Once Upon a Temptingly Ruinous Kiss (Book 2)
What readers say:
🍀“It is Karate Kid meets Jane Austen!”
🍀“Empowering to women. Don't miss out on this one.” 🍀“I love Drake's character. I adore the man and he is on my list of book boyfriends now.”Drake cleared his throat, preferring for the topic of the conversation to remain far away from his own personal affairs. "My reasons are my own. I am offering you my help, and of course, you have every right to refuse."
Instead of accepting or refusing his help, Lady Leonora asked, "And if you should discover his name, what will you do then?"
Pushing off the wall, Drake pulled back his shoulders, his hands linking behind his back. "You know what I will do," he told her calmly, feeling his pulse starting to beat wildly in his veins.
He wondered why that was.
She inhaled a deep breath. "Say it."
"I will put a bullet between his eyes."
Lady Leonora flinched at the words. "Why? Why would you do that? You would be risking yourself. Dueling is illegal, and--"
"The law is not always about right and wrong," Drake snapped in a tone he immediately regretted. He watched Lady Leonora's gaze go wide, but he knew that she needed to hear what he had to say. "You know as well as I do that even if it were discovered what gentleman attacked you that night, if it became publicly known, you would be the only one to suffer. Yet, you did nothing wrong."
Lady Leonora hung her head. "I should not have left the house that night. I should not have gone to the masquerade in the first place. I should not have wandered off without my sister. I should not have--"
"Perhaps not," Drake agreed, waiting until she lifted her gaze once more. "Yes, I suppose it is fair to say that you made a mistake. Still, does that mean that any woman out on her own is fair game? Do we not live in a society where we are protected by our laws? Do we truly want to place blame on the victim instead of the attacker? Is that the world we wish to live in? Simply because it is so, it does not mean it should be." Shaking his head, Drake turned away. He needed a moment to collect his thoughts. Indeed, he had said more than he had intended to.
Her voice was soft when she suddenly spoke again, distant and coming as though from far away. "I still dream of that night," she whispered before she, too, turned away and stepped over to the window. "I still see that mask, black like most of the others that night. In my dreams, I sometimes find myself staring at it. When I finally work up the courage to reach for it, it moves away. I never can. It is always just out of reach, remaining firmly in place, hiding his face." A shiver shook her delicate frame, and Drake knew that it was not from the cold of the season.
She watched the world—until it turned on her. Lady Leonora Whickerton was always curious, quietly studying life from the edge of the ballroom. But one moment of innocent observation led to an act of cruelty she never saw coming. Fear took root. Her notebook stayed open, but her world closed in.
He failed someone once—and vowed never to let it happen again. Drake Shaw, Marquess of Pemberton, carries the weight of silence. He once stood by when he should have spoken out, and the regret has shaped his every step since. By night, he defends those without a voice. By day, he hides in plain sight.
Together, they begin again—slowly, bravely, beautifully. When Leonora’s path crosses Drake’s, she meets a man who sees her fear... and refuses to let it define her. He offers protection. She offers quiet courage. And as trust begins to grow between them, so does something neither expected: the strength to heal, and the chance to love.
If you’ve ever had to piece yourself back together, quietly, slowly, and bravely—then turn the page. This story starts there.
How You Will Receive Your Book:
📚 Purchase eBook
📩 Receive download link/instructions via email from BookFunnel
❤️ Simply send to any preferred reading device (Kindle, Nook, Tablet, or Phone) & ENJOY!
