|
|
Heart of Deception
|
Amid intrigue and assassination, Rafe Fletcher fights to save his family from charges of treason. Playing thief, he loses his heart to Vivian Swift, Queen of the Underworld. Must he betray the woman he loves to save life of the Queen Elizabeth? And will Vivian demand payment for such deadly deception in heart’s blood? An Excerpt: Prickling with the awareness of being watched, Rafe looked up to the house, his search stopping at a shadowy form behind the great bow window. He stared up at the window until the shadow moved forward. Circular panes sparkled in the sun as the central casements opened to reveal a woman watching. Dark and slender, she looked clothed in flame, her velvet gown a blaze of scarlet slashed with black. A shock went through Rafe as her glittering gaze met his own, then slowly browsed him from head to toe. Used to seductive appraisal, flirtatious or serious, still he flushed at the flagrant assessment, and the heat that flashed through him seemed to ignite in her eyes, bright within their dark. Rafe had never seen a lady with so bold a glance, that mocked as it weighed, invited as it challenged. But no true lady would be here among these criminals, though the woman gazing down at him knew how to dress the part. Rubies burned at her throat, and ropes of sparkling jet draped her vivid scarlet bodice. The distinctive garb, the total presumptuousness of the woman, made him tense with suspicion. Slowly, her gaze swept his body, scanning the breadth of his shoulders and assessing the strong muscles of his thighs. Her appraisal lingered at his crotch, and a smile curled her lips, as if she knew the quick stirring of his cock. The black eyes sought his again, and he stared back defiantly, icy anger running in cold currents against his hot arousal. Rafe felt more than provoked—he felt deliberately tested to see how long he could stand in the fire. As long as you dare, he defied her silently. Suddenly, the woman canted toward him. Taut with wariness and arousal, Rafe braced himself as if she might leap over the casement and into his arms. But she did no more than lean across the wooden ledge. Her lips pursed to blow him a kiss—playful, taunting—then she laughed and pulled the windows closed with a bright flash of sunlight. Freed from the brazen assault of the woman’s presence, Rafe drew a deep breath and eased his stance. He glanced at the pickpocket Izzy, who grinned at him gleefully. "Vivian Swift." Rafe wondered why he was so certain. This woman might be nothing more than a wealthy courtesan flaunting her erotic power. But for all her blatant sexuality, he doubted she was a whore. Under that assessing gaze, he felt like the one weighed for purchase. It rankled. "Seems you’ve caught her eye. I thought you might." Izzy gave him a lecherous smile. He seemed so pleased he might have procured Rafe himself. Rafe bristled. "Easy enough—with a wanton eye." "Don’t get your coxcomb in a waggle," Izzy chided. "Her eye may be lusty, but ‘tis hard enough to please. Viv Swift likes her men fierce as she is." "Perhaps I like my women gentler than I am." "Perhaps you’ve yet to meet your match." Izzy’s quirking smile was followed swiftly by a warning. "If she offers you a tupping, take care. You’ll have the pleasure of her bed, but you’ll be out alone on the streets again if you can’t control your head and balls better than most. She’ll have no master." "Perhaps she’s yet to meet him," Rafe retorted.
|
|
| Some Comments:
Anne Stuart, author of Prince of Magic Penny Williamson, author of The Passions of
Emma Connie Brockaway, author of McClairen's
Tale Judith Stanton, author of Wild Indigo Susan Wiggs, author of The Charm School Here are some Heart of Deception on line
reviews: There are numerous 5 star reviews on Amazon. You can buy it there, or at HarperCollins, Barnes and Noble or Borders. Heart of Deception HarperPaperbacks, New York, NY Published October 1999 ISBN: 0-06-101289-0 350 pages
|
|
The hero and heroine of
Heart of Deception were characters in search of a world for quite some time. I imagined versions of them in
Renaissance Italy and in the theatrical Paris of the great romantic film, Children of Paradise. There was even a Roaring Twenties couple. They finally wove themselves into the rich tapestry of Elizabethan England.