A captivating story of feuding nobles forced to marry…
and destined to fall in love.
and destined to fall in love.
BLISS
Lynsay Sands
Releasing July 25, 2017
Avon Books
No
one blends humor and sensuality like New York Times bestselling
author Lynsay Sands in this captivating story of feuding nobles forced to
marry…and destined to fall in love.
Love thy
neighbor, ’tis said. A fine idea, except when the neighbor in question is Lord
Holden. Lady Helen Tiernay has complained frequently about his treatment of his
people. Too frequently perhaps, for the king intends to curb
their constant bickering by ordering them to wed. Helen can’t refuse a royal
decree, but she’ll do everything possible to drive away her devilishly
attractive husband-to-be.
Holden has
faced all manner of horrors on the battlefield. But marriage to “the tyrant of
Tiernay” is still a worrying prospect—until he glimpses Helen in the flesh.
What flesh it is…soft, lush, made for his touch. If she weren’t so intent on
thinking up devious ways to prevent consummating their bond, Helen would see
how perfect they are together, and that a marriage begun as enemies can turn to
absolute pleasure.
Excerpt
“Lady Tiernay,”
Templetun greeted, jogging up the last few steps to come abreast of Hethe as he
passed before their two hostesses. “May I introduce Lord Hethe of Holden. Lord
Holden, this is Lady Helen of Tiernay and her aunt Lady Nell Shambleau.”
Hethe moved up
another step so that his face and Helen’s were on a level, and managed a smile
as he gazed into his fiance’s sky blue eyes that matched her gown. Actually,
his mouth was responding to his nether regions, and it fashioned itself into a
beaming grin of pleasure for the woman—until she smile back and said, “How do
you do?”
His smile died an
abrupt death, becoming a dismayed grimace. It wasn’t the woman’s words that
affected him so but her foul breath that blew at him as she spoke. The shock of
it made Hethe take a hasty step backward. He would have tumbled down the stairs
had William not steadied him with a fist at his back.
“God’s teeth!” he
gasped in horror, bringing a perplexed and even slightly offended look to their
hostess’s face. It also brought him a rather sharp and confused look from
Templetun, reminding him of his manners. Forcing a false smile of apology to
his lips, Hethe turned his face slightly to avoid the noxious fumes and excused
himself by muttering, “Nearly lost my footing.”
“Oh, well, you must
be careful, my lord,” his betrothed breathed at him sweetly. Leaning closer,
she snatched his arm through her own, presumably to save him from losing his
balance again. She then smiled brightly and sighed gustily into his face. “Such
a handsome man. We would not wish you to tumble down the stairs and break your
neck! At least, not before the wedding, hmmm?” she teased, her eyes sparkling.
Hethe nearly
whimpered. His head was swimming under the onslaught of her poisonous
exhalations. Sweet Saint Simon! He had never smelled anything quite so raw or
putrid. He hadn’t thought it possible for such a scent to come out of a human’s
mouth. And the fact that it was coming from the sweet bow-shaped lips of the
lovely woman before him just seemed to make the horror of it that much worse.
“Shall we go
inside?” the woman’s aunt suggested cheerfully.
“Aye,” Lady Tiernay
agreed. “I am sure you gentlemen are ready for a nice mug of ale after your
journey.” She spoke the words to Hethe, her breath wafting over his face like
an ill wind carrying the stench of death. Feeling his stomach roil, Hethe
nodded faintly, more than eager for any excuse to move and avoid the situation
he was in.
Lord love me, I
have to marry this wench, he thought as he hurried rudely up the
last step and into the keep, dragging her a step behind. She would be breathing
this putrescence at him for the next fifty years or so, he thought faintly, too
dismayed to even realize how rude he was being by pulling Lady Tiernay about
and leaving her aunt and the others to follow.
Lynsay
Sands is the
nationally bestselling author of the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series, as
well as numerous historicals and anthologies. She's been writing stories since
grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career
out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress
through her stories, and if there's occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter,
that's just a big bonus. Please visit her on the web.
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