To Bed or to Wed (20 page)

The brief contact made her veins hum. “Yes, oh yes. I want to experience…” She hissed as he flexed his hips and thrust into her. A sharp prick of pain speared through her, but the moment he withdrew and penetrated her again, it fled in the face of new, fluttering sensations. “…everything. I want you.”

“Have I injured you?” His ragged whisper betrayed the control he exerted as did the tightening of his fingers on hers.

“No.” Charlotte wriggled her hips which sent his
length deeper, filling her completely. “Hurry.” Her cheeks warmed at her inexperience.
But it’s not as if this sort of thing would be widely accepted as tea time conversation.

“I adore
you.” Nathan set a gentle rhythm, and when she puzzled out the pattern, she lifted her hips to meet each thrust. “With you, I’m perceived as a better man. For you, I will be that man.”

“Not for me.” Charlotte panted as she struggled to keep up with his movements. “For you. Change or not,
I just want you.” She clung to his fingers. They were the only things keeping her in the here and now as heat and bands of pressure threatened to tear her apart.

He grunted a reply. Faster and faster his hips worked. Harder and harder he drove into her. “Charlotte, I cannot last.”

“Oh dear heavens.” She hooked her heels around his thighs, not knowing why but feeling it was the right thing to do. “I need…” She had no idea what she needed, only that Nathan was the only person who could give it to her. When she tilted her hips and his hard shaft rubbed against a secret spot in her passage, the damn inside her broke. “Nathan!” Her body stiffened while the most exquisite sensations washed over her. Both heat and cold became her world, punctuated by thousands of tiny prickles of pleasure all working to push her channel to convulse around him.

Moments later, the marquess gasped her name. The pulse and jerk of his length within her prolonged the bliss. Warmth filled her being. He collapsed on top of her then finally released her hands. “We’re going to have such
a delightful time together.”

She murmured her agreement as he nuzzled the crook of her shoulder. Her chest heaved. His weight pressing her into the bed gave her a feeling of safety and protection. She never wanted to move. “You won’t send me home straightaway, will you?” Now that she had him, she didn’t want to leave him.

“No, dearest. Not until daylight at least.” He rolled off her but pulled her with him and tucked her against his chest.

“Will we do this again before I go home?” Her eyelids were heavy and her body was sated. The scent of his shaving soap and sweat permeated her brain.

“My darling, we will do this as many times as your heart desires, for I do not intend to be without you by my side for many years.” Nathan tightened his arms around her. “I love you, Charlotte. Meeting you in that maze was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.”

She smiled then pressed a kiss to his chest. “No, that was the easy part. Falling in love was the lucky thing.” With a sigh of pure contentment, she settled into his embrace. “I cannot wait to
begin our life together.”

Won’t Mother
will be surprised and shocked.

Even that wasn’t daunting any longer. For the first time in her life, she’d done something just for her. She’d gone after the man of her dreams, and he was far better than any of the heroes in her books.

The End

Praise for Sandra Sookoo’s historical work

Sandra Sookoo has created a strong and independent heroine who never expected to find herself in the position she is in. However, once in it she does not give up or give in to her circumstances or love very easily. I would recommend this book to readers who love an adventure and to romance lovers who enjoy a strong female heroine to match up against a sultry bad boy hero. -- Kathryn Bennett, Readers Favorite (for
Act of Pardon
)

I loved Sandra Sookoo's
Misfortune's Lady
. From the characters to the setting to the sizzling and emotional love scenes, I was hooked and drawn in by this story from the first page. The characters are complicated, messy, and utterly charming. The historical setting was richly painted, not only with small scene details but with the backdrop of political and diplomatic issues that affected the characters. Most enchanting was the development of the relationship between Miranda, John, and Richard. Not only was it rife with boiling-over attraction, but it was emotionally complicated, each man approaching the ménage relationship with fears and needs that clashed with Miranda's. If you crave ménage romance and love the Regency era, I can't imagine a book that could more thoroughly and enjoyably satisfy your desires. – Christy, Night Owl Reviews (for
Misfortune’s Lady
)

I was swept along with this story and the characters' grand affair and passions. It is a lively love story but starts off very carnal… The characters are full-bodied and well-developed. Maggie is passionate, scandalous, stubborn and strong-willed, while Stephen is a rogue in every way and both are sure they will not fall in love. – Linda, The Romance Studio (for
Lady Parker’s Grand Affair
)

The Bridal Contract

(Darrington family novel book
three)

Coming
September 2014

When a bridal contract is struck, either parental outrage will void the arrangement or the love of a child will sweeten the match.

Oliver Darrington—Viscount Tralsburg—wants nothing more than to hide out at the family property in Brighton until he can secure a sea-worthy ship and return to adventuring the world. However, being handed his late mistress’ child isn’t part of that plan. Neither is the sudden longing for his pretty Italian neighbor.

Eloisa Hawthorne is in dire straits. Her older brother has gambled away her sister’s hand to a horrible man. In order to save her sister’s virtue and her future, Eloisa needs a fast fortune—or someone who can immediately cover the debt. When her handsome neighbor offers a temporary engagement contract, she accepts with alacrity. Too bad she fell in love with his dark-haired offspring. How scandalous!

When the two host a dinner party for his mother in Brighton society, Oliver wishes the union wasn’t merely a lark. Eloisa fears for the adorable child’s upbringing in heathen locales, but what can she do? The contract is only for a month, and love was never an option. Something must be done to throw over convention before the moment is lost and matters of the heart are sacrificed.

Scandalously Independent

(a collection of the first two Scandal in Surrey books)

Who said well-bred ladies had to behave properly?

There’s nothing better than reading about strong-willed, determined women… unless those women are fighting against society’s dim viewpoints for their happy endings during the Regency era. This
Scandalously Independent
collection contains the first two
Scandal in Surrey
books.

In
Lady Parker’s Grand Affair
, Maggie, Lady Parker, is happy with her quiet life in Surrey, except she’d really like to flirt with scandal one last time and hope that it will tame the longing inside her. When Stephen Tarkington accompanies her niece to England with marriage on his mind, all of Maggie’s best laid plans go awry. Romance is in the air, but a fit of teenage angst might nip a happy ending in the bud.

In
The Bride’s Gambit
, Vanessa Underhill has run away from her fifth trip to the marriage altar. She refuses to take vows with a man she doesn’t know, but when her carriage to London is stopped by a masked highwayman—namely Viscount Blackpool, Collin Northington—she changes her mind. Kidnapped and well into scandal, Vanessa takes control of her fate and asks the highwayman to ruin her. In a heated moment, he reveals not only his intentions but his scarred face. Everything crumbles into chaos and she runs again.

Available everywhere digital books are sold. Also available in paperback format.

Scandalously Improper

(a collection of the
last two Scandal in Surrey books)

A lady with a mysterious smile and come hither gaze will be immediately sought after.

There’s nothing better than reading about strong-willed, determined women… unless those women are fighting against society’s dim viewpoints for their happy endings during the Regency era. This
Scandalously Improper
collection contains the last two Scandal in Surrey books.

In
Misfortune’s Lady
, Miranda Ellis Mason Craythorne firmly believes anything associated with her love life is under a black cloud of bad luck, but when Mr. John Goddard calls, she might be willing to change her outlook, especially when he brings a cunning and handsome spy, Richard Howick, with him. More than a steamy ménage is in the offing when these three come together. In a world where reputation is everything and behavior outside the proper is frowned upon, finding a happy ending might just be a trial that demands too much from them all.

In
Miss Bennett’s Naughty Secret
, Elinor Bennett harbors a habit that keeps her warm at night and the lonely memories at bay. When her fingers wander, she can easily believe in dreams beyond the deaths of her family members. Yet when her new neighbor, Geoffrey Ansley, moves into the manor house next door, her dreams change focus. No matter that he’s the bastard son of an earl and his reputation is steeped in rumor, she’s intrigued, especially when he reveals his American roots, which gives them something in common. When he finds her outside his bedroom one night in a secret passageway, her dreams change focus in a very passionate way, but a Guy Fawkes prank might quell her chance for a love match.

Available everywhere digital books are sold. Also available in paperback format.