MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE—a conversation with Britt and Ashley

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Britt Carlton and Ashley Thornton from MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE, a Silhouette Desire originally released in print and currently available as a Harlequin Desire in ebook.

Hello, Britt and Ashley.  Welcome and thanks for taking the time to be here today.

Britt:  Our pleasure.  As I understand it, you want to know about our road to romance?

Ashley:  Road to romance…(chuckles) that was the last thing on my mind when we met.  After a broken engagement to a man who turned out to be cheating on me while I was wearing his engagement ring, I had no intention of giving it another try.  The only thing on my agenda was settling into my new city and my new job so I could make some new friends and start my new life.  Everything new and fresh.

Britt:  Romance was definitely off my list, too.  Been there, done that.  I had no use for the concept of a committed relationship let alone where that could logically lead.  I'd been burned before.  No-strings-attached was the only thing I wanted.  But even if I had been looking for that certain someone, (he gives her a quick wink) I have to admit that I made a really bad first impression.

A bad first impression?  That sounds interesting.  How and where did the two of you meet?

Ashley:  I was just moving into my studio apartment, boxes piled on furniture and things in disarray.  I was hanging pictures and suddenly this very rude man was standing at my opened front door telling me to keep the noise down.  Since it was the middle of the afternoon rather than early morning or late at night, I was definitely put off by his attitude.  Not to mention that he looked like he'd been up all night partying.  My first impression was decidedly unfavorable.  Obviously a womanizer…just like my ex-fiancé.

Britt:  I had over indulged at a bachelor party that I wished I could have avoided, but didn't have a graceful way out.  I offered to help her unpack the boxes and even invited her to dinner as a means of apologizing for my rudeness…no ulterior motive, just friends.

Ashley:  I agreed to meet him at his apartment after I showered and put on some clean clothes.  I knew immediately he was the type of man that a woman should not get involved with, the type who would break her heart.  But two friends having a meal together?  No problem…as long as we were just friends.  But what did I find when I went next door to his apartment?

Britt:  (groans as if in pain) The first impression I made went from bad to worse.  The couple upstairs had an out of town relative visiting and they brought her to my apartment thinking the four of us could have dinner together.  To say this woman was overly aggressive would be an understatement.  Ashley walked in just as she wrapped herself around me.  Needless to say, Ashley made a hasty retreat.  (a thoughtful expression crosses his face) I'll never forget that look on her face…(he gives her hand an affectionate squeeze)…a combination of disgust and hurt.

And that was strike two?

Britt:  Exactly.  It took some fancy footwork to get all of that smoothed over, but things finally settled down and over the next couple of weeks we became genuine good friends.

Ashley:  And then he ended up with the flu, I took care of him, and to repay me he offered to take me on a flying sight-seeing tour.

You're a pilot, Britt?  Do you work for one of the airlines?

Britt:  No, a private charter company.

You mean like tour groups going on vacation?

Britt:  No, usually business executives and occasionally freight.

A flight-seeing tour sounds like fun.  Seattle is a beautiful part of the country with mountains and ocean as far as you can see.

Ashley:  (laughs) It was incredible…right up until the time the plane ended up in the ocean.

You crashed?  That sounds scary.  What happened?

Ashley:  It was definitely scary.

Britt:  And it's all in the book.

Did that put a damper on your relationship?

Ashley:  No, no…you forgot.  There was no relationship—we were just friends.

Britt:  Yep…just friends.

Well…obviously at some point being just friends wasn't enough.  When and how did friendship expand to include romance?

Britt:  That was a rocky road, too.  And it's all in the—

I know.  It's in the book!

Ashley:  Absolutely…in the book.

Well, it sounds like you're not going to divulge any more of the details.  I appreciate both of you stopping by.  Thank you, Britt and Ashley.

MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE, a Silhouette by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for Shawna Delacorte author name).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook as well as other online vendors.

Check out my website for additional excerpts from MUCH AGO ABOUT MARRIAGE and information on my Harlequin ebook reissues

www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

WHEN BRITT MET ASHLEY

Britt Carlton wasn't looking to fall in love—he'd been there, done that…and didn't want to do it again! Then Ashley Thornton moved in to his apartment complex, all smiles and sass—and incredibly sexy—and Britt knew there was only one safe course of action: they had to be strictly friends. Nothing more. Uh-uh, no way.

But…

No matter how hard they resisted the pull between them, no matter how vehemently they rejected the idea of love and marriage, Britt and Ashley couldn't get away from one inescapable fact: they might have started out as just friends, but that just wasn't enough anymore….

Inside front cover:

What the opposing sexes say about marriage:

He Says: "Marriage? Forget it. I'll never consider marrying another woman ever again—one broken engagement's enough, thank you very much. No, I enjoy my bachelor life too much to get serious about anyone. Of course, my very attractive next-door neighbor has been causing me some sleepless nights—no, just friends, that's all I'm looking for…"

--Britt Carlton, 31

She Says: "Marriage?! I'm taking a break from dating for the rest of my life. I'm young, I'm attractive…I'm stupid. After all, I was the last to know that my fiancé was the Womanizer of Wichita! Anyway, I'm not bitter, I just want to start a new life…with new friends. Speaking of friends, there's this handsome charmer who lives next door. He could be fun to hang out with—on a strictly platonic level, of course…"

--Ashley Thornton, 25

You'll Say: "Just friends? Yeah, right…"

LOVER UNKNOWN—a conversation with Kyle and Lauren

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Kyle Delaney and Lauren Jamison about LOVER UNKNOWN, a mystery/romantic suspense from Harlequin's Intrigue line originally released in print and currently available in ebook.

Hello Kyle and Lauren.  Thank you for being here today.  I appreciate you taking time from your schedule.

Kyle:  It's our pleasure, Shawna.  After all (LOL) you're the one who wrote the book so you're the one responsible for us being together.

Well…(tries to suppress a chuckle)…I can't disagree with that.

Lauren:  What would you like to know?  Did you have a specific topic in mind?

I think for starters, maybe we could share some general background information with the readers.  Didn't you have some sort of premonition right before Kyle showed up at your door?  Do you have those psychic visions often?

Lauren:  I've had psychic visions starting with my teen years but I never really studied it or tried to harness my natural abilities.  The visions would occur, but I was never sure about what they were trying to tell me.  I didn't know if they were a portent of things to come or something from the past.  That's the way it was with the vision that woke me from a sound sleep that morning.  I saw a man falling from a cliff into the ocean below, but I didn't have a clue what it meant.  And then a few hours later a man appeared at my door, almost as if he had materialized out of the early morning mist.

So even your initial meeting was mysterious?

Kyle:  I didn't think of it as mysterious.  I'd been driving all night.  On the outskirts of town I saw a building with a sign saying tea room and lights on inside the building.  I was hoping for some coffee.  And that's when things quickly turned mysterious.  What I found was this incredibly alluring woman who immediately captured my total attention and left me with a very unsettled feeling.

Lauren:  (shoots a sly glance at Kyle)  He tried to convince me he was a paranormal investigator here to validate the presence of the entity that haunts the old lighthouse, but I didn't believe that for a moment.  He was well rehearsed, knew all the right words, but there was an underlying energy about him that said he was a skeptic.  I had no idea who he really was, but I knew our destinies were somehow woven together.

And you ended up saving his life?

Kyle:  (answers for Lauren)  No question about that.  My initial wound wasn't all that bad, a through and through gunshot in the shoulder.  But the fall off the cliff into the ocean, battling the cold sea, and dragging myself part way across the bluff definitely put me in extreme danger.  Especially with the blood loss and infection setting in.  I'm very lucky Lauren found me, and that it was Lauren rather than anyone else.

Lauren:  I still didn't know who he really was or what had happened to him.  He made me promise not to tell anyone he was there, not to call a doctor or anyone else.  Logically, he could have been a criminal of some sort and I was breaking the law by protecting him, but I instinctively knew that wasn't true.  I agreed to keep his presence a secret and allow everyone to think he was dead.

And that's when he told you who he really was and why he was there?

Lauren:  Yes, but first he swore me to secrecy.  I must admit that I was relieved to find that he was an undercover agent on an assignment rather than a criminal.

Kyle:  Fortunately for me, Lauren proved to be very clever and resourceful.  She was the one who came up with a new identity for me that allowed me to go into town and mingle with the locals without arousing suspicion so I could continue my investigation.

Ah…your investigation.  Tell me about—

Kyle:  (laughing)  No you don't!  Anything more will have to come from reading the book, especially any details of exactly what I was investigating and the surprises I turned up along the way.

Lauren:  Things that had been right under my nose the entire time and I didn't realize it.  Not even a psychic hint.

Are you sure I can't persuade you to tell us about your discovery at the lighthouse or your raid on—

Kyle:  Nope…not even a hint.

Lauren:  Everyone will have to read the book.

Well, if I can't talk you into revealing anything else, I guess there's nothing left to do but thank the two of you for being here today.

Lauren:  It was our pleasure.

Kyle:  We enjoyed it.

LOVER UNKNOWN, a Harlequin Intrigue by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Nobel for Nook as well as other online vendors.

Check out my website for more excerpts from LOVER UNKNOWN and information on my other Harlequin ebook reissues.

www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

HE CAME TO HER IN THE NIGHT…

Lauren Jamison sensed danger and secrets when Kyle Delaney entered her waterfront store. Not for a moment did she believe the dark stranger was an ordinary man. Instinctively she knew he lived on the edge, belonged to a world of deception. But unable to resist him, she became a prisoner of passion.

Then one stormy night her world shattered when she found his body in the moonlight—shot and delirious from pain. Before he collapsed, he told her to follow his instructions or they'd both wind up dead. Just who was Kyle Delaney? And should Lauren risk her heart—and her life—for a man who might be on the wrong side of the law?

Inside front cover excerpt:

"Who are you?"

"You already know that," Kyle said. "I'm here to—"

She put her fingers against his lips to still his words. "Don't play me for a fool. I did the best I could with your injuries, but now that you're part of reality again, you owe me answers."

His voice was low, soft and very serious. "Lauren, please don't ask. I can't—"

"I don't want to hear I can't." She fixed him with a hard stare. "I want answers, Kyle."

He tugged on her hand until he had closed the last small gap between them. His lips brushed against hers, then he captured her mouth fully in a hot and sensual kiss.

She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the warmth that flowed through her, until it almost obscured her thoughts. When she spoke, her words were barely above a whisper. "Who are you, Kyle Delaney? Why are you here? And what am I involved in?" She had to ask…but she wasn't so sure she wanted to hear the answers.

He took her hand again, bringing it to his lips. "You have to let this go, Laruen. You can't become involved. You have to trust me—and I have to trust that you'll maintain your silence."

Her voice a barely discernible whisper, Lauren said, "I don't think I can do that…."

IN HIS SAFEKEEPING—a conversation with Tara and Brad

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Brad Harrison and Tara Ford from IN HIS SAFEKEEPING, a mystery/romantic suspense from Harlequin Intrigue originally released in print and currently available in ebook.

Hello Tara and Brad.  I know you're both very busy.  Thank you for making time in your schedule to sit down with me.

Tara:  Thank you for inviting us.

Brad:  It's nice to be here.

My first question is for you, Brad.  It might be a bit awkward.  I hope I'm not stepping on any toes.

Brad:  Uh Oh…that sounds ominous.  (grabs arms of chair as if bracing himself)  I guess I'm ready.  Go ahead.

Tara:  Don't worry, I'll protect you.

Brad:  (tilts head, raises eyebrow and gives her a teasing grin)  I thought protection was my area of expertise.  As a Deputy U.S. Marshal, that's one of the things we do.

And that brings me to the subject of my question.  You and Tara first met when you were protecting her from a killer who was doing away with all the witnesses in a case that was a done deal—the defendant had been convicted on all counts and sent to prison.  He subsequently died in prison of a heart attack.  So…well, I guess I have two questions about this.

First question is why did Tara need protection?  Why were witnesses being killed when the trial was over and the defendant's death from natural causes put an end to the possibility of him being released from prison.  And next—

Brad:  Let me handle that question before you get to the other one, and I think I already know what that is.

Five out of six witnesses living in different parts of the country had died within six months, all from mysterious 'accidents'.  I found that way too coincidental, especially when two of the witnesses were in the Witness Security Program and had new identities.  Tara was the only witness still in the Seattle area and alive.  I took my suspicions to my boss who told me to stop spending my time pursuing something that was not a case.  I couldn't accept his decision.  Every fiber of my being said the remaining witness was is danger and I needed to protect her.  What I didn't realize at the time was how difficult it would be to convince her of that little fact.

Tara:  (chuckles)  I readily admit that trust was so far down my list that it barely registered at the bottom.  (becomes serious)  But when someone blew up my car, I began to come around to his way of thinking.

Brad:  And your second question?

The two of you…isn't it against the rules for you to become personally involved with someone you're protecting?

Brad:  Yes…both 'company' rules and very definitely my personal rules.  My only excuse is that it was a highly unusual situation.  I was a one man protection team with no backup and no Marshals Service support or help.  Some unknown person was trying to kill Tara for an unknown reason and when this person realized a Deputy Marshal was on the scene, I became a target, too.

Wouldn't that, along with Tara's car being blown up, be proof enough of the danger to go back to your boss?

Brad:  It would, except for one little thing.

Tara:  Actually one very big thing.

Brad:  With two of the dead witnesses in the Witness Security Program, given new identities and relocated to different parts of the country, the only way for a killer to have located them would be with inside information.  There was a leak of information from the Marshals Service.  I had no way of knowing who I could trust.

Tara:  That pretty much made it the two of us against the world type of thing.

Brad:  I had an immediate attraction to her and add a set of circumstances that made it nearly impossible to not get personally involved…well…(he gave her a loving glance) what can I say?  It was meant to be.

Out of all your contacts there wasn't anyone you could trust?

Brad:  Well…there were two people I could trust, two people who were willing to help.

Who?

Tara:  (smiles)  I'm afraid you'll have to read the book to find out.

Well…how about this.  Why were the witnesses being killed? Was it just a revenge thing?

Brad:  That's what I thought…for a little while.  At first it seemed like the most likely motive.  Then it became obvious that revenge had nothing to do with it.  You'll need to read the book to find out the answer to your 'why' question.

LOL…I can see that more questions aren't going to get me any more information.  Brad…Tara…thanks for being here today.

IN HIS SAFEKEEPING, Harlequin Intrigue by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Barnes and Nobel for NookBooks at http://www.bn.com and Amazon for Kindle at http://www.amazon.com and other online vendors.

Stop by my website for additional excerpts from IN HIS SAFEKEEPING and information about my other Harlequin/Silhouette ebook reissues.    www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

HER PROTECTOR

One by one the government witnesses who'd testified against a mob associate began to die—and now Tara Ford was the last witness remaining. Suddenly with a killer shadowing her every move, she was forced to rely on the protection of U.S. Deputy Marshal Brad Harrison—a man whose take-charge attitude made her temper flare and whose strong sensuality made her heart race.

Brad never let emotion interfere with duty. But in close proximity with all-too-sexy Tara, he forgot all the rules. His instinct to keep her safe was as basic as his desire for her. And when he held her tenderly, he couldn't help but wonder who posed the most immediate danger—the killer or Brad's charge.

G-Excerpt (inside front cover excerpt):

"We need to get something clear right now, Tara." Brad's words were very matter-of-fact, his attitude all business. "I expect to have my instructions obeyed without hesitation or questions. Your life could depend on your immediate response to my orders."

Tara glared angrily at him, but he stood his ground and refused to back down. Brad Harrison had her confused. He was a virtual stranger who had burst uninvited into her world, tried to take control of her life and demanded that she trust him. Yet his unwavering gaze sent a ripple of desire through her body unlike anything she had ever experienced. There was a lot more at stake here than a question of control.

Every time he touched her, a sensual rush coursed through her body. It was totally inappropriate for the situation and equally out of character for her. But for reasons she could not clearly fathom, she had made the decision to tentatively trust this very sexy and desirable man. Hopefully it would not be the biggest mistake of her life…or worse yet, the last decision she would ever make.

IN FORBIDDEN TERRITORY—a conversation with Angie and Ty

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  I've persuaded Angelina Coleman and Tyler Farrell to chat with us today about IN FORBIDDEN TERRITORY, a Silhouette Desire originally released in print and currently available as a Harlequin Desire in ebook.

Hello, Angie and Ty.  Thanks for being here today.  So…Angie.  Let's start with you.  Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Angie:  I grew up in Portland, Oregon, raised by my mother in a single parent house with 5 brothers.  I'm the only girl and I'm also the youngest.  Even though we're mostly scattered across the country these days, we're still emotionally a very close family.  The oldest of my brothers is McConnor…everyone calls him Mac.  He's 13 years older than me and stepped into the role of surrogate father.  It's a responsibility he continues to take very seriously in that he still thinks of me as that little girl who needs his guidance and protection even though I'm 24 years old.

He sounds like a fantastic guy, but the look on your face says there's maybe a little more to it?

Angie:  Don't get me wrong, Mac is an incredible person, I owe him so much…everyone in our family does.  It's just that I had a very difficult time convincing him that I'm an adult and not that scrawny little girl he sees when he looks at me.  I was engaged for a while to a man who came from an influential family with a moneyed background and was highly successful.  But it quickly became apparent that what he wanted was a decoration on his arm to show off at all the appropriate business and society functions.  He objected to my career even though I have degrees in both business and industrial design and was working for a design firm.  When I broke the engagement I wanted to move away from Portland.  I tried to approach Mac about giving me a job at his company, but he treated it as "isn't that cute of little Angie, wanting to work for me."  I knew I needed to prove myself to him.  More than anything, I wanted his approval and respect as an adult capable of taking care of myself.

And that's what brought you from Portland to Seattle?

Tyler:  That's what brought Angie into my life, although at the time I didn't know the underlying reasons behind her move.  Mac did manage to convey that he felt very protective toward her and telegraphed a hands off type warning without actually saying those words.

That must have made things rather awkward for the two of you.  Would you mind telling us a little about your family, Ty, and your background?

Tyler:  My family?  The word dysfunctional immediately leaps to mind.  I'm an only child raised with money in a house where ongoing arguments between my mother and father was the normal daily routine.  They finally divorced when I was in high school, but the constant battles didn't stop.  If I learned one lesson during my formative years it was that money can't buy happiness and the idea of a happy family and a close relationship was too elusive to even consider.  If it hadn't been for my observation of Mac's close relationship with his family, I would have said the concept was pure fiction.  I met Mac the first day of our freshman year at UCLA.  He was just starting college even though he was two years older than the rest of our freshman class.  I learned later that he had to forfeit a scholarship because he needed to work to help support his family.  We immediately became good friends with a mutual interest in sailing and boat design.  After college we went into business together designing and building custom sailboats.  We've been very fortunate and the business is highly successful.

Angie:  I had met Ty once when he and Mac were in college.  He came to the house one weekend when I was 10 years old.  The one thing I remember clearly from that visit was thinking what an arrogant jerk he was.

Tyler:  (chuckles good-naturedly) I obviously made quite a terrific first impression.

Angie:  Then 14 years later we met again.  I had just arrived in Seattle following the breakup of my engagement, intent on getting a job.  I was staying at Mac's house on Bainbridge Island until I could find a place of my own.  Mac was supposed to take me to lunch that first day but he was buried under a deadline for a design project and asked Ty to fill in for him.

Tyler:  Actually, he begged me to take his kid sister off his hands so he could finish the design…just pizza and a movie was his idea of how to entertain his kid sister, as he insisted on calling her.  I had visions of that scrawny 10 year old girl I had met once.  Well…one look was all it took.  He may have thought of his sister as still being a child, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth.

So the two of you met and the rest is history?

Angie:  Not at all!

Tyler:  Not even close!

So how did it all happen?  How did it move beyond pizza and a movie? How did you handle Mac's 'hands off' attitude?

Tyler:  I'm afraid you're going to have to read the book.

Angie:  We do agree on that.  You'll need to read the book.

Well, I can tell by the identical expressions on each of your faces that asking any more questions will be futile.  Thanks Angie and Ty.

IN FORBIDDEN TERRITORY, a Silhouette Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do a search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Barnes and Noble for NookBooks at www.nb.com.  Amazon for Kindle at www.amazon.com as well as other online vendors.

Check out my website for additional excerpts from IN FORBIDDEN TERRITORY and information on my other Silhouette/Harlequin ebook reissues.  www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

The Danger Zone:

Filling in as a guide and companion for his best friend's kid sister was cramping Tyler Farrell's bachelor lifestyle. At least, until a drop-dead-gorgeous, very-grown-up Angie melted his bones with one searing kiss. She was supposed to be off-limits…but Tyler liked playing with fire.

Angie wanted to prove she wasn't a child anymore. And what better way to do so than a no-strings affair with Tyler-the perfect love 'em and leave 'em guy? Except that the closer she got to Tyler, the hotter the attraction burned and the harder she fell in love. Somehow she had to convince commitment-phobic Tyler that she was his to claim—permanently!

G-rated excerpt #1:

Tyler Farrell's business partner barged into his office, panic covering his face as he pleaded, "You've got to help me out, Ty. Take her off my hands for the next few days."

"Take who off your hands?"

"It won't take that much of your time. She's just a kid."

"Who's just a kid?" Tyler's confusion began to turn to irritation. "What are you talking about, Mac?"

McConnor Coleman paused a moment as he took a calming breath. "All I know is what Mom said when she called the other day. It seems that my kid sister wants to move from Portland to Seattle, get a job and her own apartment. She arrived last night and is staying with me until I can help her get settled. I promised Mom I'd keep my eye on her. You know, maybe take her to a movie one evening and buy her some pizza. Take her on the harbor tour or to the top of the Space Needle. Stuff like that."

Mac renewed his determination. "It's not like you'll have to put your busy social life on hold so you can wine and dine her. Like I said, she's just a kid. You know the kind of long hours I'm going to be putting in until this new design is finished. The pivotal point of our company's expansion plans is dependent on this design. I don't want her sitting all alone at my house and I certainly don't want her going out at night by herself."

Ty made a valiant attempt to put some logic to Mac's obviously frazzled state of mind. "We're on Bainbridge Island, not in Seattle. There's no reason why she can't go out alone."

"A young girl should not be out on the streets alone." Mac's tone of voice said there was no room for discussion of the matter.

Ty allowed a slight frown to wrinkle across his brow. An image popped into his mind of Angelina Coleman, the annoying little girl he had encountered once at Mac's mother's house in Portland, Oregon.

He shook his head and emitted a sigh. "I really don't have time—"

"Am I too early for lunch?"

Ty whirled around in the direction of the sound. The sultry voice perfectly matched the beautiful blond vision framed in the doorway. A quick surge of desire shoved aside Ty's initial shock. Could this gorgeous vision be the same person Mac had been referring to as his kid sister?

Mac rushed toward her. "Angie...is it noon already?" He glanced at his watch, a sheepish expression covering his features. "I guess the morning got away from me."

She shot a teasing grin at her brother. "Why am I not surprised?"

Recovering from his initial shock, Ty leaped into action. He grabbed Angie's hand, kissed the back of it and made a courtly bow. "Angelina Coleman...Tyler Farrell at your service. You probably don't remember, but we met several years ago." A jolt of charged energy emanated from their clasped hands. A heated surge of desire swept up his arm and through his body. Her unwavering gaze, combined with the vibrancy of her expressive green eyes, sent another ripple coursing through him—a strange combination of lustful desire and caution.

"I most certainly do remember you. It was fourteen years ago, a month or so before you and Mac graduated from the University of Washington. Mac was the one worrying about finals. I was the scrawny ten-year-old with braces on my teeth." A dazzling smile lit her beautiful face and a touch of humor surrounded her words. "And you were the arrogant jerk."

Ty released her hand, clutched at his chest and staggered back a couple of steps as if he had been hit by a mortal blow, his action eliciting a spontaneous laugh from her. It was an enchanting sound, one that left him wanting to hear it again and again. The moment he broke the physical contact with her a strange sense of loss made its way into his consciousness. Her words startled him, but they had been said more in fun than with any show of malice. At least that was the way he chose to take it.