Since it is six weeks until my next release, A TARNISHED HEART, I am restarting my Teaser Tuesdays! Hope you enjoy this little snippet from the book!
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His face reddened as he uttered a low growl and dropped into the cushion beside her. Immediately, a hard thigh pressed against her skirt. Her pulse quickened, mouth dried. His exotic scent brought girlhood dreams rushing back, when she longed for his fingertips to brush her cheek, his mouth to taste her own.
She pressed her lips tightly together, but still they tingled with the aching of her want. Almost without thought, she turned to face him, to bring her mouth close to his. But the straps of her bonnet caught on her bodice. Lizzie yanked the scratchy thing off her head and set it on her lap.
“What are you doing?” his voice rumbled above her head. “You can’t remove that.”
“It bothers me.”
“Put it back on, Miss Parker.” He reached for the bonnet, his arm inadvertently grazing her breast. A jolt shot down her legs and she gasped. She clenched her thighs but the tremors lingered.
He immediately withdrew his arm, his lips parting. Those midnight eyes flared with a brilliant heat.
Lizzie swallowed and gathered her wits. Yet, her heart raced faster than a fox after one of her hens. She set her chin, a challenge. “No.”
Lord Markham looked over her head to the dowager. “Tell her she must keep her head covered.”
An annoyed sigh was his answer. “Eh, it’s just a bonnet, it’s not as if she’s removed her bodice.”
A whistle’s shrill prevented any further discussion. There were a few shouts on the platform, then the train lurched forward. The feelings of giddiness and yearning vanished as Lizzie’s breath burst from her lungs.
In her fear, she inadvertently grabbed Lord Markham’s hand. He surprised her by capturing her fingers in his.
But, blast it, it was too late to turn back. The motion of the train signaled an end to the life she knew. And it would be the end of everything she ever wanted if she didn’t do whatever it took to come back.
Lizzie slid her fingers from his. She shouldn’t be holding Lord Markham’s hand. She should be at home with Edmund.
“You should rest.” He shifted so his arm was just inches from her cheek. Did he do it on purpose? Did he dare tease her sensibilities with that broad shoulder?
No, not after his outrage at them having to sit next to one another. She must have imagined it…she fantasized about it…she yearned for it…
Lizzie’s eyelids fluttered then fell, their weight suddenly too heavy. Her chin dipped forward. The sway of the train bobbed her head to the side until her cheek rested upon fabric.
A spicy scent enveloped her conscious thoughts like a powerful drug that once hummed through her veins. Lizzie listened to the rhythmic clicking of the wheels and Lord Markham’s steady breathing until drowsiness pulled her under.
Thank you Mirella!!!
