her teeth. The exotic incense mingled with her rose oil, causing an intoxicating effect upon her senses. The Gypsy's features softened and his roguish smile returned. “I see blossom oil in a glass vial.” His smile broadened. “Intimate places are touched by this fragrance,” he whispered and breathed in deeply through his nose. “A fragrance I smell emanating from you, lass.” Fire flew to her cheeks. His eyes opened and settled upon her square neckline to linger before they moved slowly up to her eyes. Without releasing her gaze, he dipped the thumb of his free hand into a bowl of oil being heated by a candle.

She tried to pull away, but he refused to let her go. “What is that for?” It was an effort to keep her voice steady.

“The oil makes it easier to read the lines on your hand,” he said, his creaminess moving over her, and he smoothed the warmth over her palm, each stroke of his thumb slow and deliberate. Davina's heartbeat quickened. The ministrations of his hands were maddening!

His fingers resumed their ministrations, a hunger blossoming inside her and her eyes went to his strong neck and broad shoulders. His touch aroused feelings she'd never thought existed. She found herself wondering what it would be like to feel his body pressed to hers, feeling his weight upon her and hearing him call her name, his voice thick with passion. His roguish smile returned and so did the heat in her cheeks, which flowed to her throat. “You haven't once looked at my palm,” she said trying to banish the erotic visions in her mind, hoping he hadn't read them.

A rumble of laughter sounded from him and he dashed around the table and stood at her side before Davina knew what happened. The Gypsy pulled her to her feet and snaked his arms around her body, crushing her arms uselessly between them. Her hands, having nowhere else to go, lay spread upon his chest. She could feel the wild thumping of his heart beneath her palm, matching that of her own heart's cadence. Davina stared up into his fierce green eyes and, before she could protest his bold behavior, his mouth descended upon hers, slanting deliciously across her lips. Davina marveled at the tenderness and when her legs gave from under her, his arms tightened to support her. The tent seemed to whirl around her, the exotic scent of the incense and the Gypsy's own masculine essence mingling to create a drugging effect upon her body. Then she opened her mouth to him and a deep groan rumbled from his chest. Davina returned with her own groaning response, her stomach fluttering, and gained some strength in her legs. Their bodies parted enough for her hand to wrap around his neck and entangle in the silkiness of his fiery hair. At the touch of his hand on her breast, Davina moaned.

The Gypsy's tongue teased her lips before he pulled his head back slightly and smiled, passion burning in his eyes. “You're ripe and ready, lass. What say we indulge in each other in a more private atmosphere?”

His words excited her for only a moment before she realized where she was and how far they'd gone. Davina stepped out of his embrace and cracked her hand against his smiling face.

“What in—” The Gypsy's expression went from confusion to amazement. Hearty laughter poured out of his mouth as he tipped his head back, his fists planted firmly on his hips.

She was speechless. And burning from embarrassment, all the way to her toes. What in blazes did he find so amusing? Before she could finish the thought, he had his arms around her again in a tight embrace. Davina struggled against him, her fists pushing against his broad chest that still rumbled with his laughter, and finally found her tongue. “Let me be, you— you—!”

“Brute?” he supplied, humor lighting his eyes. “Or am I more appropriately a—”

“An animal! That's what you are!” She pushed against him with all her might. “Let me—!” She stopped mid-sentence when his arms released her and the force of her pushing against him landed her right on her bottom.

Davina sat on the ground, dumbfounded, staring up at the handsome giant. His arms folded across his chest, he smiled down at her for a while before stretching out a helping hand. Davina refused to take the offered help and rose to her feet unaided, furiously dusting the dirt from her skirts and hands. His continuing flutter of laughter grated her patience.

When she faced him, they stood staring at each other in silence—his face sparkling with amusement; hers twisted in agitation. He nodded his head toward the basket on the table and she saw coins sitting at the bottom of it. She gaped at it for a moment, then gasping in realization, picked the basket up and threw it at him. “How dare you ask for contributions when you've done nothing but manhandle me!”

“Maybe if you'd gone with me to more private quarters, you'd have been more charitable.”
Davina trembled with fury at the double entendre then stormed out of the tent.

END OF EXCERPT – Hope you enjoyed it! There's more to come. Visit my author web site at www.EnchantedWoodz.com/arialburnz to read about other stories in the Bonded By Blood series of which Midnight Conquest is Book #1.

That's my two pence…
Arial 😀

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