He straightened, his face suddenly serious. “If you do, Caroline, if you can look me in the face and tell me you are, in truth, unwilling, then I give you my word that I will take you wherever you wish to go, and I will leave you there in peace, never to trouble you again. Only tell me now, for this is the last chance there will be.”
It was shocking how unwelcome was the prospect of freedom. She raised her wide eyes to his and what she found mirrored there stopped the breath in her throat.
“Could we not compromise, my lord, and call it a willing abduction?” she asked, a smile beginning to tilt the lovely curves of her mouth.
He caught her to him, holding her close. “We could,” he said against her hair, “if you can remember to call me Jean instead of my lord.” His lips came down on hers in a burning kiss that left her mouth bruised, her ribs sore, and her limbs weak. Raising his head a fraction, he said, “Well?”
“I will try, my lord,” she promised, her gray eyes sparkling, “if you will engage to remind me occasionally.”
“I will engage never to allow you to forget.” He lowered his head once more.
“My lord, the ship’s crew is watching! My lord — Jean!”
About the Author
Since publishing her first book at age twenty-seven, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Blake has gone on to write over sixty-five historical and contemporary novels in multiple genres. She brings the story-telling power and seductive passion of the South to her stories, reflecting her eighth-generation Louisiana heritage. Jennifer lives with her husband in northern Louisiana.
~ ~ ~
To find out more about Jennifer’s books, see the Steel Magnolia Press website at www.steelmagnoliapress.com.
Purchase Steel Magnolia Press ebooks direct from Amazon.com at: http://smarturl.it/smp.
~ ~ ~
Subscribe to Fresh Leaves, the Steel Magnolia Press newsletter, to be notified of new releases and subscriber-only specials: http://eepurl.com/gCgrX.
~ ~ ~
Jennifer would love to hear from you! Other places to connect with her:
Website: www.JenniferBlake.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.blake.3914
Twitter: @JenniferBlake01
~ ~ ~
If you enjoyed this work, please leave a review to help other readers decide if it’s a story they too would like to read. A couple of sentences are all you need to write. Thank you!
~ ~ ~
Much of Jennifer’s backlist — historical and contemporary — is still available in print and/or digital format.
Browse all the Steel Magnolia Press ebooks at Amazon’s Steel Magnolia Press display site:
http://smarturl.it/smp
Note: if you’re browsing from a UK-based device, the url above will take you to the Amazon UK store. Everyone else will be directed to Amazon.com.
~ ~ ~
THE ITALIAN BILLIONAIRES COLLECTION
Book 1 in Jennifer’s new contemporary romance series, first published in 2012, is an Amazon Top 100 bestseller.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE COLLECTION
SWEETLY CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
THE LOVE AND ADVENTURE COLLECTION
The LOUISIANA PLANTATION COLLECTION
The LOUISIANA HISTORY COLLECTION
THE ROYAL PRINCES OF RUTHENIA
http://smarturl.it/smp
Table of Contents
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
About the Author