Tuesday 1 May 2018

Blog Tour Extract: A Warriner to Seduce Her by Virginia Heath


A Warriner to Seduce Her by Virginia Heath
Published: 1st May 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon
Pages: 368
Available in Paperback and on Kindle
Purchase - http://www.myBook.to/Warriner4

Blurb
A sensible schoolmistress… Awakened by the notorious rake!
In this The Wild Warriners story, schoolmistress Felicity Blunt feels old beyond her years―and desperately dull. Meeting confirmed rake Jacob Warriner brings her gloriously alive, and yet no matter his allure she must remain immune to his obvious charms and unashamed flirtation. But is Jacob merely a mischievous scoundrel? Or is there much more to this Warriner than meets the eye…?

Extract

Hi and thanks for inviting me to That Thing She Reads! Here’s a little snippet in the lead up to the first kiss. Enjoy!

Bouncing in a Hackney through the city…

“I am famously irresistible to all women.”

“And yet here I am, resisting you.” One wheel hit a pothole and she groped for the strap to steady herself as it bounced out, forcing Jake to watch certain parts of her bounce as well. “Gracious- this is a dreadful carriage!”

He grabbed his own strap as the tired, corroded springs did little to stop the shoddy road surface rattling his bones. “You’d think in a city as rich as this one they could manage to make a decent road… Ah look! We’re passing St Paul’s.” Jake put his hand up to point then instantly used it to brace himself on the seat as they rumbled along possibly the worst stretch of road in the whole capital.

As she stared out at the massive cathedral in wonder, he took the opportunity to shuffle closer, ostensibly to point things out but more because the sight of one of England’s greatest edifices reminded him that he was supposed to be seducing vital information out of her. “Did you know it is the fourth St Paul’s to sit on the site? The first was built over a thousand years ago, sometime after the Romans left.”

“Really?” Her head whipped around to grin at him then quickly returned to the building. “You truly are a font of knowledge on the history of London Jake.” It was the first time she had used his name and he like the sound of it on her lips.

“Everybody knows this building was designed by Wren, but few know he was still designing it even as it was being built. Especially the dome. He wanted to create the dome without any visible supports inside. You should see it. It’s a shame we have run out of time today as I would love to show you around it. We could climb up to the top and whisper at each other across the gallery.”

“I’d love to.” She turned her head and he recognised the instant she became aware of his close proximity, because she unconsciously licked her lips and looked down at her hands. “I’d have to bring Cressida and Daphne of course. Today has been highly improper.”

If that was intended as his cue to move back to his side of the seat, Jake skilfully ignored it. “Hardly improper. I’ve been a perfect gentleman. Why- I’ve barely even flirted.” But there were other ways to flirt which required no words, and his eyes were currently gazing deeply into hers. “But we have laughed a lot, haven’t we?” Humour was another excellent way of cutting through a lady’s defences. Jake had laughed a few into his bed in his time too. A goodly few.

 She smiled at him and began to relax in the seat. “It has been a perfectly lovely after n-oooh!” The Hackney lunged to the right and tilted, sending Fliss sliding across the bench towards him. Jake only just caught her before they both slammed into the side, her forehead bashing against his chin and making him yelp.

“I’m so sorry!” As she looked up at him, her spectacles were dangling at an odd angle on her face. The engaging sight did a great deal to alleviate the brief, sharp pain of bone hitting bone. Because she wasn’t looking through the lenses, she instinctively leaned nearer to see if he was hurt. “Are you bleeding?”

“No. No, I’m fine.”

A lie. Being so close to her was playing havoc with his senses. That perfume- fat summer roses, fresh air and sunshine- so uniquely her and divine. Those stormy green short-sighted eyes. The honey gold hair. Those damned erotic spectacles which haunted his dreams. Everything made his body yearn and his heart pump. Her fingers touched his lip. If ever fate had presented him with the perfect opportunity to kiss her, this was it. Yet he hesitated, feeling suddenly awkward.

“Are you sure. I gave you quite a clonk.” And now she was torturing him. The sensitive skin tingled beneath her gentle touch, her face inches from his as she studied his mouth. “I have a very hard head.” Gentlemanly good manners dictated he didn’t tell her which part of him was currently harder. Jake stifled the groan. His fingers went to the spectacles and righted them, then simply stared at her mouth.

Longingly.

He wanted to kiss her. Desperately wanted to kiss her. Slowly he moved his face closer, watched her lips part. Was she game?

Perhaps.

Her eyes drifted to his mouth again. She didn’t move away.

Good grief why was he lingering? He should jolly well get on with it… the bad taste and the uncharacteristic guilt churning in his gut made him sit back instead. She deserved better. Honesty at least. A sobering thought for a man who made a living from lying. “I have a very stiff upper lip.” As well as a stiff bulge in his breaches. “I’m sorry for my appalling choice of Hackney… still at least it’s an adventure. Of sorts.”

“It is that.” He watched her blink, her long lashes and fine eyes made his heart stutter. “I hope we survive it. Being shaken to death in a Hackney is not how I had planned on leaving this mortal coil.” She was so very beautiful he found himself looking away because he couldn’t think of a single sensible thing to say which did not make him sound gauche. Not a single witticism sprung to mind. No flattering words. Nothing flirtatious. Just nothing. The memorised script of seduction had disappeared out of his mind, or been buried under a whole swathe of new thoughts. Questioning thoughts which had him second-guessing himself. Jake had never felt so strange in his own skin. It was like it didn’t fit. There was at least another twenty minutes till they hit Mayfair. Twenty painful, awkward minutes now that he had apparently lost his ability for seduction thanks to the distasteful flavour of his deception.


About the Author


When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Fortunately, the lovely people at Harlequin Mills & Boon took pity on her and decided to publish her romances, but it still takes her forever to fall asleep.


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 Purchase - http://www.myBook.to/Warriner4

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