Welcome to my blog and another First Kiss Friday! My guest today is Ramona Elmes who has an excerpt from A Rekindled Attraction. We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene. Happy reading, my lovelies!
Excerpt:
London – November 1852
Bennett Hendricks, the Earl of Bromley, had a problem, and he wasn’t sure how he was going to fix it. He stood, hiding in an alcove. The spot was a rather magnificent place to disappear as the alcove was shielded from the ballroom crush by a monstrously large potted plant. He pondered his next steps. His mother, unconcerned with checking with him first, had declared to all the marriage-minded mothers that he was shopping for a bride this season. He. Was. Not.
Bromley wasn’t against marriage. In truth, he imagined himself married someday. The issue was when he took the time to consider who he would wed, there was only one lady suitable. He frowned. Perhaps suitable was the wrong word. Plenty of ladies would suffice from a society standpoint. But there was only one woman he loved and desired. But until a few weeks ago he’d almost forgotten he desired Leonora Walker.
Even to himself, it seemed far-fetched that a man could forget his hunger and want for another, but Bromley had done it. It had started when she’d married more than a decade ago. He’d spent many nights convincing himself that what he thought he felt for Leonora was a figment of his imagination until he eventually believed it. Even after she was no longer married, Bromley didn’t allow himself to hope for more than friendship. Then something happened. Something that Leonora didn’t want to speak about, and he suspected, scared her so much, she was now acting as his mother’s full-time assistant in his bride hunt.
They’d kissed and what was once forgotten became ferociously remembered. It had all been so innocent at first. They’d snuck off to his library to share a drink together, escaping the ball his mother was hosting. From a society standpoint, their actions could be perceived as scandalous, but they weren’t young innocents. Bromley was thirty-three and Leonora was thirty-two.
They’d entered the room laughing and flopped down on a sofa next to each other. Leonora had brought up some drivel about a lady who would make a fine bride. He’d asked her about a potential new husband for her and she’d blushed, saying her marriage days were over. Gentlemen didn’t marry women who were divorced. It would be too scandalous.
Still, that wasn’t what sent them careening down this path so different from just being childhood friends. He closed his eyes, remembering.
“Brom, do you know the worst part?”
“No, love.”
“All the years I was married, not once did I feel desired or wanted. Doesn’t that seem dreadful?”
“You have never shared a kiss with someone other than the man I refuse to call your husband.”
He looked at her. She was a beautiful woman and had become more stunning with the passage of time. Her blonde hair framed a heart-shaped face and her eyes sparkled. Laughter and merriment often lurked in them. Well, at least it did since she stopped being married to her ass of a husband.
She shook her head. He gently grabbed her chin, tilting her face towards him. “Leonora, you are a very desirable woman.”
Her mouth parted and her pink tongue darted out, wetting her bottom lip. His body stirred and without thinking of the consequences, he dipped his head down, pressing his lips to hers. Her soft, yielding mouth beckoned him to explore more. He teased her mouth open while pulling her closer. A gasp escaped her, and he snuck his tongue into her mouth, playing an enticing game with her.
He groaned and moved a hand down her back before caressing her hip. She pulled away, looking at him, bewildered. Her eyes drifted back to his lips, and he leaned in to taste her again. The movement appeared to shock her back to her senses. She jumped up, likely remembering who he was, who she was, and that they did not do these things together. Leonora looked at first as if she would say something, but instead darted from the room.
Bromley sighed and pushed the memory away. He’d tried to talk to her about the kiss, but she’d said it was best forgotten. The problem was Bromley had barely been able to suppress his feelings for Leonora before she was married. Now, she wasn’t. He scowled. Leonora would never consider anything more between them because she was divorced due to scandalous circumstances. He didn’t give a damn.
Yes, she was one of the few ladies in the history of England to obtain a divorce, and Parliament likely only granted it so others could save face and forget about the man who swindled the ton. Prior to being carted off to America to pay for crimes there, Leonora’s husband Tobias Walker had taken massive amounts of money from several lords and then promptly spent it, instead of investing it, as he promised. Society wanted to simply forget about the man.
“I can see you,” the woman he was contemplating said on the other side of the potted plant.
He grabbed her elbow and pulled her back into the alcove. “How did you spot me?”
“You are wearing a vibrant green jacket. Do you really think I wouldn’t be able to find you? We can’t stay here. People will talk if they see us.”
“Let them talk,” he said mulishly.
She sighed as if dealing with a child. “You can’t hide here all night, Bennett.”
He sulked. “Don’t call me that. Only my mother uses that name.”
Bromley hated his given name and never went by it. He knew she was using it to irritate him.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Still, you need to come out and mingle.”
“I’ve danced with more ladies this evening than any other man here. I feel like a trinket every lady wants to acquire.”
Her full lips tilted up in a smirk. “Poor Bromley. Come walk with me at least.”
“Promise me we will circle the room at least twice without you making me speak to some young lady?”
She rolled her eyes. “I will do my best.”
He supposed he couldn’t ask for more than that. He held his arm out and they discreetly moved back into the room. Leonora sighed, “If you are trying to hide from all these ladies, maybe you should tone down your clothing.”
Bromley was known for wearing rather bold colors. What could he say? He liked them. Everyone looked better to him in vivid hues. His eyes darted to Leonora, who was in a muted rose colored ball gown. His friend looked beautiful, but in a bright red or vivid rose, she’d have men falling all over her. Perhaps, he should be happy she appreciated the art of the subtle.
“There must be one lady who has struck your fancy?”
They rounded a corner. He leaned closer. “How about I will share with you my thoughts on ladies, when you talk to me about our incident in my library a few weeks ago?”
A blush tinged her cheeks. She frowned at him. “It was an unfortunate mistake. We probably had too much brandy.”
“We’ve had far more brandy together than that.”
She looked away but finally turned back and whispered, “We shared a moment. It isn’t something that can happen again. We are too good of friends to have a liaison. You need to be focused on finding a respectable match, and I don’t fall into that group.”
He opened his mouth to disagree with her, but she held up a hand. “No matter what you say, a divorcée is not a true consideration for a proper gentleman. Deep down, you know this. Can we talk about your realistic options?”
Bromley stopped, causing Leonora to stumble slightly. He helped steady her, then frowned down at her. “Who gets to decide that? I’m not sure I agree with you.”
Her green eyes he loved so much widened in surprise. She sputtered. “Bromley, stop talking nonsense. There are so many lovely ladies looking for a husband right now. Be practical.”
Bromley stared at her, disappointment filling him. “Do you really want me to be?”
She swallowed, drawing his eyes to the beautiful swan-like neck he very much wanted to run his mouth down. “It was just a kiss. Nothing more. You’ve kissed a plethora of women.”
“Leonora—”
“Lady Beatrice, may I have a moment of your time?” she asked as the young woman walked by.
The lady’s eyes widened in confusion. Leonora smiled at him and said, “Excuse me, Lord Bromley.”
A Rekindled Attraction
By Ramona Elmes
Welcome to the Ball of Sin series, featuring four steamy novellas set around a decadent annual masquerade ball in Victorian England. Gossip suggests every year a secret matchmaker does everything in their power to encourage one couple to realize their one night together of fun and vice is only the beginning of their happily ever after. Meet the matchmaker’s next couple:
Lord Bromley has always loved his childhood friend Leonora Walker and was shattered when she married a decade ago. In a shocking turn of events, Leonora is now divorced, and London society has deemed her unsuitable for any proper gentleman. Frustrating Bromley, she is unbothered about the prospect of never marrying again and more interested in playing matchmaker for him.
An unexpected searing kiss between them confirms for Bromley that his feelings aren’t one-sided. Unwilling to have anyone but her, he secretly arranges for her to attend the most notorious ball of the season. He has one night to show Leonora that friendship is only the beginning of what exists between them.
The series is in the same character world as the Nouveau Riche series.
Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mqaV2Q
About the Author:
Since stealing her first historical romance novel from her mother more than twenty years ago, Ramona Elmes has been all in on the genre. Her infatuation with the historical and steamy stirred her to write her own romances.
Ramona loves to write happily ever afters set in the Victorian era. She believes this period makes an exciting backdrop for fast-paced storylines, steamy moments, dramatic endings, and memorable characters.
When not creating ways to entice and torture her characters, she spends her days in Georgia coordinating her family’s crazy life, refereeing pets, hiking, and reading on her front porch.
Reading is hands-down her favorite way to relax, and she is an avid reader of all romance subgenres. Give her a dramatic storyline, a grand declaration, and heart-filled steamy moments, and she is in.
To get updates on Ramona’s books, follow her on Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, or her website.
Find Ramona at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RamonaElmes
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Website: https://ramonaelmes.com
