Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog! My guest today is my dear friend Ruth Casie who has an excerpt from her new release, The Pirate’s Jewel. I just love this cover. We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene. Happy reading, my lovelies.

Excerpt:

Clouds dominated the morning sky, with shifting patches of blue sprinkled here and there. Though the clouds were mostly white, there was a hint of greyness, a suggestion that rain would play a part in the day. Wesley entered the library and found Darla leaning over the table, setting the large pearl in place on the necklace. He bent over her shoulder for a closer look.

“It’s more beautiful than I expected. The pearl teardrop is the right finishing touch. The intricate pattern of the gold frame is wonderful. But the amber stones appear different, more alive, radiant. Like you.”

Darla turned her head toward him. Her mouth lifted in a silent invitation. The quick rise and fall of her chest and the smoky passion in her eyes drove him on.

He leaned closer until he brushed her lips with his. Her eyelids fluttered, then slid closed. Encouraged that she didn’t pull away, he pressed his lips against hers, then gently covered her mouth.

Startled and confused, his planned revenge was inconsistent with the emotional hunger that urged him on. He pulled away from her. He had to. Her eyes remained shut, her lips moist from his kiss, and her face lit with an angelic smile.

She blinked, the passion fading from her eyes. Her faint smile held a touch of misery. He didn’t offer an explanation or apology. He wasn’t sorry he kissed her. What he really wanted was more.

“Forgive me. My parents have told me that I’m promised to another,” she said, her voice low and full of regret.

There was no conviction in her words, only sorrow. The grief in her eyes and tremor in her voice, her misery tore at him.

He drew her to her feet and held her close. Her head fit perfectly in the hollow between his shoulder and neck. He lifted her chin with the crook of his finger and stared into eyes damp with tears.

“Shhh. There’s no reason to cry.” He cuddled her head against his chest.

He had spent his days at Maxwell’s side planning and scheduling and his evenings plotting and scheming against him, against her.

With a gentle hand, she pushed herself out of his embrace and woke him from his thoughts.

“Wesley, please. You should go.”

The last thing he wanted to do was leave. He wanted her to spend time with him, laugh with him, and think of no one else but him. His heart squeezed tight in his chest. Who was he fooling? She had no future with him. Once he carried out his plan with Fynn, she would hate him forever.

His arms dropped to his sides, and she stepped away. He opened the garden door but stood there like a statue, unable to leave.

“Please,” she said, her voice strained.

He stepped outside and closed the door. Guilt hit him hard. The garden gate was up ahead. He’d walked away from women before, but never with remorse, never with his heart broken.

---

Deception and family honor are at stake – so is her heart.

Wesley Reynolds will do anything to avenge his family’s banishment from Dundhragon Castle, even throw in with the notorious pirate king MacAlpin. His plan is to ruin Lord Ewan’s trading network. He has a more devious plan for his father’s ‘best friend,’ the man who abandoned them at the eleventh hour. He’ll ruin the man’s most precious jewel, his daughter Darla. Wesley’s so close to ruining the trade network and succeeding he can almost taste it, but revenge is not nearly as sweet as Darla’s kisses.

Darla Maxwell, beloved by her parents, has no prospects of marriage. Her father and Lord Ewan search to find her the right husband. Darla’s special gifts are frightening to many. She has visions that often come true. The murky image of a man haunts her. She’s sure it’s Lord Ewan’s soon-to-be son-in-law, but the vision morphs when she meets Wesley. The meaning couldn’t be any clearer to her. Her destiny lay with Wesley.

When revelations surface, indicating Wesley has been deceived and his revenge misplaced. Will he find the truth of what really happened to his family in time to stop the pirates? Will Darla ever forgive him? Will he ever forgive himself?

Buy Link: Kindle Unlimited

About the Author:

RUTH A. CASIE is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes historical adventures from the shores of medieval Scotland to the cobblestone streets of Regency London. Within the pages, you’ll discover ‘edge-of-your-seat’ suspense, mind-boggling drama, and heart-melting emotions featuring strong women and the men who deserve them. She currently has four historical series: The Druid Knight, The Stelton Legacy, and The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea, and she participates in The Connected World of The Pirates of Britannia. 

Ruth lives in New Jersey with her hero, three empty bedrooms, and a growing number of incomplete counted cross-stitch projects. Before she found her voice, she was a speech therapist (pun intended), client liaison for a corrugated manufacturer, and vice president at a major international bank where she was a product/marketing manager, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now—writing romance. Grab your favorite cup of tea, or an ale if you prefer, and join her heroes and heroines as they race across the pages to find their happily ever after.  Ruth hopes her stories are your next favorite adventures!

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