A new genre débuts at Naughty Nights Press with this highly charged, erotic Historical Western. For a limited time 75% off!!
Available for only $0.99 off from these
sellers!
From different worlds, drawn by desire, passion is
about to change their lives forever...
Indulge in a wickedly seductive taste of CHAMPAGNE AND CHOCOLATE:
Austin Standish is a man of refined tastes.
Intelligent and educated, Austin enjoys all of the best life has to offer. A
gambler, a gunslinger, and a man who has plans to taste the sweetest prize at
The Palace Casino and Saloon - the lovely owner, Chantille L'Amour, the most
sought after jewel on the Barbary Coast.
Running a high-class brothel and casino isn't
exactly the life she was born to but Chantille is determined to overcome the
ruin her family was left in once the Civil War ended. But, she has chosen a
difficult path... one that demands much and leaves her lonely. She's noticed
the handsome man who comes into her world from time to time, and when she
chooses to give in to desire, the passion evoked by Austin's touch may change
her life forever...
“So, why
the annoyance?”
Chantille’s
eyes never left Austin’s face as he read the telegram that had arrived in the
middle of the morning. They’d spent the past few weeks together, falling
comfortably into a relationship that had taken them both by surprise.
“I’ve just
been summoned to New Orleans,” he informed her, a scowl on his face.
She sat
back in her chair and eyed him, surprised. “Family?”
He nodded.
“Seems my cousin wants to sell the family estate.”
“You’re
from the South?” She was curious. “I thought San Francisco was your home.”
“My mother’s
family is from Louisiana; my father’s from Boston.”
She
laughed a little. “That must have been difficult for them when the war broke
out.”
He
shrugged. “My mother’s family had already disowned her for marrying my father.
I’m amazed they want to have me within a hundred miles of what remains of the
family heritage.”
His
bitterness touched her, and her treacherous heart reached out to him.
“I’m
sorry, Austin. I don’t think the wounds of this war will heal for many years.”
“Twin Oaks
is one of the oldest plantations in Virginia. It’s been the Standish home for
almost a hundred years.”
“The
Standish home?” She frowned, confused. “You said your father was from Boston.”
She stopped, smiling. “No matter.”
He
laughed, his agile mind understanding her perplexity.
“I took
the name of my mother’s family when my father banished me from his home in
Boston. Seems I’m something of a disgrace to my illustrious, respected parent.”
“How could
you be a disgrace to anyone, Austin?” She shook her head as she spoke.
“I was
thrown out of West Point for brawling, and, when I fought for the confederacy
in the last months of the war, Barton Whitfield disinherited me and paid me
well to go away and not return to Boston.”
In spite
of the casual words, she heard the undercurrent of hurt in his rich voice.
“How long
has it been since you saw him?”
Austin
picked up his coffee and leaned back, sipping at it. “The year after the war
ended. Must be almost fifteen years now.”
“A long
time to have no roots.”
“When was
the last time you saw your family, Chantille?” he countered.
She
laughed, heard the brittleness in the sound. “We weren’t discussing me, were
we?”
“That long
then, is it?”
“What do
you think one of Georgia’s oldest families would do to a daughter who ran a
brothel and casino? A woman who isn’t any less a whore than the girls she keeps
to entertain the men who come to gamble and indulge their vices.”
“You’re
not a whore, Chantille.” His anger hardened and sharpened his words.
“What
would your father call me?” she challenged.
When his
eyes flashed with rage she relented. “Why New Orleans?”
“Elizabeth’s
husband has business to take care of, and this must be part of it.”
“When will
you leave?”
“I want
you to come with me.”
“I have a
business to run, and I’ve already seen New Orleans.”
He shook
his head, smile rakish. “Not with me you haven’t.” He paused, then added, “Have
you ever been on a riverboat?”
“No, I
haven’t. I was invited to do a river trip, but I left New Orleans before it
could happen.” She rose, agitated as old memories she did not want to discuss
with Austin started to flood into her mind.
He reached
out and grasped her wrist when she tried to walk past him. He increased the pressure until she looked
down at him and jerked her hand free of his hold.
“You haven’t
said you’ll come with me.”
“No.”
He stood,
his motion fluid and graceful.
“Chantille,
I want you with me.” He drew her into his arms and held her close.
“I don’t
have happy memories of New Orleans, I’d rather not go back there.”
“We can
make enough happy memories together to erase the past, honey,” he assured her. “Your
past, and mine.”
It sounds like an awesome book.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Laurel.
DeleteI love this book. I have always loved historical romances and this one is a sweet sizzler.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Nikki. It was certainly a fun story to write!! Hugs, D
DeleteIt's a must to add to my TBR list. Looking forward to reading :)
ReplyDeleteLynn
lareynolds0316@gmail.com
Awesome excerpt Denys'e :)
ReplyDeleteIt kind of reminds me of Gone With The Wind except after the War of Northern Aggression.
I see I won the Rafflecopter too, YOU ROCK!
Mindy (Mina)G.