Blurb
What
could Luc Mercier, a gargoyle who's more than a century old, possibly
have in common with modern introvert, Gillian Harris? Loneliness and
isolation.
When
meddlesome friends bring the two together, neither is prepared for
the flurry of emotions nor revelations that overwhelm them. That is,
until Gillian stumbles across the truth and struggles with how she
let her guard down.
Learning
to love again has never been harder.
Excerpt
Luc
picked up a newspaper from the stand and tossed a two-dollar coin to
the elderly man working the counter. He ascended the cavernous stairs
of Bloor and Dufferin subway station, irritated by the lights
flickering intensely.
I
should have just taken my car.
But
if he did, Luc would have missed an opportunity to observe society
other than from the café he frequented lately. A society he didn’t
belong in, technically speaking, and had no business being a part of.
Long gone were the muddy, off-beaten roads of provincial France. Long
gone was the time when an over-flowing bodice was considered
scandalous.
Now
people thrived on exposing as much skin as possible. The modern day
sentiment of what was attractive and acceptable embarrassed him to
the core, from the mode of dress to the inappropriate use of
language. Didn’t anyone know how to speak without using an
expletive every other word? Where had humanity gone wrong? It was
ghastly enough that children didn’t respect their elders, much less
their parents.
Nevertheless,
as much as this modern world perplexed him, nothing could deter him
from at least enjoying his freedom, regardless of the limitations
restricting his activities to the darkness of the night.
He
did, however, miss the ambiance of candle light and the soft cries
while seducing a woman, tormenting her with his wicked tongue.
Exploring deviant, but heavenly, practices of binding and mixing
pleasure with pain. Sweet promises falling from his lips while
exploring every inch of her delicate and exquisite flesh.
These
days, the few women he was able to enjoy weren’t interested in
highly sensual liaisons. No. Today’s women thrived on being in
control of seduction, whether they were proficient or not. There
certainly wasn’t anything wrong with the scenario, but it wasn’t
his taste. He preferred his women soft, like Genevieve…his sweet,
sweet Genevieve.
No
matter how many decades passed, the only woman he’d ever confided
in, and planned to wed, crept into his mind many a time. Genevieve
was an old soul, who found him and fell in love. Then, much like a
Greek tragedy, their story ended woefully. The trust and courage it
had taken to confess to Genevieve of the monstrosity he had become
left him restless and, for once in his miserable existence,
vulnerable. If not for her kindness, encouragement, and love, who
knew what he would be doing and where.
This
last week, though, he thought to explore the possibility of trying
again. A particular woman, who frequented the café where he spent
his early evenings drinking a brandy and reading
The
Daily Sun,
had caught his particular interest. Her laughter aroused his
curiosity in the few and far between moments when he contemplated
actually living life. Her voice, whether chuckling or whispering to
her friend, always made his body react in an animalistic way.
While
they had never met, she
seemed
like
someone
he’d be interested in getting to know, at the very least, for a
little while. Luc doubted very much he’d find another woman like
the love of his life and often thought it would be better that way.
How could he even begin to explain why he only ever spent time with
her at night, and why he’d always be gone before the first sign of
daybreak?
Get
your copy of Hardened Desire!
About
Layna
Born
and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Layna discovered her love of reading
at an early age. When she isn’t devouring salacious romance novels
or writing, she enjoys losing herself in researching ancient history
and mythology, weaponry, and hiking. She lives in Northern Ontario,
with her husband and two daughters.
Layna
is a member of the Romance Writers of America, and is a monthly
contributor at 69 Shades of Smut. For updates on her upcoming
releases, or to leave her a comment, you can find at:
Website:
http://www.laynapimentel.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/LaynaPimentel
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