shocked myself. Frightened myself. And when I heard the alarm go up, my first thought was that Peter had done the same.”
“Oh!” She caught her breath. “It’s no wonder, then, that you were so—”
“Horrid?”
“You were, you know.”
“It’s because I didn’t understand. That day all I could feel was fear because the control was gone. It wasn’t until you were gone that I understood. The control was nothing but a trap—and you had set me free.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
He kissed it away.
“But now we have a problem,” he told her.
She sighed. “Only one?”
“It’s a big one.”
She sighed. “I know. I’m not safe and I’m not comfortable. Or peaceful—or any of the things you’d hoped to come home to.”
He smiled and stroked a bit of hair back from her face. “No, my sweet, that is not the problem.”
She blinked up at him. “Then I am stumped.”
He laughed out loud. “I’m afraid it’s a bit of the opposite. I find that safe and peaceful are nothing but lonely and miserable. I need a bit of excitement, it would seem. But worse, the real problem is that I don’t know how to go about it. Though now I’m free, I’m still lost. I don’t know how to live out here, exposed and in the open. I’m a wreck. I can’t get anything done and I fear I’ve shocked and upset all of the servants at Cateswood.”
“Oh, dear. It does sound bad.”
“It is—and as you are responsible for this sorry state, I do believe you should be the one to fix it.”
“Do you?”
He settled both hands around her waist. “I do.”
“How shall I accomplish this?”
“It will take extreme measures, I’m sad to say. I fear you must marry me. Immediately. I need you, my dear, to show me how to chase happiness. And to teach me how to go on.”
“Is that all?”
“No. You must give up America and its tolerance for England and our pride. You’ll have to see to the order of my days.”
“Ah, but what of your nights?”
He placed a kiss upon her brow. “Those too. And the hardest task comes last.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“You must love me, I’m afraid.”
She pursed her lips and considered. “Can we still have the occasional battle?”
“As many as you like,” he promised.
She ducked her head. “And will you love me in return?”
He cupped her jaw and kissed her with all the tenderness in his heart. “I already do.”
“Then I suppose I will take you on.”
“Thank you, darling girl,” he whispered. “I put myself in your hands—and I know I’ll be safe at last.”
The Red Door Reads ‘Who’s Ben Skrewd?’ Novellas
What do you call eleven books ranging the spectrum of Romance, from Regency Historical to Contemporary, to Paranormal, Urban Fantasy and beyond, all releasing on April 15, 2014 (tax day!) and each featuring a Red Door and a mysterious figure named Ben Skrewd? You call it a novella series like none other, all from the fabulous writers at Red Door Reads!
Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness by Deb Marlowe
A Half Moon House Series Novella
Hexed by Andris Bear
A Deadly Sins Novella
Dances with Demons by Lori Handeland
A Phoenix Chronicles Novella
Firebird by Linda Winstead Jones
A Columbyana Novella
In the Stars by Ava Stone
A Regency Encounter Novella
Her Muse, Lord Patrick by Jane Charles
A Muses Novella
Cross Springs In Bloom by Caren Crane
A Cross Springs Novella
The Earl’s Passionate Plot by Susan Gee Heino
Touch of Trouble by Susan Sey
A Blake Brothers Novella
Reagan’s Revenge by Tammy Falkner
A Reed Brothers Novella
Accidentally in Love by Claudia Dain
A More Courtesan Chronicles Novella
You can find them all at http://www.RedDoorReads.com !
A Special Excerpt from Ava Stone’s Novella, In the Stars
A little bell tinkled above her head at their entrance, and Mina blinked into the darkness of the room that didn’t even
“Oh!” She caught her breath. “It’s no wonder, then, that you were so—”
“Horrid?”
“You were, you know.”
“It’s because I didn’t understand. That day all I could feel was fear because the control was gone. It wasn’t until you were gone that I understood. The control was nothing but a trap—and you had set me free.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
He kissed it away.
“But now we have a problem,” he told her.
She sighed. “Only one?”
“It’s a big one.”
She sighed. “I know. I’m not safe and I’m not comfortable. Or peaceful—or any of the things you’d hoped to come home to.”
He smiled and stroked a bit of hair back from her face. “No, my sweet, that is not the problem.”
She blinked up at him. “Then I am stumped.”
He laughed out loud. “I’m afraid it’s a bit of the opposite. I find that safe and peaceful are nothing but lonely and miserable. I need a bit of excitement, it would seem. But worse, the real problem is that I don’t know how to go about it. Though now I’m free, I’m still lost. I don’t know how to live out here, exposed and in the open. I’m a wreck. I can’t get anything done and I fear I’ve shocked and upset all of the servants at Cateswood.”
“Oh, dear. It does sound bad.”
“It is—and as you are responsible for this sorry state, I do believe you should be the one to fix it.”
“Do you?”
He settled both hands around her waist. “I do.”
“How shall I accomplish this?”
“It will take extreme measures, I’m sad to say. I fear you must marry me. Immediately. I need you, my dear, to show me how to chase happiness. And to teach me how to go on.”
“Is that all?”
“No. You must give up America and its tolerance for England and our pride. You’ll have to see to the order of my days.”
“Ah, but what of your nights?”
He placed a kiss upon her brow. “Those too. And the hardest task comes last.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“You must love me, I’m afraid.”
She pursed her lips and considered. “Can we still have the occasional battle?”
“As many as you like,” he promised.
She ducked her head. “And will you love me in return?”
He cupped her jaw and kissed her with all the tenderness in his heart. “I already do.”
“Then I suppose I will take you on.”
“Thank you, darling girl,” he whispered. “I put myself in your hands—and I know I’ll be safe at last.”
The Red Door Reads ‘Who’s Ben Skrewd?’ Novellas
What do you call eleven books ranging the spectrum of Romance, from Regency Historical to Contemporary, to Paranormal, Urban Fantasy and beyond, all releasing on April 15, 2014 (tax day!) and each featuring a Red Door and a mysterious figure named Ben Skrewd? You call it a novella series like none other, all from the fabulous writers at Red Door Reads!
Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness by Deb Marlowe
A Half Moon House Series Novella
Hexed by Andris Bear
A Deadly Sins Novella
Dances with Demons by Lori Handeland
A Phoenix Chronicles Novella
Firebird by Linda Winstead Jones
A Columbyana Novella
In the Stars by Ava Stone
A Regency Encounter Novella
Her Muse, Lord Patrick by Jane Charles
A Muses Novella
Cross Springs In Bloom by Caren Crane
A Cross Springs Novella
The Earl’s Passionate Plot by Susan Gee Heino
Touch of Trouble by Susan Sey
A Blake Brothers Novella
Reagan’s Revenge by Tammy Falkner
A Reed Brothers Novella
Accidentally in Love by Claudia Dain
A More Courtesan Chronicles Novella
You can find them all at http://www.RedDoorReads.com !
A Special Excerpt from Ava Stone’s Novella, In the Stars
A little bell tinkled above her head at their entrance, and Mina blinked into the darkness of the room that didn’t even
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