Hello lovely readers!

In answer to my own subject line--sometimes? I hope you feel bold and daring today!

Daring the Duke is out into the world! If you entered the release giveaway, Wolf Publishing has emailed the results to all participants, so make sure to check for that. I hope you won!

If not, though (sad face), you can grab your own copy or read for free in Kindle Unlimited. And for a Book Birthday Week Treat, how about an excerpt? A little cupcake shaped mountain of words to delight you. :)

***

Soft, strong fingers circled about his wrist. He swung around. She held tight to him, though if he tried to dislodge her, he could. He had no desire to shake her off. The sensation of her fingers wrapped about him, so close to his hammering pulse, felt … enjoyable. In a way nothing in life had been of late.

“What is it you want?” he asked.

“You.”

“You can’t have me.”

Her grip on his wrist tightened, and she tugged him closer. “You can’t think of one perfect woman because perfection is impossible. But intelligence is not. An intelligent woman can learn how to be, or at least act like, the perfect duchess.”

“And you think that’s you?”

“I know it is. Everything I do, I do well.”

“Except for investments.”

Her face grew somber. “Let me prove it to you. I dare you.”

“You dare me to what?” He moved like lightening and grabbed the wrist of her other arm, wrapping his fingers around it. It was delicate. His thumb and forefinger fit around it easily, overlapping each other. Her pulse pounded there, hammering in time to his own.

She swallowed. “I dare you to kiss me.”

His gut tightened. “A kiss proves nothing.”

“It proves I can learn anything I need to. I’ve never been kissed before, but I’ve seen a kiss. I know exactly how it is done. I can still remember every detail.”

“You don’t know exactly how it was done. You could never. Not unless you were an active participant yourself.”

She let go of his wrist and drew her fingers up his forearm. “She—the woman I saw kissing—touched her lover like this, drawing her hand up his arm until she reached his shoulder. And then she did this.” Lady Tabitha molded her hand over his shoulder. She shook her other hand until he let her go and then placed it on his chest near his cravat. “She put her other hand here, as I have, and then she leaned in like this.” Lady Tabitha leaned in until her chest pressed against his. She lifted up on her toes, then frowned. “Could you lean down a bit? The difference in our heights must be different from the couple I observed.”

He should not have, God knows, but he did.

“Very nice,” she whispered. “Thank you.” Her voice whispered between them, almost inaudible. She stretched up on tiptoe again and took his bottom lip between her teeth gently and pulled it until it slid from the sharp caress. Then she placed her lips on his. Almost. Enough space existed between their mouths for her to say, “You have to do a bit of work now if we want this to be accurate and perfect.”

“What do I do?” he asked as if he were a green boy who had never kissed a girl before, as if his body didn’t know what to do instinctually. But he held his body in check. Enthralled by her tutorial, he had to know. “What do I do?”

“At this point, the man embraced her. One hand went to the small of her back, pressing her to him, and the other tangled with the hair at the nape of her neck.”

His hands were on her as soon as he received instructions, as if they had a life of their own and took orders only from her. “Like this?” His voice sounded low and rough and laced with desire.

She caused a riot in his senses. Every pleasure he took in a rose garden, he took from her tenfold. The red of her hair, the petal softness of her skin, even her prickly thorniness. “Now what?” he growled.

“Now,” she said softly. “This.” She placed her lips on his and they kissed.

The kiss blossomed like a flower in spring, a small budding thing at first, full of potential, brightness, color, and shape. It unfurled slowly until it stood like a many-petaled masterpiece. She had not been lying. She knew how to kiss. But whether her expertise came from observation or practice, he could not know. He had to trust her.

He didn’t. He pulled away, breathing hard, and rested his forehead against hers.

She spoke through heavy, panting breaths. “So that’s a yes?”

Almost reluctantly, he straightened and stepped away from her. “No.”

***

Need something to read after Daring the Duke? I've got some great recommendations for you!

I love the cover of Cerise Deland's Wild Lily. Who doesn't enjoy a book about a notorious American. 😉 Full book description below.

An American heiress with a fortune—and no desire to wed for a drafty castle—or a cold, indifferent husband.

A marquess with a dim view of marriage, debts—and a conscience that won’t let him wed for money. 

Then he meets a woman whom he adores. Can he admit he loves her for herself?

Can she surrender to a man who fears the high price of love?

Lily Hanniford is an American heiress with beauty, wits–and the unique desire to wed for more than a drafty castle and a loveless marriage.

The Marquess of Chelton needs money. A lot of it. Not an affair. Especially not with the delightful American who believes wedded bliss should include such ridiculous ideas as laughter—and love.

But they both desire what they should not want—each other. Too bad, passion has prices. And both Lily and Chelton are caught.

Is the cost of love too high a price to pay for Chelton?

And is the cost of surrender too dear a price to pay for Lily?

If you love swoon-worthy historical romance, starring endearing heroes, sassy heroines and a family of irresistible charmers, this book is for you! Buy WILD LILY to begin your journey!

WILD LILY is the first book in THOSE NOTORIOUS AMERICANS series but can also be read as a standalone novel.

How about Melanie Rose Clarke's next book!

Check Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple's The Highlander's Scarred Heart. I love her historical!

Want a little fantasy with your historical romance? I know I do! Try Aimee Robinson's Charmed by the Past.

Or, pre-order some great historical romances so that they're ready to go as soon as they release!

Finally, I know you're always in need of good historical fiction. Check out these titles!

📚❤️📚❤️📚❤️

Happy reading!

Charlie Lane