Ginny Hartman (25 page)

She drank deeply of his kisses, her toes curling in response to the feel of his mouth on hers. He finally pulled himself away. “Let's skip the celebration,” Rosalind suggested, hoping desperately that he would agree.

Terric laughed. “Tis wouldn't rouse suspicion in the least.”

Rosalind harrumphed. “Being King has made you boring,” she complained in jest.

“Never. I have something for you.”

“Really?” she asked, excitement lacing her voice.

“I was going to make you wait until after the festivities, but since you are so anxious to miss them...”

“What is it?” she asked, truly anxious to know.

“We'll have to go to the gardens so I can give it to you.” Grabbing his hand, she began tugging him forward. Part way there she broke out into a jog, her veil rippling in the wind behind her. Terric laughed but did nothing to stop her. All of a sudden her grip on his hand loosened and she disappeared, completely. Terric's heart skipped a beat, but only briefly before he realized what she had done. He shook his head in amusement; he would never get used to her doing that.

By the time he made it to the gardens, Rosalind was already there, waiting for him. Her back was to him, and he took a moment to look at her. A few tendrils of hair floated on the breeze as her dress molded around her body alluringly. Suddenly he wished they could forgo the celebrations as well, that he could whisk her away to the tower and lock her inside and have her all to himself. He went to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the far corner of the garden where a freshly planted cudworth bush sat, waiting for her to discover.

He watched as her eyes settled on the bush covered generously with tiny purple berries. She gave him a questioning look. “Go ahead, see for yourself,” he urged.

She bent and plucked a berry, ripping into its flesh to discover the bright magenta fruit contained therein. The colorful die stained her hands, but she didn't seem to care. She jumped into his arms, “Where did you find this?”

“I can't tell you, it would ruin the mystery.”

“You're infuriating.”

“But you love me,” he pointed out matter-of-factly.

“Aye, that I do.” She went up on tip toe and pulled his face to hers, letting the juicy berry fall from her hand, staining the skirt of her gown as it fell. But she didn't care; she had never cared about dirty gowns. She only cared about him.

Acknowledgments

So many people are involved in creating a book, and I wish to take a moment to thank them. First, my wonderful beta-readers Kim and Caroline, your opinion and observations are truly appreciated and helpful, as well as is your excitement and love for the characters I create and their stories. Your anticipation for each new story compels me to write as fast as my little fingers can type. Your help is invaluable.

To my husband and children who put up with a dirty house, frozen pizza dinners, and a wife and mother with a single-track mind until a book is finished. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your patience and tolerance is a gift, as is your excitement and encouragement. I love you.

To my wonderful mother and mother-in-law, I'm honored that you are willing and excited to read my books in their early stages and that you are so willing to recommend them to anyone and everyone who will listen.

To Lindsay, for helping me go through the manuscript with a fine-toothed comb before publishing it as well as your encouragement and positive input. Kiss, Kiss.

To Catherine, for your expertise in editing. Your thoroughness and professionalism are greatly appreciated. I've been blessed to work with you.

To Rachel, for sharing your knowledge on fencing and swordsmanship with me and bringing two plastic swords to demonstrate what you meant so I could have a visual idea of what you were talking about. Thank you for your help.

To Nancy, for so graciously helping me out by lending your talent and professional skill on behalf of making my cover look even better.

To my Heavenly Father, for blessing me with a talent and a desire to create. I would be nothing without You.

And lastly, to my readers, for your support, enthusiasm, and for taking a chance on me. I love reading your reviews, hearing your thoughts, and talking with you about my characters as if they are real, for truly they are to us! Thank you, thank you, thank you. It is for you I write.

Until next time,

Ginny

About The Author

Ginny Hartman has always loved writing, and when her love for the regency era blossomed, she decided to combine the two, resulting in her first published novel, Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington, which became an Amazon Historical Romance bestseller. After completing her first Regency Romance Trilogy, she decided to venture into other eras of historical romance, enjoying the journey back in time.

Ginny's favorite thing about writing is the escape it gives her and the people who read her stories. For a behind the scenes look at the creation of Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington, Misleading Lord Martineau, Betraying the Highwayman, and To Guard Her Heart, as well as a sneak peek at her upcoming projects, visit her website
www.creatingromance.blogspot.com
or visit her on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/authorginnyhartman

Besides writing, Ginny enjoys reading and spending time with her favorite people: her husband and three beautiful children. She also enjoys traveling the world with the love of her life and gaining inspiration for her books. She currently resides in Northern Idaho.