Although she knew it was insanity to even consider a secret rendezvous, Pippa could not make herself say no.
She opened her mouth to try to form the word and her lips refused. Her whole body and being wanted to be with Nic, and she was bloody tired of denying herself. âYes,â she finally said and closed her eyes. âBut this could be messy.â
Nic laughed. âIâve been dealing with messes since I was six years old.â
She wondered what it was about Nic that made her feel stronger. When she was with him, she felt as if she could do almost anything.
Pulling her slowly toward him, he gave her a dozen chances to turn away, but she didnât. She couldnât.
âDo you want me just because you canât have me?â she whispered, the fear squeezing out of her throat.
âNo,â he said. âBesides, we both know I can and will have you. The question is when,â he said and lowered his mouth to hers.
Dear Reader,
This is one of my most ambitious books ever! These characters got inside my head and heart and demanded that I deal with subject matter Iâve never attempted before. In my mind, there are two she-ros in this book, but donât worry! Only one of them is the âromantic lead.â And what a woman she is. A shy bookworm princess with bad hair who is known for not making waves is thrust into a situation that challenges her to be stronger than she ever dreamed she could be.
The second she-ro is the heroâs mother. I pictured her as an older but still gamin Audrey Hepburn determined to savor every moment of life. The dreamy forbidden hero comes from a long line of pirates. I see Nic Lafitte looking like a slightly rougher-edged version of Antonio Sabato, Jr. I love the way shy Princess Pippa turns worldly Nicâs head and heart around in ways he would have considered impossible.
Throw in a long-standing family feud and a crowd of Royals, and our hero and she-ro are in for the journey of their lives. I hope this story will be a âheart-warmerâ for youâ¦
Wishing you love and joy,
Leanne
LEANNE BANKS is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author who is surprised every time she realizes how many books she has written. Leanne loves chocolate, the beach and new adventures. To name a few, Leanne has ridden on an elephant, stood on an ostrich egg (no, it didnât break), gone parasailing and indoor skydiving. Leanne loves writing romance because she believes in the power and magic of love. She lives in Virginia with her family and a four-and-a-half-pound Pomeranian named Bijou. Visit her website, www.leannebanks.com.
This is dedicated to the family members and friends
who hang in there for the long haul when a loved one is terminally ill. May the special people in your life who have passed on continue to inspire you, make you laugh, make you wise and make you love foreverâ¦
âWhat is he doing here?â
Phillipa was wondering the same thing. At her sister Bridgetâs gasp, her other sister, Tina, leaned toward Bridget. âZach says heâs a huge contributor here. Everyone loves him,â Tina said distastefully.
âThey clearly donât know him,â Bridget said and nudged Phillipa. âWhy canât we escape him?â she whispered. âMaybe itâs because heâs the devil and that means he can be everywhere at once.â
At that moment, Phillipa almost agreed with Bridget. Nic certainly seemed to have some kind of dark power over her.
Phillipa had tried to slow things down with Nic Lafitte, but persuading the man to move at anything other than warp speed had proven impossible. He was a force of nature with a will that rivaled every kind of powerful destructive weather. Typhoons and tornadoes had nothing on him. Sheâd successfully avoided him for the past three weeks and she had been certain that fleeing her home country of Chantaine to visit her sisters in Texas would buy her even more time.
Who would have ever thought she would be caught staring at him at a charity social ball in Texas as he accepted an award for philanthropy? Phillipa knew that Nic had ties to Texas, but with his extensive business dealings, he had ties to many places.
The ballroom suddenly felt as if it was shrinking. Panic squeezed her chest. She had to get out. She had to catch her breath. Feeling her sisterâs curious gaze, she swallowed hard over the lump in her throat. âIâm not feeling well,â she said. âPlease excuse me.â
When Bridget offered to come with her, Phillipa had to remain firm. âIâll be back in a little bit.â
Sticking to the perimeter of the room as she fled, she kept her head down, hoping she wasnât drawing attention to herself. If she could just get out of this room, she would be fine, she told herself. Out of the room and away from Nic. Away from how he affected her.
She stepped out of the ballroom and held the door so it would catch softly as it closed, then took a few more steps away and leaned against the wall, which felt cool against her skin. Her sisters hadnât been exaggerating when theyâd told her Texas summers were hell.