Top 10  Things I Love About My Hero, Simon from 
Lady Northam's Wicked Surrender
Lady Northam's Wicked Surrender
10. He's very patient. ("Eight years was a hell of a long time for foreplay.")
9. He is loyal to those he loves.
8. He is creative with a cravat.
7. He has a teasing sense of humor.
6. He's good with his hands. (Mmmmm)
5. He takes charge in the bedroom.
4. His chiseled features.
3. He knows how to savor a woman's body.
2. His smoldering blue-grey eyes.
1. There's no one better at seducing Rowena.
Simon  has waited eight years to claim the one woman he desires above all  others. Though Rowena betrayed him, he is now ready to try again. When  he discovers her staying in his sister's house in the room next to his,  he cannot help but take advantage...
Blurb ~
A midnight encounter between two estranged lovers rekindles a passion beyond their wildest dreams...
Rowena, Countess of Northam, is surprised to find her former suitor has returned from India and is on his way to the very house where she is staying. When he appears in her room late at night, she can only believe it is a dream. Her fantasy soon becomes reality when Simon makes every effort to seduce her.
Despite his six year absence, and the fact that Rowena married his best friend, Simon is determined to have her back now that she is a widow. It soon becomes clear that while her body craves his affections, she doesn't trust him enough to give her heart. Can Simon forget her past betrayal and convince her to surrender to the greatest love they’ve ever known?
Excerpt (Explicit) ~
An  hour later, Rowena was in bed, although peaceful rest proved elusive.  She patted her pillow and turned on her side for the hundredth time. How  many days would it take Simon to arrive? Would she manage to get  through her visit without having to see him at all? And, if she did see  him, what would she say? Could she ask him the question that had burned  for so many years in her heart? Why did you abandon  me? 
She still couldn’t fathom the answer. He’d promised to write to her when he’d gone off to the War in Spain.  She thought he intended to propose upon his return, but instead he’d  never contacted her at all. His best friend, Paul, convinced her that  Simon was a rake, never the type to settle down. That she was one of  many conquests. She’d been devastated. Their two months of courtship had  been nothing more than an amusement to him. By the time he’d returned  to England over a year and a half later, she’d agreed to marry Paul.
Now he was coming back, threatening to turn her entire world upside down again. Could she survive it a second time?
Sighing,  she shifted and turned her body to the opposite side. It had been so  long since she’d seen him at the wedding. Only a few weeks afterward,  he’d taken another post in India. Rowena wondered how he looked now. Did  he still wear his sideburns short and neatly trimmed? Was he as tall as  she remembered?
With  a loud sigh, she turned on her back and stared at the ceiling,  invisible in the pitch-dark room. Barely a sliver of light shown through  the curtains at the window. There was nothing to distract her from her  thoughts. As much as she dreaded seeing him, she couldn’t help her  curiosity. A part of her wanted to see his face, to stand beside his  tall, muscular frame and—and—What? Yell at him?  Strike his cheek? Kiss him? She wanted to…
Sleep.  Rowena’s eyelids were heavy and she couldn’t keep them open any longer.  Exhaustion overpowered her thoughts, and she fell into a deep sleep,  filled with vivid dreams.
Warmth  spread over her, across her chest, down her arms and thighs. Despite  the chill in the air, Rowena twisted in the blankets, her body flushed  all over. Her mind lost in the dream.
She  was lying down in her chemise and a tall, broad shouldered man was  coming towards her intently. He climbed into the bed and lightly gripped  her sides. Little trickles of electricity spread through her skin.
When  his fingers spread wide and stroked her from her belly all the way up  to her breasts, she forgot to breathe. He palmed them firmly and she  wondered what it would be like to have him touch her without the fabric  in between.
The  man’s touch was bold, hungry and she arched into it, her body curving  like a bowstring. Tension spread down to her thighs and she longed for  him to push them apart. He leaned down in the darkness and she gripped  his hair, pulling him toward her. Their mouths fused and a heady rush  went through her as his tongue laved hers, filling her even as he  demanded complete control.
He  pinned her arms to her sides and she melted under him, pliant and  willing. Something about the way he stroked his tongue over hers, the  low sound he made, stirred a memory inside her.
Rowena  looked into the eyes of the man leaning over her and in the darkness,  recognized them. Simon. In her dream, he was as she remembered. Intense  blue-gray eyes, a strong jaw and a taut muscular chest that she’d always  longed to touch.
Before  she could speak, he pinched her nipple and rolled it between his  fingers. “Ah!” A sharp twinge of pain gave way to exquisite pleasure,  which snaked its way down to pool at the juncture of her thighs. He took  his time, teasing and pinching, the rough pads of his fingertips  grazing her skin in a delicious fashion. Her lower belly clenched under  the onslaught.
With  ragged breaths, she watched as he freed her breast to suckle it. Though  she was now free to move her arms again, she stayed still. The chilly  night air spread over her puckered nipple when he lifted his head. She  shivered in response.
****
Lady  Northam's Wicked Surrender is available at 
Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords 
Thank you, Dawn, for letting me stop by and chat!
Contest ~
What  is your favorite book or movie that features a lost love/reunion theme?  Answer below for a chance to win a cute Jane Austen notepad (it even  comes with a dance card in the front flap). Remember to leave your email address, contest winner will be chosen on November 17th. 
*Note: Due to high shipping  costs, the notepad contest is only available to residents of the  continental US. If the winner is located in HI, AK or outside of the US,  an alternate prize will be given.
The Playground of Sassy Witches & Demons, Clever Ladies, and Redeemable Rakes
www.viviennewestlake.com
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Oh my favorite might have to be The Notebook, I guess in this case I can say both book and movie. That Noah is a hottie *g*
ReplyDeleteEva
evitap67(at)gmail(dot)com
What a hot excerpt, Vivienne! Loved it. Simon sounds dreamy. *Sigh*
ReplyDeleteEva, I have to rent the Notebook one of these days. I never got to see it, but I heard it was good.
ReplyDeleteKE, thanks for popping by. Simon is a yummy character and I love that he's loyal and has strong determination. He can be firm or commanding, but he is also willing to learn from mistakes and re-evaluate when necessary.
There are lots of reunited loves stories in historicals that I have loved. One that jumps to my mind is in Eloisa James WHEN THE DUKE RETURNS. The hero and heroine married when she was very young, then he left the country. When he returned, he was planning to get an annulment but of course things change.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds great. Congrats on the release!
June M.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
June, that sounds like a good read. I will have to check it out as I like stories where the hero and heroine marry young and then get reunited later on.
ReplyDeleteoh mine is Dear John. I love that movie
ReplyDeletemeandi09@yahoo.com
Oh, The Notebook. Still my favorite of all time LOL
ReplyDeleteI love crying.
carrieannryanwrites @ gmail . com
Thanks, Jennifer and Carrie Ann for stopping by!
ReplyDelete