Dear Romance Readers,
I hope you enjoy reading Chapter One from my previous novel titled, GUILTY of LOVE.
In this steamy hot romance, you will meet the sexy hero, Adam Brume and Letitia Cruz, the curvy beauty who makes him forget his plans.
The road to happily-ever-after is littered with serious problems.
You will have to read GUILTY of LOVE to find out if Adam and Letitia end up together.
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~ A Flirty & Feisty Romance Novel ~
~ One blazing look…fuels his desire ~
Taking a quick break from his search for the man who put his dad behind bars, Adam meets a curvy, dark-haired, intelligent beauty with a lovely sense of humour. She sets his body on fire and shakes him to his core. He longs for her and will move mountains to be by her side. But when he finds out the family responsible for wrecking his dad’s life, his heart is at war with his head as the identity of the woman he is up against throws him into a dilemma.
Letitia wants to get back at the man who made her family suffer. She will do anything to see the man return to jail. A quick stopover on holiday brings her across a hot, sculpted and protective bloke who stirs something deep within her and leaves her body and soul aching with a sharp need. When she eventually confronts her enemy, recognition dawns and every locked-up emotion comes crashing down.
Will Letitia and Adam be found Guilty of Love?
~ From the Author of All of Me: A Sweet & Steamy Romance ~
Letitia wants to get back at the man who made her family suffer. She will do anything to see the man return to jail. A quick stopover on holiday brings her across a hot, sculpted and protective bloke who stirs something deep within her and leaves her body and soul aching with a sharp need. When she eventually confronts her enemy, recognition dawns and every locked-up emotion comes crashing down.
Will Letitia and Adam be found Guilty of Love?
~ From the Author of All of Me: A Sweet & Steamy Romance ~
Chapter One
Letitia walked through customs in Sofia Airport, Bulgaria with confidence, but her luggage suffered a worse fate as it was searched from one point to another. Several bottles of perfume she stacked in her suitcase bothered the custom officers. After a long delay in collecting her luggage, she finally reached the door marked, Exit.
Following the yellow floor markings to the taxi stand, she saw a lone yellow taxi, manned by a driver who looked as cheerful as the warm sunshine. He waved at her.
When she rolled her luggage to the side of the taxi, she fished in her handbag. “I’m going to Art Hotel Simona, on number 10 Inzhener Ivan Ivanov Boulevard.” She hurriedly showed the man wearing a red and brown check shirt the address and photograph of the hotel she had printed just in case her pronunciation of the tongue twisting words was below par.
The young man who covered his hair with a brown cap threw her a grin. “I know the hotel.”
In her head, she already saw herself lying face down on the huge bed she imagined would be soft and comfy in her hotel room.
He flicked his wrist to check his watch before he spoke. “One-hour drive at this time.”
A silent groan worked its way to her throat as she peered at the man with suspicion. From what she read on the website, the hotel was only six miles from the Airport.
As if he understood her frown, the driver made a few hand gestures. “It’s peak hour now and the hotel is a little out of the city centre on a busy boulevard. Traffic causes delay. About one-hour journey. Price is forty Bulgarian Lev.”
Letitia’s lips split open. Twenty Bulgarian Lev was her budget for the fare and she decided to air her reservation. “Well, I’ve got twenty and that’s what I can pay.”
“Do you want to walk to Art Hotel Simona?” asked the man who gave her a quirky smile. “If you pay thirty, I’ll take you.”
The idea of wasting her time haggling with a shylock driver did not appeal to Letitia, so she gave in to his demand and signalled for him to open the trunk.
Grinning like a man who had made a lot of money through crooked means, the driver climbed down and rushed forward. He collected her luggage and stacked it in the trunk. While she waited for him to get past her, he opened the passenger door and bowed.
“At your service, madam.”
Before she could tell him where to stuff his pretentious words, a tall man with the skin colour of rich olive strolled through the airport exit doors. He had a chunky black bag strapped to his bulky shoulders. When he caught sight of the taxi, he hurried forward, his forearm muscles flexed with ease revealing themselves in the fitted, light-green short-sleeve shirt.
Seeing him, Letitia’s heels froze to the asphalt sidewalk. Her pulse rate ticked like mad and she gulped as if she had swallowed a tiny rock.
Beside her, the driver nodded for her to get inside, but she stayed exactly where she was because her legs were now glued in place.
While the broad-shouldered man with an uncommon aura moved closer, their eyes connected. His intense light-brown eyes hooked hers with a force so strong, she could not break the contact even if she tried. She had never met a man with a pair of eyes which appeared both scary and inviting at the same time. Neatly trimmed facial hair roofed his entire jawline and a cute moustache teased his thin top lip. She imagined stroking the short length with the tip of her tongue.
“Hello, can I ride with you?”
Startled at the sound of his voice which sounded just like ocean waves hitting the sandy shore, Letitia looked up. He stood head and shoulders above her five eight plus an extra three-inch wedge heels. He was surely over six feet. Even now, the distinct ring of his vocal sound hit her core in circles.
“I’m not sure about riding with a total stranger,” she replied without a hitch, even though her eyes stayed fixed on his. One moment his eyes appeared a tad scary and in a wink, altered to an interesting gleam.
A hint of a grin lifted the corners of his thin lips as his strong fingers curled around the straps of his bag. “We can quickly sweep from being strangers to acquaintances during the car ride.”
Whatever made him think she travelled all the way from Texas to Bulgaria to make an acquaintance with a strange man? Like she told her older sister, no man in his right mind would find himself on holiday in the medieval city of Sofia. Yet, the thought of leaving him stranded did not sit well with her. Maybe he was not quite stranded. No one knew how long it would take for another taxi to get here. Since the biting sunrays were not friendly to human skin, he might need to rent a car, if push came to shove.
The taxi driver honked impatiently.
“There’s no other taxi here. Come on, I’ll pay the full fare if you agree.”
Though Letitia was tempted by his offer, she stalled a little. “Where are you going? We might be going in opposite directions.”
Shifting his bag from side to side across his shoulders, he retorted. “I doubt that. This is the closest airport to Art Hotel Simona. That’s where I’m going. And you?” His eyes raked her features as if he could read the answer without her saying a word.
Waiting patiently for him to familiarize himself with her facial features, she did not bat an eyelid. “And?” she asked after he zoomed in on her neck. Meanwhile, she swiftly swallowed the slight blob of liquid stuck in her throat.
“Are we heading the same way?” His brown eyebrows shifted up, almost disappearing in to his dark brown close-cut hairline.
“Actually, I might be going your way, after all. Get in if you must,” she answered with a slow smile. What the heck? She was far away from home, on holiday in a country she had never visited. Might as well get on a familiar footing with one person who was going to stay at the same hotel. And he spoke clear English.
When she turned on her heel to open the door, the man who had asked for a ride, dashed forward, wrenched the door open and nodded for her to get in.
A slow quake got lost in her spine and she pressed her lips to stifle the quiet tremor. As an equalist, she had never expected men to hold car doors open for her. But right now, it felt good. More than good. It felt great to have a total stranger–handsome to the hilt– hold a car door for her. Nobody would ever hear her admit the truth. At least, she could celebrate the small surprise in her head.
“You’re keeping us waiting,” he droned near her ear, his quiet commanding tone interrupting her reverie.
Corking her head to look at him, she pinned a smile to her lips and nodded in return. “Thank you.” She got inside the taxi and settled in with a fuzzy thought whirling in her head. Her gallant co-passenger shut the door after tucking in the hem of her orange skater-dress.
While he went around to the other side of the taxi, the driver gave her a questioning look in the rear-view mirror. Letitia simply smiled and shrugged. The driver must have accepted her silent reply because he ignited the engine the second her co-passenger shut his door.
Before the driver moved the car, she tapped the headrest in front of her. “Please move the front seat forward to give space for his legs.”
The driver nodded, unclipped the front seat and pushed it forward. “Is it okay, sir?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you,” the hunk beside her replied. Then he skewed his head and tipped an invisible hat in her direction.
It was a non-verbal thank you and she understood the gesture as such. Letitia looked out the window for several minutes. She wanted to ask his name. It made sense, after all they shared a taxi. But she could not open her mouth to ask. Not that she lacked confidence, but she wanted to remain a stranger to him. Yet, his voice had a ring to it and she was sure she could listen to him speak for years without complaining.
“Should we stick to first names only?” she heard him ask from near her shoulders. He had leaned sideways.
His warm breath spilled a copious amount of heat along her neck and backbone. With a quick slant of her body she moved to face him instead. There was no trace of mischief in his handsome face, only an open question in his luminous eyes.
She shrugged, very glad he initiated the question. “I’ve got a bad idea.”
He nodded. “And what is it?”
“I give you a name of my choice and you do the same. That way, we remain anonymous while we get acquainted.”
Frown lines marred his smooth brow as he probably tried to get his head round the ridiculous idea. Then he flashed her a grin. “Your name is Annora.”
“Annora?” she repeated the name a few times, rolling the sound around her tongue as she got used to the English identity. “What does it mean?”
The quick glow from his eyes pinned hers for seconds before he told her the meaning. “Honour.”
Breaking the gaze briefly, she paused, sifting three names in her mind. After a minute, she decided on his name.
“My name is,” he encouraged, his eyes seeming to widen with expectation.
“Miguel.” And she pronounced it with the Mexican accent.
His eyes registered something she could only describe as wonder. “Are you Mexican or are you from Spain?”
Playing hide and seek with her identity was going to be fun, she decided. And she liked the slow buzz crowding her stomach. “You said my name is Annora and I assume I’m English.”
A wide grin splayed across his face as the joke dawned on him. “Ah! Yes, you’re English.”
“And you’re Mexican,” she reminded him.
“But I can’t speak Spanish.”
“Doesn’t matter, Miguel. Mexicans speak English especially if you were born outside of Mexico.”
“He gave her several nods. “I get it. My name’s Miguel and I was born outside of my country Mexico and my dominant language is English.”
Laughter surged within her at the way he moved his head, lips and eyes when he rehearsed his new identity. But she swiftly covered her mouth with her palm to stop herself bursting into an uncontrollable laugh. “That’s the summary,” she agreed after she wiped wetness from her eyes. He had jumped into the role play with ease and she could not fault him.
Annora was the perfect fresh identity for her in a city bordered to the east by the Black Sea. Maybe she could forget her problems in Texas and enjoy her trip after all.
“Do you always do that?”
Blinking as if the wing of a butterfly was caught between her eyelashes, she angled her head. “Do what?”
Chuckling at her disconcerted look, he raised one hand to pacify her before he responded. “You’ve got this faraway look in your eyes. Right after every sentence, you kind of drift away.”
“I didn’t realize you needed my full attention every second,” she snapped, even though she knew every word he said was true.
“Hey! Don’t jump down my throat,” he pleaded, drawing away from her. “It was an observation. I wasn’t criticizing you in anyway.”
A small smile stuck to her mouth and she shook her head. “You’re right. I’m here physically, but I think my mind is elsewhere.”
“That’s okay. You didn’t expect me to come along, unless you were psychic. I understand.”
Latching on to his bait, she drilled further. “I wish I had such powers. Maybe I would have vanished before you showed up.”
Laughter scooted out of his throat. His head fell backward and his eyes stayed shut for a few seconds. Letitia watched him laugh and decided she liked the sound. It reminded her of a harmonious drum roll. Although it might be important that a man’s voice and laughter spoke to a woman in a unique way, she could not recall why it mattered to her. It was only an extra special man who could connect with a woman in subtle ways.
“What’s funny?” she asked when he became quiet.
“No woman has ever wished they had disappeared before I turned up. I’m worried I may have lost my appeal.”
It was her turn to melt into a fit of giggles for several minutes. When she pulled herself together, she turned to face the window. Getting drawn to his side was not part of the ride she agreed to, she hastily reminded herself.
The scattering of onion-domed churches, vast parks, manicured gardens around many houses and ottoman mosques along the busy streets crowded with people held little fascination for Letitia. She pulled in a deep breath of warm and mild fragrance that was not hers. Most men favoured overpowering scents, but it seemed her co-passenger preferred a slight alternative. Reluctantly she released her breath in slow motion.
“Annora, should we also provide last names?”
The depth of his voice called to her core and she jerked her head around to peek at him. A light intimacy developed between them the instant he said her new name. Now she wondered if it was a great idea to exchange strange names with Miguel.
“First names will do, Miguel, before I forget my real identity,” she answered with her eyes shut, but with her senses heightened.
“I like the way your accent comes through only when you say my new name,” he remarked.
Again, she felt sweet heat power though her gut. Deciding she did not need to lock gazes with him, she peered at the row of commercial buildings along the busy main street as they drove past.
“How long will you be in Sofia for, Annora?”
“Two weeks. And you?” She looked at him, hoping to catch any expression on his face. Instead her eyes drifted down his strong, but greatly-sculpted nose, small lips and angular jawline softened by the fast spread of dark facial hair.
“Twelve days.”
Miguel folded his arms across his chest, but he shot out his hands to press her shoulders back to the seat when the car suddenly galloped over a pothole.
She winced as pain sliced her tongue.
“What is it?” Miguel asked, the fright in his voice noticeable even as his fingers remained on her shoulders.
“Very sorry,” the driver apologized.
“I bit my tongue from the sudden jolt,” she whispered, groping for her bag with her eyes shut. She could taste a dash of blood in her mouth.
“Slow down!” Miguel ordered the driver in a gravelly tone. It was probably the pitch he reserved for idiots.
Immediately, the car slowed. And Miguel let out a sigh. She opened her eyes, fiddled with her bag and got out a pack of tissues.
“Look away,” she muttered to Miguel. The dribble inside her mouth was not something she wanted him to see.
“Go ahead,” he countered, staring at her with concern in his eyes. “Spit it out.”
Shaking her head, she turned aside and showed him her back. Facing the passing scenery was a better deal, so she spat inside several tissues and wiped her lips with a fresh one. She folded the blood-tinged tissues into an empty plastic pack and wondered how to dispose of it.
An awkward silence lingered before Miguel interjected. “Does your tongue sting?”
“No,” she replied, not sure she wanted to carry on any conversation. At least, not until she found somewhere to dump her rubbish.
“I’ll get you ice cream once we get to the hotel. It will get rid of the pain and stop the bleeding.”
Annora purred, careful not to make the sound audible. The sweet sound of ice cream left her tongue dry. Oh, she had not tasted ice cream in a long while. Gaining weight as a flight attendant was a no-no. Still, she reckoned she could get away with one ice cream or two during her holiday, as long as she got rid of the calories. “Is there a way I can have the dessert now?” The words scribbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.
The driver nodded eagerly, pointing to an outlet a few blocks ahead. “You can buy ice cream from Afreddo’s.”
Miguel looked at her with one lifted eyebrow. “If you’re not in a hurry, we could stop over and have ice cream.”
We, she almost mimicked, but she shut her mouth in time. Was he planning to indulge himself as well? A man who feasted on ice cream earned five stars where she came from. “What about you? Don’t you have to be elsewhere?”
“Not at all. I’m here for a break. I’ve got time on my hands, at least for now.”
Suddenly, her initial wish to dive into a comfy bed went extinct. Grinning, she nodded. “Okay. Ice cream sounds good.”
Giving her a smart wink, he tapped the driver’s head rest. “Park at Afreddo’s. We want to get ice cream.”
The grinning driver nodded, and in a matter of minutes he parked in front of a stucco cream building decorated with flashing signs teeming with laughing foodaholics.
Before Annora could gather her bag, Miguel again held the door open for her. When her left leg hit the ground, he offered his fingers to make climbing out of the taxi easier. She curled her fingers around his own lean and strong ones. Mild current tasered her limb instantly. Okay, there was nothing mild about the tingly waters that dripped through her veins. Keeping her head low to hide the glow that could reveal her inner squabble, she forced herself to swallow.
All her life, she had never needed a man to open a car door for her or help her out of a car. Miguel rendered help with such simplicity and an easy-going mien, a girl would be rude to turn him down.
“Thank you,” Annora murmured as she now stood close enough to breathe in a dose of his enticing cologne.
“Everything okay, Annora?” Miguel asked with a look that gave away nothing of what he thought.
He said her name with a sweet reverence and she liked it a lot. As unbelievable as it sounded, she was ready to happily adopt Annora as her name for the next two weeks. His relaxed air, semi casual appearance and an accent that screamed, I’m posh, pushed her into wondering about his origin. Just as quickly, she dumped the idea. She must not think past her holiday, yet, the sneaky notion grabbed her attention.
“All good for me,” she assured him with a squeeze of his fingers before she let go.
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I wish you a romantic week.
Love
Stella
Please share & re-share.
Thank you for visiting. Please leave comments, so I know you dropped by.
Your visit deeply appreciated.
I wish you a romantic week.
Love
Stella
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Flirty & Feisty Romance
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