Jun 12, 2016

SUNDAY SMOOCH WITH YVONNE LINDSAY

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a smooch from but first 


... the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is PAM SWAIN!! Congratulations!


Can you please contact Helen via mail (at) helenlacy (dot) com to receive your copy of LUCY & THE LIEUTENANT


And now for today's Sunday Smooch from YVONNE LINDSAY!



ARRANGED MARRIAGE, BEDROOM SECRETS

An arranged marriage means she’s his bride. Her secrets make her much more… Only from USA TODAY bestselling author Yvonne Lindsay!

Princess Mila will safeguard her kingdom by marrying a neighboring royal she barely knows. But she refuses to let Prince Thierry perfect his romantic arts with another woman. Disguised as his hired courtesan, the virgin princess plans to seduce her fiancé before their wedding night!

The mind-blowing chemistry they discover can’t be taught—or forgotten. Yet Mila’s lie is unforgivable to a man who prizes honor above all. Public scandal threatens all Mila’s dreams and her country’s future…unless this prince can let passion, and his heart, reign supreme.




Mila and Thierry have been out for an early morning ride and have returned to his hunting lodge. The attraction between them is palpable. (Mila is known to him only as Angel and when they first met he introduced himself as Hawk.)




“Shall I go and see what I can put together for breakfast?” she asked.


“You don’t trust me to cook?”

Thierry lifted one eyebrow, as if punctuating his question. Her heart did a little flip-flop in her chest.

“It’s not that,” she protested.

“It’s okay. I am man enough to take advantage of your offer. I’ll go and shower while you do your thing in the kitchen.”

Mila narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you being sexist again?”

“Again?”

“Like you were in New York.”

He snorted a laugh. “Not at all, at least I didn’t mean it to come across that way. To make up for any offense I may have caused, I’ll provide the rest of our meals today. Is that punishment enough for my apparent lapse of manners?”

She couldn’t help it—she smiled in return and inclined her head in acceptance. “Thank you. That would be lovely.”

“And that is the perfect example of how I should have responded,” he commented.

“You’re a quick study,” she teased, feeling herself relax again.

“I’ll need to be if I’m to ace all my lessons with you.”

And in an instant, there it was again. The sensual tension that drew as tight as an overstretched bow between them. Mila felt as if every cell in her body urged her to move toward him. Did he step closer to her? Or she to him? Whether it was either or both of them, somehow they ended up face to face. She felt his hands at her waist again, hers suddenly rested on his chest. Beneath her palms she felt the raggedness of his breathing, the pounding of his heart. And when he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers she felt her body melt into him as if this was what they should have been doing all along.
No more skirting around the subject of getting to know a person. Simply a man responding to a woman. And what a response. She flexed her body against his, relishing the hard muscles of his chest and abdomen against her softness, purring a sigh of pure feminine satisfaction when she felt the hardness at his groin. The concrete evidence that he found her attractive.

All the years of feeling as though she’d never be anything to him but the gauche teenager she’d been all those years before fell away as if they were nothing.

His hands were at her back, pressing her more firmly to him. Her breasts were pressed against his chest and she welcomed the pressure, felt her nipples harden into painfully tight points that begged for more of his touch. The restrictions of her bra and clothing were too much, and too little at the same time.

Thierry’s lips were firm against hers, coaxing. She opened her mouth and gave a shudder of delight as he gently sucked her lower lip against his tongue. The heat of his mouth against that oh so tender skin made her fingers curl against his chest, her nails digging into the fabric of his shirt as if she needed to anchor herself to him, to anything that would stop her from floating away on the tide of responsiveness that coursed through her.

And then, in an instant, there was nothing but air in front of her. Mila almost lost her balance as she opened her eyes and realized Thierry had thrust her from him and taken several long steps away.

“H-Hawk?” she asked, reaching out a hand.

“Don’t!” he snapped in return and wiped a shaking hand across his face. “Don’t touch me. I should not have done that. I apologize for my actions.”

“But…why not? What is wrong? I’m here as your courtesan, am I not?”

Confusion swirled through Mila’s mind as she fought to understand.

“I must remain faithful to my promise. I cannot touch you like that again. This was a mistake. Being here with you, of all people—it’s making me weak.”

There was genuine pain in his voice. Pain laced with disgust. At himself, she recognized, not her.

“Your promise to marry the princess?” she probed, seeking more clarity.

“Yes, my promise to her. And my promise to myself.”

“Tell me of your promise to yourself,” she asked softly.

“I can’t—not right now. Please, go inside the lodge. I just need some time to recompose myself.” He looked at her, his eyes as stormy as a mountain lake on a cloudy, windswept day.

But she didn’t want to let it go. Not when her entire body still hummed with the effect of his kiss.

“No, tell me now. I’m here to help you. How can I do that if you shut me out?” She walked toward him and caught him by the hand. “Hawk, let me understand you. Please?”
 



What's your favourite wedding story? Is it poignant? LOL funny? A memory of a perfect day? Share with me and all comments will go into a pool from which a randomly drawn winner will receive their own autographed copy of ARRANGED MARRIAGE, BEDROOM SECRETS!

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and a guest smooch from legendary romance author, Anne McAllister, will be posted!


Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver

22 comments:

  1. Gorgeous smooch, Yvonne!

    As for favourite marriage story...I think all weddings are special, so there's not one that stands out (except my own, where I eloped and we dispensed with all of the trappings of a wedding, LOL).

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    1. You're absolutely right. All weddings are very special. I love the sound of your elopement, Michelle.

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  2. 35 years ago one month from today, I walked down the aisle to be with my (very sweaty but) very much in love husband-to-be. It doesn't get any better than that.

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  3. We got a card from twin boys, friends of my little sister wishing us all the best AND wishing us the good fortune of having twins. And we did!!

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    1. How awesome is that, Laura!?

      We have fraternal twins in our extended family.

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  4. Great smooch, Yvonne!

    I love weddings. But probably the funniest was my own when my husband organised our wedding music and our wedding song was 'You Sexy Thing' by Hot Chocolate (unbeknown to me!) Got everyone up dancing straight away.

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    1. That sounds like so much fun, Jen! We were driving in the car yesterday and I heard the song I know my daughter's fiance has chosen for her to walk down the aisle to. It totally makes me well up every time I hear it.

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  5. Lovely!! Lovely!!

    I went to a wedding where the bride wore black - black being slimming and all. Not to be too mean, but it didn't help.

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    1. Thanks, Mary! And I'm giggling away here at your comment about the bride. :-)

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  6. My wedding story is my own - I met my husband in a lonely hearts column in the newspaper. It was SO meant to be....we knew within three weeks what to do about it. The rest stays behind closed doors - until I write about it one day! Thanks for the smooch. Lovely. Jay.

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    1. Hi Jay, I love the idea that people can find true love wherever they look for it and a lonely hearts column is just the sweetest start to a relationship, in my opinion. Thanks for sharing!

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  7. Awesome :-)
    I went to a multi cultural wedding. Half way through the bride changed into a sari. It was beautiful

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    1. How gorgeous, Ashlee! I've been to a Sri Lankan wedding and the ceremony itself was a festival of colour.

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  8. Hi Yvonne

    Oh this one does sound fab :)

    There have been so many wedding stories that are wonderful romantic and gorgeous from true life to the awesome stories I have read over the years> When my eldest daughter got married they already had two little boys and the youngest carried a sign when he walked down the isle with his Mum that said Dad here comes Mum :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. Hi Helen! That sign sounds very cute, I can just imagine how that must have melted hearts on the day and injected a bit of humour.

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  9. Yvonne, what a fascinating, convoluted situation they're in. I'm wondering how they're going to resolve it all. What fun! :) I confess, my fave wedding was my own. Everyone was so happy - such a great day.

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    1. It was a very convoluted plot and gave me a heck of a headache. I asked myself, often, why do I do this to myself, LOL! I love that your fav wedding was your own. So special.

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  10. over he years I have been to many weddings most of them good --some not so good --like the smooch ---LynW

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    1. Thanks, LynW. It's always a bit sad when a wedding isn't so good, isn't it? We attended a wedding recently where a family friend of many many many years wed his highschool sweetheart...40 years after they broke up. They were so totally meant to be together that everyone at the wedding was so happy and excited for them. I think it was the loveliest wedding we've been to, to date, but we have my eldest girl's wedding coming up in a few months and I think that'll be our favourite for quite a while.

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  11. I don't think I can pick a favourite wedding story, though I'm sure when I eventually meet my Mr Right, it'll be my own one.

    I strongly urge anyone who hasn't yet read this title to do so.

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    1. Hi, Lyn! Thanks for your endorsement of the book. :-) And I look forward to hearing your Mr Right story when he comes along. I always love a happy ending.

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