***Giveaway: AJ Nuest is giving away the entire The Golden Key Chronicles series (four books) in eBook format to one lucky commenter! Read on and find out how you can win this fabulous series!
FIRST KISS from Book II of The Golden Key Chronicles, Candra's Freedom by AJ Nuest
Beautiful though it was, his story did not spark her memories. Contrary to what she had so desperately hoped, she experienced no glimmer of recognition or illuminating epiphany, no sought-after moment when all the events fell perfectly into place.Sorrow was the only thing that saddled her heart, and the bitter realization everything he told her was the truth. If nothing else, the grating pain in her head confirmed it.
Once he finished, she eased back from where she’d perched with her shoulders high and tight, and released her death grip on the edge of the bench. One detail, however, seemed suspiciously absent from his tale. “How long?”
He stopped pacing and lifted his brows. “My lady?”
“How long did we know each other before I came through the veil? This time of Gleaning you spoke of. How long did it last? Six months? A year?”
His shoulders lowered the slightest degree. “Three days.”
“What?” She sprang to her feet.
The sudden movement, the horrified shock and brutal pounding in her head were too much. Bloated tears swarmed her eyes and a strangled sob escaped her throat. Her balance faltered. In a flash, he was before her, grasping her upper arms, the flickering light along his brow a ghostly apparition.
Three days with him and she’d risked everything? Given up her entire life? No, no, people didn’t experience the kind of love he described after only three days. They couldn’t. Not unless they were completely insane!
She dropped her face into her hands and an anguished moan seeped through her fingers. What the hell kind of spineless, weak-willed twit had she been? Falling in love with him inside the span of three days?
“Take heart, sweet Rowena. Though our time together was short, my love for you cannot be measured in the mere passing of days.”
When had he pulled her into his arms? At what moment did her forehead come to rest on his shoulder? She straightened and seized the open collar of his waistcoat, fisting the edges in her hands. She wanted to shake some sense into him. How could he say such things? Didn’t he see how impossible this all was?
Yet with them standing so close, every feature of his face was finally made clear. Vibrant ardor glistened in his eyes, reflecting the torch glow like two polished bits of topaz, beckoning her near. The anxious crease between his brows begged her to soothe his misery with a kind word. The heady allure of his masculine scent enveloped her in its warm caress, urging her closer to his lips. Her pulse stuttered, then raced. And when he placed his hand on the small of her back and pressed her near, her breasts met the firm wall of his chest, a gentle sigh escaped her lips.
Perhaps her memories waited in his kiss. Just like all those fabled stories Faelynn had told young Vaighn. A magic mirror, a handsome prince…a fated kiss and everything in her world would once again make sense. No more loneliness, no more pain, no more fighting to remember…
She went up on the toes of her silk slippers and tipped her head, tugging his collar until his parted lips hovered a scant moonbeam above hers. A jolt of pain seared her spine, but she clenched her fingers, strengthening her resolve. She would not be denied this chance. “Kiss me,” she whispered.
Desire flickered in his gaze, and caution warred with desperation in her heart. But surely one kiss was worth the risk? A simple touch in exchange for her memories.
His arms tensed at her waist. One heated, taut thigh slipped amid the folds of her skirt, nestling between her legs. “You test the limits of my restraint, madam.” A thrill coursed her skin when his breath skimmed the moisture on her lips. “Be forewarned. What you request, I shall not give lightly.”
“If you love me, Prince Caedmon, then prove it. Now kiss me.”
His mouth descended in a rush. Over and again his velvet lips touched, the tip of his tongue flicking and sweeping her upper lip until she opened herself to him.
With the first stroke of his tongue against hers, a delicious ripple of arousal swirled through her belly. Sweet tears of the nine, the man could kiss. He tasted of fresh air, the first hint of spring…freedom.
She nipped and sucked his lower lip, delving her tongue inside for another heady sip. His low moan set her head spinning. Exhilaration sizzled along her nerve endings. An aching pulse warmed and moistened the inner folds between her thighs.
Yes… Her body knew this man.
The Golden Key Chronicles
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Purchase a copy of the book at:
The Golden Key Chronicles Release Schedule:
Rowena’s Key: November 7, 2013
Candra’s Freedom: December 12, 2013
Caedmon’s Curse: January 9, 2014
Braedric’s Bane: February 13, 2014
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am a multi-published, award-winning author who lives in the middle of a cornfield in NW Indiana. My loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy of spoiled pets have agreed to stay and, in exchange for three rations per day and laundry service, tolerate my lunacy. While I spend most days happily ensconced in crafting romance across a multitude of genres, an underground coup has been percolating. The dogs just informed me the cat is secretly vying for dictatorship. WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE AUTHOR ON THE WEB:
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Email: ajnuest@yahoo.com
Twitter: @AJNuest
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