Excerpt from Wild Lavender:
After he gave her some time to think on his words, he approached her. “Have
you forgotten the wager, m’lady? You have yet to name your prize. Truth be
told, I am dearly sorry to have lost this match and the favor of your kiss.”
She had turned back to face him, and he gave her what he hoped was a
devastating smile. More than ever, this woman intrigued him with her equal
measures of strength and vulnerability. The spark from years ago had never
been extinguished; it had only smoldered quietly. He’d been dreaming about
her for years. Finally finding her, she exceeded his fantasies in every way.
“I make no claim, Larkin. I tricked you.” He started to protest, but she cut him
off. “Under the circumstances, I forfeit my reward.”
“Still, a rematch might be in order,” he continued offhandedly. “I suppose that
now only your husband will receive your favors.”
Once he spoke the words, he regretted them. His opinion of Lord Roger was
that he was a cruel and arrogant man. Remembering the sneering lips and cold
eyes and imagining him with Aubrianne was infuriating. She must have seen his
ire, because she took a step back.
“My husband’s lips have never touched mine,” she averred. “Not even when we
stood before God and were married.”
If she’d surprised him by winning the match, she stunned him with her words.
Her disgust told him everything he needed to know: hers was worse than a
loveless marriage; it was one filled with hatred.
And just like that, the final piece fell into place, and his heart felt whole for the
first time in his life. He doubted not that eventually he and Lady Aubrianne
—Anna, as he thought of her—would come together. But first, he needed her to
remember him. He could deal with Roger later; the man’s days were numbered
anyway.