Book: Rose in Bloom (Sex and the Season #2)
Author: Helen Hardt
Genre: Erotic Victorian Romance
Sex and the Season Book Two
Wiltshire, England 1853
Lady Rose Jameson knows her place—respect authority and convention and marry a suitable member of the peerage. Lord Evan Xavier, the second son of the Earl of Brighton, possesses the necessary pedigree, but though Rose enjoys his company, the spark she craves is missing…the spark she feels in abundance with handsome commoner Cameron Price.
Cameron has accepted his lot in life—to care for his widowed mother and two younger sisters. Instead of writing the music he loves, he’s destined to work the land his family leases from the Duke of Lybrook…and deal with his overwhelming feelings for the duke’s sister-in-law, Lady Rose. When Cam’s sister becomes ill, his fate is further sealed. He must say goodbye to Rose forever.
But circumstances and the appearance of an elderly stranger may change both their fates...
Rose turned. His silver eyes penetrated her flesh like daggers. She felt defenseless. All those heart-wrenching hours spent at the pianoforte with him, fighting her attraction to him and telling herself they had no future, flooded into her like a tidal wave. He had treated her with such disdain, never missing an opportunity to make a snide comment about their different stations. Was it possible he felt an attraction too?
“You’re foxed, Mr. Price,” Rose said, forcing herself not to stammer. “This conversation would be better served if we were both in our right minds.”
Cameron tentatively reached toward her arm and touched her lightly with his finger. A spark shot through Rose at the contact.
“I may have imbibed a bit more than usual, my lady,” he said. “But I assure you, I am in my right mind. I asked you a question. Would you have danced with me?”
“I…don’t know. It wouldn’t really be appropriate.”
Cameron snorted again. “Of course. What would the other peers have thought if you, the daughter of the Earl of Ashford, were seen dancing with a commoner? Pardon, not just a commoner, but a tenant on your brother-in-law’s land.” He turned away from her. “Good evening, my lady.”
Rose’s heart hurt. She had wanted to dance with him. She had dreamed of more than that. Of kissing him the way she kissed Evan. Of doing…more than kissing. “Wait, Mr. Price.”
He turned. “What is it?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Yes, what?”
She gulped. “Yes. I would have danced with you.”
He walked back to her and brushed back a stray curl. Her skin burned where he touched her.
“Will you dance with me now?”
“It’s nearly time for the meal.” Rose swallowed. “The orchestra is taking a break. I…we should go in.”
“Please. Dance with me.”
Her heart hammered against her chest. “There’s no music.”
He cupped her cheek. “We don’t need music. You and I together have it in our souls.”
“You’re foxed, Mr. Price,” Rose said, forcing herself not to stammer. “This conversation would be better served if we were both in our right minds.”
Cameron tentatively reached toward her arm and touched her lightly with his finger. A spark shot through Rose at the contact.
“I may have imbibed a bit more than usual, my lady,” he said. “But I assure you, I am in my right mind. I asked you a question. Would you have danced with me?”
“I…don’t know. It wouldn’t really be appropriate.”
Cameron snorted again. “Of course. What would the other peers have thought if you, the daughter of the Earl of Ashford, were seen dancing with a commoner? Pardon, not just a commoner, but a tenant on your brother-in-law’s land.” He turned away from her. “Good evening, my lady.”
Rose’s heart hurt. She had wanted to dance with him. She had dreamed of more than that. Of kissing him the way she kissed Evan. Of doing…more than kissing. “Wait, Mr. Price.”
He turned. “What is it?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Yes, what?”
She gulped. “Yes. I would have danced with you.”
He walked back to her and brushed back a stray curl. Her skin burned where he touched her.
“Will you dance with me now?”
“It’s nearly time for the meal.” Rose swallowed. “The orchestra is taking a break. I…we should go in.”
“Please. Dance with me.”
Her heart hammered against her chest. “There’s no music.”
He cupped her cheek. “We don’t need music. You and I together have it in our souls.”
Helen Hardt is an attorney and stay-at-home mom turned award-winning romance author and freelance fiction editor. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal, and erotic romance from her home in Colorado. She’s a mother, a black belt in Taekwondo, a grammar geek, an avid fan of opera and football (as long as her older son and younger son are performing/playing, respectively), and a lover of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
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