Once the courtesan of a prince, and then the
wife of a king, Davina Keane now finds herself divorced, banished for treason,
and sentenced to a life of loveless marriage to the man who aided her in her
crimes. Now a penniless widow, she has sunk as low as could be and faces a life
of poverty; prostitution being her only other option besides living on the
street. Desperate to save herself, Davina makes one final attempt at forging a
new life … by marriage to Rafe Rothwell.
A widower and father of three, Rafe has been looking for a wife ever since his first one perished. It’s too bad no one will have him, as he and his children (known notoriously as the Racous Rothwells) have a reputation for being difficult to manage. He’s long given up his search when Davina Keane appears at his door, seemingly prepared to take on the role. Though his needs are practical at first, Rafe finds himself faced with the truth: he wants more from her than just a manager of his home and hearth.
As an arrangement of convenience becomes something more, Davina is faced with the possibility of losing her husband over the truth of a past she kept secret when entering the marriage. Will love be enough to erase the mistakes of her past, or will they threaten to upend her newfound happiness?
A widower and father of three, Rafe has been looking for a wife ever since his first one perished. It’s too bad no one will have him, as he and his children (known notoriously as the Racous Rothwells) have a reputation for being difficult to manage. He’s long given up his search when Davina Keane appears at his door, seemingly prepared to take on the role. Though his needs are practical at first, Rafe finds himself faced with the truth: he wants more from her than just a manager of his home and hearth.
As an arrangement of convenience becomes something more, Davina is faced with the possibility of losing her husband over the truth of a past she kept secret when entering the marriage. Will love be enough to erase the mistakes of her past, or will they threaten to upend her newfound happiness?
“Things
have been … difficult … since Hannah died.”
“Hannah
was your wife?” she asked, curiosity rearing its head.
Rafe
nodded. “Yes. Her death was unexpected and Beth was there when it happened. She
saw far too much and it has not been easy for either of us.”
Davina
felt her first twinge of pity for the girl. She had thought of her as a spoiled
wretch, but perhaps she’d misjudged her. “Poor thing.”
Rafe
sighed and lowered his head. “She blames me and I cannot hold that against
her.”
Curiosity
swelled and grew so swiftly, Davina forgot to be tactful. “What happened?”
She
regretted it the instant the question had been asked, if for no other reason
than the heartbreakingly agonized look on his face when he glanced up at her
again. Her heart squeezed painfully for him and she reached out to touch his
hand.
“Forgive
me,” she said softly. “You do not have to answer that.”
He
studied her intently, silently, his hand clenching tightly around hers.
“My
husband died of pneumonia,” she blurted, for she could think of nothing else to
say. “It was sudden and he went quickly. I hope you will not think me very bad
for admitting that I did not grieve him. At least, not in the way a woman would
be expected to grieve her husband. Our marriage was one of convenience and I
did not love him. We did not even like each other very much.”
Rafe’s
free hand came up to her face again and cupped her cheek. She sighed and leaned
into it, puzzled at how such an innocent touch could spark such a fire in her
core. His palm was against her cheek, his fingers entwined in his, their thighs
just barely brushing. It felt like one of the most intimate moments of her
life, yet it was one of the most non-sexual.
“I
know that our circumstances are unusual,” he said, his breath warm on her cheek
and his voice a low rumble between them, “but I would hope that we could be
better than convenient. I would like it very much if we could strive to be
friends.”
“Friends?”
she murmured as butterflies beat their wings madly in her stomach.
“Interesting. I’ve never been friends with a man before.”
He
smiled and Davina found his face utterly transformed. Behind the scruff lining
his jaws was a breathtaking visage. “There is a first time for everything,” he
said.
She
nodded. “I would like that too.”
“Good.”
Silence
fell between them again and Rafe’s eyes slid down to her mouth and lingered
there. On their own accord, her lips parted, her breath racing out between them
uninhibited. In her former life, during a moment like this, she would have
leaned a bit closer, lowering her eyelashes coquettishly and allowing the tip
of her tongue to caress her lower lip in invitation. A practiced seductress
would not hesitate to take what she wanted. Yet, now, all she could do was
wait, her breath caught in her throat as Rafe leaned in toward her.
She
sighed and he caught the sound, his lips pressing to hers so gently and quickly
that Davina wasn’t sure at first that he’d kissed her. The brush of his mouth
against hers lasted just as long as it took her to exhale, but, oh, it sent
shivers down her spine. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, waiting for
more, wanting it with a desperation that that caused her heart to pound
violently in her chest.
His
hand cupped the back of her head, fingers gripping the low knot at the nape of
her neck as he angled her for better access. He swooped in, his lips firmer
this time, more sure, the taste of him invading her senses as the scent of
wood, leaves, leather, and man filled her nostrils. His kiss was achingly slow,
tender and taunting, reducing her to near begging. She emitted a low sound at
the back of her throat and arched toward him, desperate for contact, for his
hands on her body.
Then,
as suddenly as he’d kissed her, he backed away, shooting to his feet as if
burned. Staring at him through a haze of desire, Davina hardly knew what had
happened before he was gone. She was left alone, her lips tingling from the
gentle caress of his mouth, her breasts heavy and full, her thighs clenched as
the pulsating between them intensified.
Davina’s
breath sawed rapidly in and out of her lungs as she fought for composure. Never
had she become so aroused so quickly while still fully clothed. The kiss had
been so chaste and sweet, not at all the sort of treatment she was used to.
He’d kissed her as if trying to be cautious of her feelings, as if he were
worried she wouldn’t want it. No man had ever shown her such respect or
practiced such restraint. Men had never given to her. They took from her. She
swallowed, her mouth gone dry as she watched him loping back toward the house,
his back and shoulders rigid as he made his retreat.
Brow
wrinkled in confusion, she did not try to follow him. Davina merely sat and
wondered what on earth had just happened. Never had a man’s kiss shaken her so
badly. She touched her fingertips to her mouth, her mind racing as she tried to
decide if she appreciated the feeling or not. One thing was for sure; no man
had ever run away from her. Even when they’d left, eventually they always did,
she’d never wanted to go chasing after one as badly as she did now.
A beautiful little girl was born to a
wealthy man in town... all he saw was his future bloodline and wealth
being wasted away... a female heir... and a wife who was now barren...
as time went by that little girl he ignored, the one he felt repulsed by
turned into a beautiful young lady... a lady of age to be married...
and the highest bidder will bid for his daughters hand...
Davina
had a different idea of what would happen to her life.. she was a free
spirit... wanted to be married for love not to have an arranged marriage
like her father wanted her to... she decides to take matters into her
own hands.. do whatever it takes to be who SHE wants to be not what her
father wants her to be...
Once
a queen to the King, she was banished for a crime of love... forced to
marry a man she didnt want... she finds herself being the misstress to
the world... until she decides its enough... she wants to be someone and
be taken cared of...
Raphael
Rothwell was in desperate need of a wife and mother for his 3
children... he also had a secret that prevented him from really loving
anyone...
Davina
was in desperate need to become someones wife... but she was not
expecting to fall in love... Beth, William and Tess won her heart over
from the moment she fought with Will and Beth over their attitudes...
I
would have loved to see the relationship develop a little more... but
overall it was a great book with moments of love, sorrow and healing...
I am a woman with two jobs. My
first job consists of taking care of home and family, which includes a busy
Army husband, two rambunctious kids, and two very active dogs. When I’m not
doing that I’m stretching the imagination with stories of people from all walks
of life (and worlds) falling in love.
I love coffee, chocolate, music
(listening and singing), shoes, jewelry, and food! I am always in the kitchen
whipping up something new or watching the pros do it on TV.
Thanks for participating in Elise's release day blitz Crystal! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday; I'm off to eat turkey for Canadian Thanksgiving. :D
ReplyDeleteCrystal, thanks for your awesome review and for featuring me and The Mistress today! *Hugs*
ReplyDeleteElise