CHERYL HOLT does it again with another fast-paced, dramatic tale of seduction, passion, and romance. This time, love blooms on a lazy, decadent trip down the Nile!
Lady Theodosia Postlewaite, known as Theo to her family and friends, has always had the worst luck. On the night her betrothal was to be announced, she was unwittingly caught in a compromising situation. With her engagement ended and her reputation in tatters, her incensed father demands she flee the gossip by accompanying her dour, grumpy aunt on a sightseeing trip to Egypt. Theo reluctantly agrees, and she's determined to spend the months abroad proving she possesses the highest moral character. Most especially, she vows to never so much as speak to a handsome man ever again.
Soloman Grey has lived in Egypt for the past decade. His own scandal chased him out of London, and he's built a new life for himself as an adventurer and explorer. Because of the gossip that ruined him, he doesn't trust anyone, and he constantly vows that he’ll never so much as glance at a pretty woman ever again.
But when Soloman meets Theo, he's dragged into her world in a dozen ways he never intended. She's beautiful, funny, and lonely, and he can't resist. Yet, he's the bastard son of an earl, so he could never be worthy of her. When her relatives would do anything to keep them apart, dare he risk all to have her for his very own?
“How did you end up lost?” he asked, just when she wished he’d be quiet.
“I was shopping with my cousin, and we were…separated.”
She could have waxed on about Fenton, about his personal problems, about
his dire need for attention, but she wasn’t about to air any dirty laundry in
front of a stranger.
“How were you separated?” he inquired.
“I’m not sure. I simply turned
around and he was gone.”
“How old is your cousin?”
“Ten. Why?”
“Where was your maid?”
“I don’t have one.”
“You were in the bazaar with your ten-year-old cousin? That’s it?”
“Yes.”
He halted and glared. “Are you a
dunce? Are you a fool?”
“No.”
“Then are you deliberately trying to get yourself killed?”
“Killed! Honestly, Mr. Grey.”
“This isn’t London, Miss Postlewaite.”
“I realize that.” She could have
added, and it’s Lady Theodosia to you, but
why bother? She didn’t intend to ever
see him again.
“The city is filled with cut-throats and pick pockets, with murderers and
thieves. You’re lucky I came along when
I did.”
“Yes, I am, and I’ve thanked you, so you can cease lecturing me. I’m feeling plenty wretched and I don’t need
you making me feel worse.”
Very much against her will, tears surged into her eyes and dripped down
her cheeks. The prior few months had
been a lengthy slog of misfortune: her
naïve encounter with Lord Trent, , Hedley immediately severing their
engagement, her father’s rage, his demand that she sail to Egypt with Edna to
let the rumors die down.
Despite Theo insisting nothing had happened with Lord Trent, no one would
listen to her. She’d believed an abrupt
departure from England would simply exacerbate the impression that she was
guilty of misconduct, but her pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
It was typical that her initial foray onto the streets of
Cairo would end in disaster, and she beginning to suspect cursed.
CHERYL HOLT is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon "Top 100" bestselling author who has published over forty novels.
She's also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She'd hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn't sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world's greatest love stories.
Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre. For many years, she was hailed as "The Queen of Erotic Romance", and she's also revered as "The International Queen of Villains." She is particularly proud to have been named "Best Storyteller of the Year" by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.
She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at www.cherylholt.com.
