About SECRET HEIR SEDUCTION: Discovering he’s a
long-lost heir isn’t the only surprise awaiting Darius Taylor-Pratt in Royal,
Texas. He’s next door to his ex after five long years. Darius broke off his
red-hot relationship with designer Audra Covington without explanation. He
still has regrets…and truths he’s hiding. Rekindling their flame may cost
him…especially when new secrets surface to threaten their second shot at
seduction.
Excerpt
Audra slid into the driver’s seat of the Bentley Continental GT
convertible her parents had gifted her four years ago, after her business
cleared a million dollars in profits in its first year.
She glanced back at the diner. Darius sat motionless in the
booth where she’d left him.
Of all the people in the world that she could run into, she had
to run into Darius Freaking Taylor-Pratt. The man who’d broken her heart five
years ago.
She’d been madly in love with him, and she’d believed he loved
her, too. Right up to the moment he’d said things had gotten too serious
between them, and he needed space.
There had been no discussion. No evidence he’d fallen for
someone else. And no real explanation.
She’d been
devastated.
They’d met at a party during grad school at Harvard. The
attraction between them had almost been instant. She’d told her friend that she
was pretty sure she’d met the man she was going to marry.
Sure, she’d been a little buzzed when she said it. But every day
they were together made her believe those words to be true.
Darius suddenly ending things had come of out nowhere. It had
left her reeling, wondering what she’d done wrong.
But that was the past. It’d taken some time, but she’d gotten
over it and moved on.
Or at least she’d always believed she had. But seeing Darius
today made her feel as if things between them weren’t finished at all.
He was more handsome than ever in his navy Tom Ford suit, a
white shirt and a navy print tie. His story about being in Royal on business
was undoubtedly true. Never a fan of suits, Darius would require a damn good
reason to wear one.
And the bald head he was rocking…on him it was sexy as sin. Her
fingers had itched with the desire to run her palm over the smooth, brown skin
on his clean-shaven head. She’d balled her hands into fists, her fingernails
leaving marks on her palms.
Darius’s dark brown eyes registered a mix of emotions she
couldn’t quite read.
Sadness. Anger? Maybe even regret.
The only thing she knew for sure was that she’d desperately
wanted to lean in and kiss him. If only to remind him of what he’d walked away
from five years ago.
Her cell phone rang.
Sophie Blackwood.
Audra smiled, thankful for the distraction. She hit the call
button and pulled out of her parking space, heading back toward the house she
was renting while she stayed in Royal.
“Hello, Sophie. Back in town yet?”
“We arrived a couple of hours ago. Nigel, my fiancé, needed to
stay a couple more days to take care of a staffing issue with the show.”
Audra couldn’t help smiling. Sophie was doing that thing that
many newly engaged women did where they referred to their intended as their fiancé,
as frequently as possible. It was adorable. And everything about Sophie’s
bubbly excitement and the warmth with which she talked about him spoke to just
how in love they were.
For Sophie’s sake, Audra truly hoped that their love would last.
“No worries. I’ve been keeping myself occupied. I sketched out a
few designs. I’ll show them to you when we get together.”
“Are you busy now? We’re going to grab a bite with friends over
at the Glass House in an hour or so. You should join us.”
“Thanks, but I just picked up a salad.” Hopefully, Sophie didn’t
think her rude for turning down her offer.
“Is everything all right?” Sophie’s voice was laced with
concern.
“Yes. I’m just a bit stunned. I ran into my grad school ex just
now.”
“A local?” Sophie asked.
“No, in fact, I got the impression this is his first time here,
too. So it was weird to run into him.” Audra bit into the sucker she’d teased
Darius with.
She was pretty sure he’d nearly fainted when he caught a glimpse
of her pierced tongue.
Good.
She might be over Darius, but she wasn’t above reminding him that
he should be sorry he’d walked out on her.
“Oh? Who is he?” Sophie’s voice sounded less jovial.
“Darius Taylor-Pratt. He runs the athletic performance clothing
company Thr3d.”
“That must’ve been quite a surprise.” Sophie laughed nervously,
then quickly changed the subject. “So the venue where I’d like to have my
wedding got damaged during the recent wildfires. The damaged portions have been
rebuilt, but there’s still a lot of work to do. If you could spare the time
this Saturday, we could definitely use the help. Besides, it would be a chance
for you to get to know some of the folks you’re creating custom jewelry pieces
for.”
“Sure.” Audra shrugged. “And maybe we can meet tomorrow
afternoon to discuss your custom designs?”
“Come to my place tomorrow afternoon at one. We’ll have a late
lunch and go over everything.” Full-blown giddiness had returned to Sophie’s
voice. “See you then!”
God, I remember what it felt like to be that in love.
Seeing Darius and talking to Sophie made her even more certain
she’d done the right thing when she’d broken it off with her most recent ex a
few months ago.
Cassius “Cash”
Johannsson was exactly the man her mother and United States senator
father wanted her to marry. A perfectly nice gentleman from the right family
with ambitions to one day sit in the Oval Office. But she wanted more than just
“perfectly nice.”
She wanted a man who made her laugh. Who was her friend as well
as her lover. A man who understood the manic craziness that often accompanied a
creative mind. A man who made her body burn for his.
Cash had never engendered that kind of spark in her. Nor had she
ever gushed over Cash the way Sophie did over Nigel. The way she once had over
Darius.
In the end, she’d broken it off with Cash because she was just
settling. He deserved someone who would feel like the luckiest girl in the
world to be on his arm.
Audra entered the beautiful gated community where her rental
house was located. She was traveling with sample jewelry pieces and loose
diamonds, the value of which easily topped two million dollars. So she required
the additional security afforded by this gated community and the safety
measures of the home she was renting from the Blackwoods’ family friend—Dixie
Musgraves.
She grabbed her meal, courtesy of the Royal Diner, and headed
inside, determined to banish all thoughts of Darius.
Q&A
Did
you always want to write romance novels?
I’m a
latecomer to the genre of romance. But I’ve known from a very young age that I
wanted to be an author, and a love story always played a central role in the
stories I wanted to tell. When I started writing seriously again as an adult, I
was really into chick lit. So I saw myself writing stories that fit into that
genre. It was actually my critique group (which by that time had dwindled down
to three guys and me) who pointed out that I was writing romance.
Please
share in your own words what it means to get That Harlequin Feeling?
Growing
up, I was an avid reader. What I loved most about reading was the rollercoaster
ride of emotions and the chance to vicariously discover new worlds and life
experiences that ventured beyond my local neighborhood. To me That Harlequin
Feeling embodies much of the same. It means getting a glimpse into other
worlds, exploring new experiences—good or bad—which expand my world perspective
and deepen my empathy for others. But always leaving me with a sense of hope.
Can
you share a recent book you have read that you would like to recommend?
I
recently listened to the audiobook of LUSH MONEY by Angelina M. Lopez. It’s a
marriage of convenience story about a rags-to-riches billionaire businesswoman
who makes a deal with the prince of a bankrupt kingdom to spend three nights
together a month for a year because she wants to have a child. It’s
five-alarm-fire hot, but also just a really wonderful, lush love story with
characters who have a lot of depth. I listened to a lot of the book while on
the treadmill at my gym, and I can’t recommend the book/audiobook enough.
Thank you so much for helping spread the word!
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