A
Code of the Heart
Code Breakers # 3
Code Breakers # 3
By: Jacki Delecki
Released February 14th, 2015
Self-Published
Blurb
Miss Amelia Bonnington
has been in love with Michael Harcourt since she was nine years old… or so she
thought until a not-so proper impassioned and unyielding kiss from the not-so
honorable and equally disreputable Mr. Derrick Brinsley, gave her reason to
question the feelings of the heart.
Derrick Brinsley, brother
to the Earl of Falconbridge, shunned from society for running off with his
brother’s fiancée, hasn’t cared about or questioned his lack of acceptance
until meeting the beguiling Amelia Bonnington. One passionate moment with the
fiery Miss Bonnington has him more than willing to play by society’s rules to
possess the breathtaking, red-haired woman.
Amelia unwittingly
becomes embroiled in espionage when she stumbles upon a smuggling ring in the
modiste shop of her good friend. To prove her French friend’s innocence, she
dangerously jumps into the fray, jeopardizing more than her life.
On clandestine assignment
to prevent the French from stealing the Royal Navy’s secret weapon, Derrick
must fight to protect British secrets from falling into the hands of French
spies, but also the chance at love with the only woman capable of redeeming him.
Excerpt
Prologue
Edworth
House Party
Christmas
Eve, 1802
Amelia Bonnington braced herself as the
crowd bumped and pushed, straining to get close to His Highness. The crème of
society shoved and elbowed, politely-of-course, since one would never want to
be accused of bad manners.
The Prince Regent stood on a small platform
elaborately decorated with heavy boughs of greenery and red velvet, matching
the Christmas décor of the massive ballroom. Hundreds of beeswax candles
burned. No expense had been spared for the house party celebrating his royal
visit.
Amelia had no desire to be part of the
prince’s circle; they were a ghastly group who were only interested in
themselves and their own pleasure.
She sucked in the little air left in the
room and pushed, courteously-of-course, toward the door. The crowd and the heat
were unbearable. She wasn’t one to swoon, but with the thick mix of perfume and
the hot bodies, she felt tonight might be her first. She, one of the steadiest
women, felt unsteady and unsafe. The last days of upheaval must have had a
greater effect on her than she had wanted to believe.
Her whole world had been turned upside down
and twisted sideways at this house party. In the last two days, her friends had
been poisoned and kidnapped, and she had been ensnared in the French villain’s
trap. But the deadly crisis had to be kept secret. Nothing must look out of the
ordinary. No one outside the intelligence world ever know about the enemy’s
threat to the Prince Regent’s life. The ball must go on.
Amelia looked over her shoulder for the
closest exit, but the throng pushed her forward. She needed to escape from the
packed room.
A gentleman used the chaos in the crowded
room, to crash into her, to take liberties with her person. After spending the
last four years in congested ballrooms, she fully recognized the scoundrel’s
ploy. His heavy eyelids didn’t conceal his hungry eyes, focused down her
décolletage. As his eyes remained fixated on her breasts, he grabbed her elbow,
pretending to help her when in fact he intended to pull her close against his
hefty, malodorous body.
His reek of stale alcohol and sour sweat
constricted her stomach and burned her throat. She pulled her arm away from his
grasp, repulsed by the wetness seeping through his gloves. “Sir, release me
this instant.”
She
was about to dig her heel into the supposed gentleman’s fat toe when suddenly a
space opened around her and a smell of fresh lime soap surrounded her.
The perspiring man stared behind her. His
slack mouth and his blood-shot eyes widened in fear.
She
recognized Lord Brinsley’s scent without needing to turn; he was an impossibly
difficult, yet irresistibly appealing man. His deep, velvety voice flitted down
her skin like a caress. “Miss Amelia, may I escort you away from this mob?”
Relief and something much more potent
buzzed all her nerve endings. She turned quickly and found herself pressed
against the broad chest of the man she had been forced to conspire with to save
her friends.
She hastily straightened herself. “I never
thought I’d be happy to see you.” She refused to be like all the other women
who fawned for his slightest glance.
He lifted an eyebrow and the corner of his
mouth in that sardonic way she always found irritating. He was too big, too
handsome, and too confident for her to find him irresistible. She’d never let
him have the satisfaction of knowing she found him…almost irresistible.
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/123925-code-breakers
Author Info
Descended from a long line of storytellers, Jacki spins adventures filled with mystery, healing and romance. Jacki’s love affair with the arts began at a young age and inspired her to train as a jazz singer and dancer. She has performed many acting roles with the Seattle Opera Company and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Her travels to London and Paris ignited a deep-seated passion to write A Code of Love, a romantic mystery set in the Regency era. Jacki is certain she spent at least one lifetime dancing in the Moulin Rouge.
Although writing now fills most of her days, she continues to volunteer with Seattle’s Ballet and Opera companies, as well as leading children’s tours of Pike Street Market. Her volunteer work with Seattle’s homeless shelters influenced one of her main characters in An Inner Fire. Jacki’s two Golden Labs, Gus and Talley, are her constant companions. Their years of devotion and intuition inspired her to write both dogs as heroes in A Code of Love. A geek at heart, Jacki loves superhero movies—a hero’s battle against insurmountable odds. Fortunately, her heroines don’t have to wear a unitard to fight injustice and battle for the underdog. Jacki’s extraordinary heroines love and heal. Visit www.JackiDelecki.com for more information.
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2 comments:
Great to be on Erotic Romance News! Thanks for hosting me.
Jacki
Thank you for hosting today!
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