.... Soon, I felt his hand in my hair, he fisted some of it and pulled my head into his chest in a sudden tug. "Aah", I gasped. My eyes shot open and my hands instinctively held his in an attempt to stop him. This, however, did not deter him one bit, he pulled until our eyes met. His eyes used to be full of spark once. Gone were those days. Instead of lively warm eyes, I was looking into dark and intimidating abyss. Still enchanting... but in a different way, as if telling me that I won't be able to escape, if they ever decided to trap me.
"Do I have your permission, my lady ?" His voice woke me up from my trance.
"Huh, what for?", I spoke before thinking.
A low chuckle filled the room.
"To touch you, princess. To make you mine." He paused and lowered his head until his lips brushed against my earlobe. Then he whisperd, "So tell me, Avanti. Am I allowed to ruin you ?" ....
Just when she's decided to leave the Town, Lady Cressida Belverst is forced to marry Lord Calan Haverston, the man who coincidentally knows a way out. Agreeing to marry for all the wrong reasons, can Cressida and Calan find out where their hearts truly belong?
***
It is impossible to leave the Town, but one woman is determined to escape with the help of her betrothed.
Lady Cressida Belverst has always been judged as a walking scandal. Oh, how she tries (on some rare occasions) to be proper! When her parents arrange for her to marry a rich lord, Cressida has had enough. She has to leave the Town because she will not be forced to live with a man she doesn't love. But what happens if the very man she's betrothed to is the only one who can help her get out?
Calan Haverston, the Lord of Easton, takes the risk and helps his betrothed by using his knowledge of the Town's secrets because he is as willing as she to stay free of marriage for reasons completely different. He has dark secrets he cannot share with her, and his life is not one he can likewise open to anyone. But what happens when she leaves after awakening desires he thought he has under control? And what happens when he finds himself longing for her?
Cressida goes to a completely different place, one she has only heard in stories and read in books, with hopes of finding what her heart has always longed for. But love, mystery and secrets will chase her and it will only be a matter of time before she realizes what her heart truly desires.
*This story is a standalone title in the Haverston Family series.