Slightly plump and over-aged at six and twenty, Abigail Preston sits on a shelf in England, with no hope of marriage. She loses all she loves to the epidemic cholera, and to make matters worse, her father’s will stipulates she must marry within a year to inherit. Desperate, she answers an advertisement for a bride in America; Benjamin Siddle only requests that she be made of sturdy stock and resistant to cold weather. Opportunity is knocking for Abby, so she travels to America to marry a man she doesn’t know in a last bid for happiness. Abigail is faced with an unknown surprise upon arrival at Benjamin’s home, but what will she do? Someone is willing to do whatever it takes to stop her marriage to anyone. But does this mad man want her or her money? Can Ben and Abby overcome the obstacles placed in their way and find true love along the way?
The Bride’s Journey
Excerpt
Bereft of his heat, Abby shivered slightly staring at the door. What must he think of me now. I am nothing but a wanton woman, pushing myself on a man who doesn’t know me. Oh my, what things he made my body feel, I wanted to burn with it, yet there must be more to it than what I was feeling. But what more could there be?
Abby entered her room, locking the door she leaned up against it and sighed. Her heart was still fluttering so she took a couple of deep breaths trying to calm her thoughts. The bed seemed to call her name, her lids getting heavy as she made her way across the room. Maybe a good night’s rest will clear these ridiculous notions from my head.
She removed her robe, draped it over the end of the bed and climbed beneath the sheets. Her night rail proved too warm, sighing she got out of bed and removed it. Abby placed it on the end of the bed with her wrapper and slipped under the covers, the cool linen luxurious against her soft skin. She snuggled into the down feather mattress and took a deep breath. I can almost smell him. My friends were right, men have a most fascinating smell. The pillow she had laid her head on smeller lightly of lavender, and her hands smelled of Benjamin, smiling, she slipped into a restless sleep filled with dreams.
****
His hand reached for her, tipping her face up for his kiss. Abby molded herself to his body, melding them into one being. She wrapped her arms around his neck, arching her back begging for more. Benjamin picked her up, carrying her to the bed, deepening the kiss, eliciting small moans from the back of her throat. Never breaking the kiss, he laid them down stroking her body freely. Tweaking one nipple in his fingers, his lips left her mouth, blazing a white hot trail down her neck to the other nipple. Sucking it into his mouth he suckled there and was rewarded when she threw her head back catching her breath. Smiling, he chanced a glance at her face before letting her nipple go to kiss her ribs and stomach. Abby was wriggling upon the sheets when his mouth took possession of her most private parts. Benjamin slid his tongue through the golden brown curls hiding her treasure and found the hard little nub that would bring her the greatest pleasure known to womanhood. He lightly nipped the rosy bud before delving deeper into her, stroking his tongue up and down her moist slit. One hand stroked her while his tongue journeyed in and out of her shaft, the other hand never having left the nipple he played with.
Abby moaned loud enough to have awakened herself. She was breathing heavily while one hand was stroking a hardened nipple and the other was between her legs, soaking wet. Jerking up in bed, she brought her hands out from under the blankets as her body, hot and sweating, shaking. Oh my, what on earth was all that? A quick glance about the room proved she was alone; Benjamin wasn’t there. Gasping, she collapsed upon the pillow, her cheeks pink and covered herself completely before finally slipping into a restful sleep.
***************
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Here are Laurie’s other works you can consider…
Night’s Salvation, A Ravenwood Novel – Duty, love, and passion take flight on the wings of destiny. Compelled by honor and duty, Night Ravenwood leaves the only life he knows to return home after his brother’s death. He’s the new heir to Ravenwood Manor and the Earldom; at home an arranged marriage awaits him with a woman he’s never met. When tragedy strikes the newlywed couple, Night realizes he’s fallen in love with the beautiful Satine, but does she love him in return? Satine vows to make Night see his destiny includes her; meanwhile someone is willing to commit murder to keep them apart. Will love or murder shape the destiny of this love?
Music Heals All Hearts – Martin plays guitar and sings for the patients at St. Vincent’s Hospital, disfigured on purpose during his teenage years, he wears an eye patch to cover an unseeing eye. While singing in the emergency room one day, Melissa is brought in screaming and in pain covering her eyes. There was an immediate connection to the woman for Martin and over the weeks of recovery that follows, they fall in love while she can’t see his disfigured face. Once her eyesight come back, he fears she will reject him, as she fears he will reject her once he sees her without the bandages covering her own scars. The fear is unfounded for both of them as they realize that music connected them in all ways and love conquers all.
The Pirate Princess – What does a princess do when she doesn’t want a prince? She escapes the princes grasp, mere hours before he is to win her hand and she becomes a pirate. Travel the open seas with Princess Alvilda as she captains the Cryatus in the 14th century. She and her band of female pirates terrorize the Danish people while keeping just out of reach of the one person she wished to escape, Prince Alf. When he captures her ship and discovers her true identity, will he also capture her icy heart?
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All Laurie's books can be found on Amazon. Night’s Salvation and Music Heals All Hearts can be found in print. Music Heals All Hearts is in an anthology called Music Speaks. The others are eBooks released by Evernight Publishing.
Here are Laurie’s other works you can consider…
Night’s Salvation, A Ravenwood Novel – Duty, love, and passion take flight on the wings of destiny. Compelled by honor and duty, Night Ravenwood leaves the only life he knows to return home after his brother’s death. He’s the new heir to Ravenwood Manor and the Earldom; at home an arranged marriage awaits him with a woman he’s never met. When tragedy strikes the newlywed couple, Night realizes he’s fallen in love with the beautiful Satine, but does she love him in return? Satine vows to make Night see his destiny includes her; meanwhile someone is willing to commit murder to keep them apart. Will love or murder shape the destiny of this love?
Music Heals All Hearts – Martin plays guitar and sings for the patients at St. Vincent’s Hospital, disfigured on purpose during his teenage years, he wears an eye patch to cover an unseeing eye. While singing in the emergency room one day, Melissa is brought in screaming and in pain covering her eyes. There was an immediate connection to the woman for Martin and over the weeks of recovery that follows, they fall in love while she can’t see his disfigured face. Once her eyesight come back, he fears she will reject him, as she fears he will reject her once he sees her without the bandages covering her own scars. The fear is unfounded for both of them as they realize that music connected them in all ways and love conquers all.
The Pirate Princess – What does a princess do when she doesn’t want a prince? She escapes the princes grasp, mere hours before he is to win her hand and she becomes a pirate. Travel the open seas with Princess Alvilda as she captains the Cryatus in the 14th century. She and her band of female pirates terrorize the Danish people while keeping just out of reach of the one person she wished to escape, Prince Alf. When he captures her ship and discovers her true identity, will he also capture her icy heart?
Like me on Facebook!
Friend me on Facebook!
Follow me on Twitter!
All Laurie's books can be found on Amazon. Night’s Salvation and Music Heals All Hearts can be found in print. Music Heals All Hearts is in an anthology called Music Speaks. The others are eBooks released by Evernight Publishing.
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