A Hot and Seductive, Historical, Fantasy M/F Erotic Romance by Morgan Henry; The Baroness of Clawynd. Book One in The Kingdom of Kerban Series

[Siren Classic: Erotic Historical Fantasy Romance, HEA]

Blurb:

With the death of her father, Baroness Aenid has come to her title sooner than she expected. Already a talented Healer using magic, she is now a woman governing a holding. This is rare in Kerban and she is determined to show the kingdom she can oversee Clawynd and fulfill her duties without any assistance.

Lord Merrin, King’s Champion, is entranced by the strong and intelligent Aenid and desires to love and protect her. But a traitorous duke interrupts his plans to court her properly and he leaves to serve his King. When the would-be lovers are reunited in the fight to protect Kerban, Aenid resists Merrin’s attempts to keep her safe. She thinks his actions undermine her and that he doesn’t respect her abilities.

In the midst of treachery and invasion, will it be too late for Aenid to understand Merrin’s love and ability to protect her doesn’t detract from her role as Baroness?


Excerpt (mainstream):

Lady Aenid enjoyed the fragrance of the healthy plants in her large medicinal garden. A light breeze dissipated the late summer heat and ruffled the hairs that had slipped out of her braid. She clipped several buds from the stratha plant and added them to her basket. The little buds were essential in the restoring tea for women who had undergone a difficult birth. She moved on to the next section and began pulling the few weeds that had sprung up. Though the head gardener of the demesne—the land directly supporting the manor house—oversaw her medicinal garden personally, Aenid loved finding time to tend the garden herself. Aenid found a great deal of peace in working in the soil and watching the plants mature. 

The estate was the home of her father, the baron of Clawynd. His lands extended for miles around, bordered by the foothills of the East Dyfal Mountains and three other noble seats. It was a small holding in the kingdom of Kerban, but it was relatively wealthy due to the mines and rich farmland. Her father managed it well. He was fair and just with his people and they prospered because of it. They were also very loyal to him.

The house itself, Duth Clawynd, was a huge manor house. She knew it was not nearly as impressive as the castles that were the homes of other nobles, but she loved its less military appearance. It had hundreds of rooms and was home and work for dozens of servants. It was an imposing structure when viewed from the front. Rising several stories, it had a central hall with a wing off each side, and square turrets rose at each corner. The gravel laneway led from the road to the shallow valley of the estate and circled a statue of the goddess with a garden.

Aenid thought it was a little extravagant for a family of two, but it was their ancestral home. In the past the families of Clawynd had been larger. Baron Jero de Barden, her father, had not been blessed with many children. Aenid’s mother had died birthing her second child, who had passed on within days of his mother. Aenid was only seven at the time, and had not come into her powers as a healer. Her father had loved her mother dearly and despite the pressure to remarry, had not done so. He lavished his love upon his daughter and raised her to know her duty to the people of their land and ensured she had the training and skills to be an excellent Baroness.

In the kingdom of Kerban both men and women could inherit noble seats. Generally it was the firstborn male that took the title but if there was no boy child, the firstborn daughter inherited. So, Aenid would be Baroness and her husband, if she chose to marry, would be Baron. The rule of the seat would be hers, however.

Though Aenid would be Baroness by right of lineage, her father always impressed upon her the need for excellence. He told her that though women could inherit, it happened infrequently enough that she would be constantly challenged. She would have to be a better Baroness than any other noble in the kingdom. The estate must be well managed, her people loyal and well cared for, the border with Torquin guarded and her soldiers well trained, her holding justly administered, never late with her taxes, and she must keep abreast of all the king’s council details and scheming of the rest of the nobles. It was a daunting task for any noble in the kingdom.

She already oversaw the management of the home and demesne. Her father ensured she was included in or informed of all decisions regarding the running of the seat. This involved the supervision of lands and tenants, taxes, administration of justice, and the health and welfare of their people. She knew much about the king’s council, but rarely went to court. Her father’s retirement from active court life limited the amount of time she spent in Kerfaen.

She heard the sound of hooves on the gravel of the lane to the manor. She stood and walked over to see who was approaching. She wondered if it was the hunting party. Lord Merrin, the King’s Champion and a friend of her father’s from his days at court, had brought several young knights for a visit.

Aenid could admit to herself that she found Lord Merrin very attractive and she was drawn to him in ways she had never before experienced. He had a scar that cut across his face from his temple, over his left eye and down his cheek a little ways. 

For some reason, Aenid thought the scar only make him more striking. With the healing powers available in Kerban, scars like his were rare. He had mid-length black hair that was brushed back from a strong forehead. His eyes were a clear blue, and he had a strong chin that he appeared to keep free of stubble. His mouth was generous, with the slight lines at the side that come with laughter. He was a large man. He towered over her and had the muscles to fill out his frame. His shoulders were wide and upper body strong from fighting, and his legs were powerful from all his riding. For all his strength, Aenid felt that he could be very gentle when the occasion called for it.

By all accounts, Merrin was intelligent, well educated, and honorable. He was also a reasonably strong mage, able to cast mid-level spells. He had strong mental shields, a basic necessity of anyone who was able to wield kerfios beyond a basic level. Her father liked him. She suspected that the knights he brought with him were supposed to be eligible suitors for her—young, handsome, and of lower rank than her. None of them compared to Merrin in her eyes.

The approaching group did appear to be the hunting party that had set off early in the morning. It was odd they were travelling so slowly. And they seemed quiet. Even if the hunt had been less than successful, there would normally be some banter between the men.

Aenid stepped toward the lane, intending to greet her father. One of the men in the group caught sight of her and urged his mount faster. The horse jogged toward her. As it approached, she could see that it was Lord Merrin. 


Adult Excerpt:

It had been the most exquisite torture to hold Aenid in his arms and not bring them both to ecstasy. Even now, part of him wanted to rip off her nightgown and love her hard and fast, but he knew that was not the way to show her how much he cared.

He caressed his way up from her belly to her shoulders, just grazing the swell her breast lightly. Easing first one lace strap off her shoulder, then the other, he started to pull the silky nightgown down off her body. Aenid, so sweet and willing, helped him by rising off the bed to allow the material to slip away. Her body revealed to him, she blushed a little and moved to cover herself with her hands.

“No, sweetness. You’re beautiful and I want to enjoy the sight.” Merrin took one of her hands and kissed her fingertips. She allowed the other to fall back to the bed. 

Merrin did enjoy the sight. His cock became a little harder, if that was even possible. She had lovely breasts, neither too small nor too large for his tastes. They were the precise size to fill his hands. She had pale skin, which set off her brownish pink nipples to perfection. Those lovely buds were standing at attention with her arousal. Her soft belly gave way to lushly rounded hips, ideal for him to hold while taking her in a myriad of positions. 

She trimmed the neat thatch of hair over her mound and he could just barely see the lips of her sex between her thighs.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “If at any time you are uncomfortable, or wish me to stop, all you have to do is say so,” he murmured into her ear. “I’m going take pleasure in touching and caressing every inch of you, my sweet.” He started kissing his way down her neck and over her collarbone as she let out a breathy sigh.

She smelled clean and fresh, like rosemary and flowers. Merrin leaned over her and inhaled her lovely fragrance and licked his way to her breasts. He fondled and caressed them, turning the nipples a darker pink and hardening them further. He took one into his mouth and laved it generously with his tongue. Aenid gasped and thrust her chest upward, involuntarily. He smiled around the nipple, enjoying her response. He treated the other to similar attentions and enjoyed her moans of pleasure. He looked forward to the day where he could oil the furrow between her breasts and thrust his cock between them. His cock twitched at the thought.

He trailed kissed down over her belly, travelling down one leg to the knee then up the other. He stopped at her mound and he felt her tense up slightly. He kissed her curls lightly and looked up at his lovely Baroness.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked gently, looking into her green eyes.

Aenid swallowed and whispered, “No.”

He caressed her inner thigh with one hand and opened her to his gaze. “So pretty,” he murmured as her inner lips were revealed to him. She was already glistening with arousal and her clitoris was swelling. He bent his head and gave her a long lick from the bottom of her slit to the top, reveling in the fact that he was the first to taste her.

She gasped with the contact and jerked her hips. He placed a hand firmly on her pelvis to hold her still while he continued to enjoy her pussy. He carried on licking and sucking on her lips, occasionally stimulating her clit while she moaned and fisted the sheets. Merrin could feel her getting close, so he backed off a little, but reached forward to introduce a finger into her vagina. He wet the digit with her juices then eased it slowly into her dripping hole. She was tight around his finger and he didn’t push in too far, not wanting to breach her barrier.

Aenid made soft cries of pleasure as he fucked her shallowly with his finger. He could feel the ripple of her muscles around his digit.
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Buy Link (siren):

http://www.bookstrand.com/the-baroness-of-clawynd


Buy Link (amazon):


http://www.amazon.com/Baroness-Clawynd-Kingdom-Publishing-Classic-ebook/dp/B00MTW87JI/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1413383450&sr=1-3&keywords=morgan+henry+romance

Author Profile

Morgan was able to realize a long unfulfilled dream when Siren accepted her manuscript for publication.  Though she had always loved reading and writing, she made the decision to pursue a career in science when she was still in high school.  It was a choice based in a need for stability and financial security.

It wasn’t until much later in life that she returned to her love of writing.  Morgan wrote a manuscript, deciding that it was better to try and fail than to always wonder if she could have been a writer.  She was amazed and delighted to have her first book published.

She now resides in Ontario, with her loving and supportive husband, cat and Boston terrorizer, oops I mean terrier.  When she’s not writing, she still has a full time “day job” that she loves, family to look after, friends to enjoy spending time with, and quilts to make.

Dark Secrets, A Shadowy Man and A Woman On the Run. Evanescence: A Paranormal, Magic, Romantic Suspense by Rae Morgan

In a world of dark secrets, is love enough to conquer all? A shadow man. A woman on the run. Two lonely people brought together by circumstances beyond their control. Rae Morgan’s paranormal romance Evanescence takes you on a suspenseful journey into a mysterious world.

Blurb

Security specialist Kai Axton blends into the night, a mist-like shadowy image of his human form. Because of his freakish nature, he feels doomed to live his life alone--until he meets Sian York.

Sian is not who or what she seems; her past is shrouded in a veil of mystery. As Kai prepares to make his move to claim her, Sian’s past explodes onto the scene, forcing him to reveal his darkest secrets. Can Sian accept Kai’s nature, or will he be doomed to live in the shadow world, forever alone?

Excerpt

Where in the blue blazes was she?

Kai Axton glared at the entrance to the bookstore-slash-coffee shop as if imagining her walking through the door could make it so.

The day had turned dark grey with the incoming frontal system off Lake Michigan. His mood matched the cold front, a mood that had gone from warm anticipation a few hours ago to icy disappointment. When he’d arrived at his usual time of three o’clock, he’d expected the proprietor Sian York to greet him with a smile, a freshly baked blueberry scone, and a cup of coffee as always. Kai’s employees teased him about his addiction to the food—and the woman. And they were correct. He looked forward to his daily fix, needed it like a junkie needed his next hit of smack. For the last six months, he’d counted on Sian being here for him. She never went anywhere during shop hours. But she had today.

Where in the hell was she?

Kai turned toward the relatively new clerk, a twenty-something female with strawberry pink hair and more metal in her face than a prepubescent teenager with braces. Now, what was her name again? Zoe, maybe?

“Zoe,” he called out. The clerk turned toward him. Zoe, it was.

A brief, narrow-eyed look of speculation swept over him. Or, had he only imagined that? He blinked. Whatever he thought he’d seen in her eyes was gone, replaced with a wide-eyed gaze of a person about to face her worst fear.

Most women were afraid of him. Fifteen years of wet work for the CIA had a way of marking a man, labeling him. His label read “predator.”

Oddly enough, Sian had never displayed one iota of fear in his presence. If anything, she treated him like a long lost and very special friend. Her presence extinguished the darkness in him. Around her, he almost felt human again, and not like the cold, hard weapon he’d been for so long—and often still was in his private security work.

Sian was magic. And Kai needed her the way he needed air, water, and sustenance.

So, where the fuck was she?

“Yes, Mr. Axton?” Zoe finally replied, her voice creaking like a door needing oil. She coughed, clearing her throat, and then said, “Do you need more coffee?” She reached for the coffee pot with a trembling hand.

Sian’s hand never shook in his presence. She had an aura of calm about her that was almost unearthly. Well, she had until recently. For the last three days, his spider sense, his third eye, his gut, or whatever you wanted to call it, had been on high alert. During that time, his imperturbable lady had displayed hidden, murky currents of unrest. Kai was concerned that her absence had something to do with whatever had upset her serenity. His sixth sense told him that there was danger out there. But from whom? From where?

“No, no coffee.” He’d drunk three cups during the two hours he’d waited for Sian to return to where she belonged. The caffeine jolt had exacerbated his edginess. “Tell me again where Sian went.”

Zoe frowned. “I told you two hours ago that she didn’t tell me.”

Just a hint of asperity tinged the girl’s tone. Not as frightened as she looked. Good, he’d rather have her pissed at him than scared. He’d managed never to hurt a woman, not even during the worst of his fieldwork.

“Just tell me what she said when she left,” he asked, then added, “please.”

The young woman’s forehead scrunched in concentration causing the rings lining her right eyebrow to clink against one another. She tongued the metal piercing in her lower lip, a nervous habit he’d noticed on previous occasions.

“Said something about an appointment downtown and that she’d be back before the store closed…but if she didn’t make it back, I was to lock up and ask Gus at the newsstand to walk me to my car.”

“I’ll walk you to your car, if she isn’t back.”

He knew that Zoe parked in the same garage as Sian and he did, which was almost six long blocks away. The shop closed at six o’clock. Stores and businesses in this neighborhood tucked between Cabrini and River North never stayed open late. It wasn’t safe for any woman, or any man for that matter, to walk around alone after dark. Nightfall came early in Chicago in November. And with nightfall came the predators. His lady should not be out after dark.

Some indefinable emotion colored the young woman’s face. “Thank you, but it’s too much trouble…”

He interrupted her protest with a growl. “I said, I’ll walk you to your car.”

Zoe’s tongue worked the lip piercing faster, then she nodded, resigned to her fate.

Sian would never forgive him if her sole clerk got mugged. Kai hadn’t labored for the last six months, stretching even his unlimited patience to the limits, to gain Sian’s trust only to lose it over something as simple as walking Zoe to her car. Especially not when he’d planned to make the move to the next, more intimate, level in his relationship with Sian.

He’d see Zoe safely on her way and then he would wait for Sian to arrive. He’d trail her home, making sure she got safely into her flat above the shop. Then, he’d call and ask her out to dinner—to talk. To let her know he wanted to get to know her more intimately. And to get answers, if he could, to some questions that had nagged him for months.

Questions like: Why had Sian opened a shop in this borderline neighborhood, and chosen to live above it? He’d asked her that once, but Sian had just smiled, shrugged, and said it was all she could afford. But that was bullshit. She had money. Her clothes, her car, this business, and its inventory, all screamed a comfortable income. Yet, she didn’t make enough sales in a day to support any of that. So, where did the money come from? And why did he catch a glimpse of a haunted look in her eyes as she evaded giving him a straight answer? Finally, why didn’t she ever go out of town to visit anyone? Or, have anyone visit her?

None of it added up, arousing all his digging instincts. He’d made it his business to seek answers to the conundrum that was Sian. Not that he really cared what he found one way or another. His soul had recognized his perfect mate. No, Sian was his no matter who she was or where she’d come from. She completed him, made him whole.

But even with all his resources, both legal and not, he’d hit a blank wall.

Prior to last year, Sian York hadn’t existed.

Oh yeah, someone had tried to set up a background for her, but Kai had been in the business long enough to recognize a fake identity. Hell, he’d had at least ten identities himself when he’d worked for the Company.

Sian York was a fake. But there had to be a valid reason for her hiding behind a false identity. He knew that if she shared that with him, he would be at third down with only inches to go to score on the more intimate relationship he needed from her.

For the hundredth time since Kai had entered the shop, he glanced at the door then at his watch. With each sweep of the second hand, his nerves and muscles readied his body for the unknown battle ahead. That there would be a fight to protect his lady was as certain as he knew his own name. That certainty and his ability to wait for approaching danger, then act instantly and decisively, came from his past training. The skills had been learned in some of the most dangerous jungles in the world—some urban, some not—skills that never went away, but merely camouflaged themselves under a veneer of civilized behavior, lurking until they were needed again.

The forced inactivity ate at him like acid. He needed to do something, but couldn’t until he had the intel—or something happened. The feelers he’d put out and the favors he’d called in had yet to produce any information. Sian York, for all intents and purposes, did not exist, but he’d already known that. So, he’d urged his sources to dig deeper.

He had the sense he was running out of time. Something had happened three days ago that had upset Sian—no, had scared her. Was it notice of this damned meeting she’d gone to? Did the meeting involve something, or someone, from her secret past? Had some long ago trouble raised its ugly head? He’d get the answers tonight at dinner. She had to tell him. Had to trust him. Had to.

Whether she was ready to accept him as a lover or not—Sian was his. God and all the deities in the Otherworld knew she’d become his from the first time she’d greeted him with a smile—and really looked at him. For too many years, he’d been invisible, a specter lurking in the shadows of a dangerous world.

But Sian had changed all that with a smile, with her warmth. She’d looked him directly in the eyes, eyes that he’d been told were dark, deep, and pitiless, and still had invited him to share her world, to share the humor in the life around them. It was as if the sun had reached deep into his soul and melted the icy fortress around his heart.

He’d start his claiming of Sian tonight and hope to God he didn’t scare her away with his all-consuming passion. Sian was his sole chance at a future that he’d once thought might never come. A home. A woman to love. Children.

He’d be damned if some unknown danger would take that away.

Available now at http://www.lsbooks.com/evanescence-p894.php