EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT: Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
May 6, 2008
Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas. Releases 30 Sep 08 from St. Martin's (paperback), the historical you have been waiting for...
Kev Merripen, a Gypsy with mysterious origins, is in love with Winnifred Hathaway, a former invalid who now wants to live fully and without reserve. But Win is being pursued by the handsome doctor who helped her to get well. In this scene, Merripen interrupts a rendezvous right outside a glittering ballroom. . .
Together, Julian Harrow and Win stared at the intruder.It was Merripen, of course, huge and dark and aggressive as he strode toward them.Win’s jaw sagged in disbelief. Merripen had followed her out here? She felt like a hunted creature. For heaven’s sake, was there no place she could evade his outrageous stalking?“Go . . . away,” she said, enunciating each word with scornful precision. “You are not my chaperon.”
“You should be with your chaperon,” Merripen snapped. “Not here with him.”
Win had never found it so difficult to master her emotions. She shoved them back, closing them behind an expressionless face. But she could feel the temper seething impatiently inside her. Her voice shook only a little as she turned to Julian. “Would you be so kind as to leave us, Dr. Harrow? There is something I must settle with Merripen.”
Julian glanced from Merripen’s set face to hers. “I’m not sure I should,” he said slowly.
“He’s been plaguing me all evening,” Win said. “I’m the only one who can put a stop to it. Please allow me a moment with him.”
“Very well.” Julian stood from the bench. “Where shall I wait for you?”
“Back in the drawing-room,” Win replied, grateful that there was no argument from Julian. Clearly he respected her, and her abilities, enough to allow her to manage the situation. “Thank you, Dr. Harrow.”
She was barely aware of Julian’s departure, she was so focused on Merripen. She stood and went to him with a furious scowl. “You are driving me mad,” she exclaimed. “I want you to stop this, Kev! Do you have any idea how ridiculous you’re being? How badly you’ve behaved tonight?”
“I’ve behaved badly?” he thundered. “You were about to let yourself be compromised.”
“Perhaps I want to be compromised.”
“That’s too bad,” he said, reaching out to grip her upper arm, preparing to haul her from the conservatory. “Because I’m going to make certain you stay safe.”
“Don’t touch me!” Win wrenched free of him, incensed. “I’ve been safe for years. Tucked safely in bed, watching everyone around me enjoying their lives. I’ve had enough safety to last a lifetime, Kev. And if that’s what you want, for me to continue to be alone and unloved, then you can go to the devil.”
“You were never alone,” he said harshly. “You’ve never been unloved.”
“I want to be loved as a woman. Not as a child, or a sister, or an invalid—”
“That’s not how I—”
“Perhaps you’re not even capable of such love.” In her blazing frustration, Win experienced something she had never felt before. The desire to hurt someone. “You don’t have it in you.”
Merripen moved through a shaft of moonlight that had slipped through the conservatory glass, and Win felt a little shock as she saw his murderous expression. In just a few words she managed to cut him deeply, enough to open a vein of dark and furious feeling. She fell back a step, alarmed as he seized her in a brutal grip.
He jerked her upward. “All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn’t equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine.”
Before she could begin to comprehend what he’d said, and all the implications, he took her mouth with savage hunger. For a full minute, perhaps two, she couldn’t even move, could only stand there helplessly, falling apart, every rational thought dissolving.
© Lisa Kleypas. All rights reserved
le sigh
god this is a good book, can't wait for you all to read it
how long do the rest of us mere mortals have to wait for it to come out?
Sept 30
My goodness that's a long way away!
LOL well the first excerpt went up October of 07 so we have made serious progress and that first excerpt 'which was raw and unedited' I think is now on her site and much different. I think... I need to lookie.
September?!?!!? wahhhh. I wants it now! Oh well, they do say that anticipation makes things better. *sigh*
*sigh* Wow. Thanks for the hit. LOL
Holy crap that was good! I can't wait for this one!! Ugh..September can't get here quick enough...
I'm dying here - I almost don't want to read the excerpts because it makes it that much harder to wait.
but it is such a goooooddddddddd excerpt
helpful be thy name sybil
Wowzers!! What a mighty fine passionate declaration of love. Gives me shivers it does!
And the inside step cover - WOW!!!!! I'm glad we can enlarge it 'cause is it gooooodd or what? If that's Kev Merriam *sigh* is about all I can say!
Sybil,
And here I thought you were such a nice person! How can you torture us like this? OMG, I am dying for this book. Are you by any chance susceptible to bribes? Begging? I want that ARC!!!!!
Oh my goodness gracious! That step cover is making my mouth water! That man is S E X Y!!
LOL if people don't know you can click on the cover on the bottom and it goes huge *g*.
Monica hon I have been telling you forevah I am not nice at all.
I think I forgot to mention that... maybe?
But we will be giving away an ARC(s?) of this soon I think. Or at least at some point.
Great excerpt. Wow.
Holy cow. That is wonderful. Thank you for sharing, Lisa and Sybil. You've made my Tuesday a much better day.
OMG!!! That was awesome! I can't WAIT for this book! I'm so excited! Thank you!
No fair teasing us if we have to wait until September, I've been wanting to read their story and this excerpt's making it even harder to wait.
When will the next excerpt arrive?
How about giving away the ARC tomorrow? LOL.
I got the cold chills reading that exerpt. The good book kind of cold chills! I knew this would be a good one! I can't wait. Only 4 months away. That's not too bad!
This looks so good!! but it is going to take such along time to come out, 4 more months!! i cant wait that long!
WOW!!!!!!!!!!
This book is going to be so RAW and UNCUT! WHO here thinks Ms. Kleypas will be signing it at the RWA's this year?
WOW
This book is going to be soooo RAW and UNCUT (MY FAVE! HE HE) Who here thinks that Ms Kleypas will be signing at he RWA's this year?
I love the cover, the color is so "sumptuous" to me. And what a heated excerpt!
OMG! The waiting is pure torture!
noooooooooooeeeeeeeesssssss sept 30 = SO FAR AWAY.
*sniffle*
I knew this story was going to happen. And I want it.
OMG!! I can't wait for this!!!!!!
How did I miss this excerpt! I'm wiggling in my seat with excitement. I re-read his declaration like 5 times. Can't wait!
"every rational thought dissolving"
Can't say I blame Win. My brain is melting to mush too.
[...] is Lisa’s current work-in-progress, so this scene could end up changed, edited or even cut. **WHAT THE SCENE GREW UP TO BE [...]