We're celebrating the release of Be Mine by Marquita Valentine! Check out the excerpt, teasers, and giveaway below!
Series: Holland Springs #6
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: 7/9/14
Synopsis
Scottish Duke, Liam
Stewart, needs a wife and an heir before he can inherit the money he so
desperately needs to support his family, his staff, and restore his ducal
estates their former glory. Only ever since his ex-fiancée ran off with the gardener,
Liam doesn’t believe in marriage, or miracles, for that matter, until that is,
Isabella Edwards appears at his Edinburgh townhome with the answers to his
problems.
Local preacher’s
daughter and former missionary, Isabella Edwards had the perfect life all
planned out. Marry her perfect fiancé, live near her family in Holland Springs,
open a bookstore, and have a couple of kids. Except her fiancé ran off to Las
Vegas with his widowed ex-stepmother, the bookstore closed before it could
open, and now… now, she’s pregnant after a one-weekend stand with hot Scot,
Liam Stewart.
To Isabella’s utter
shock, Liam proposes, but a marriage can’t last on desire alone. The problem?
Isabella and Liam are total opposites.
In fact, the only time they’re in agreement is in the bedroom. Desperate
to keep her reputation, she accepts. Her
only hope is that they can put aside their differences and let love bring them
together.
** Be Mine can be read as a stand-alone**
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Excerpt
Liam surveyed the area as he and Bella made their way to the center of the dance floor. A microphone waited for him, as he was expected to give a speech to the residents of Geimhreadh. Bella squeezed his arm reassuringly. “You’ll do great,” she whispered as they came to a stop.
Every eye was on them. The noise was comfortably loud. People were actually enjoying the food and drinks.
He raised a hand, and the noise died down. “My duchess and I want to thank each of you for coming this evening. Celebrating our wedding with Geimhreadh means the world to us, and we hope that you have already enjoyed the evening as much as we did planning it.”
There was a polite round of applause.
He grinned. “To be honest, I have to confess that my bride was the one responsible for everything.”
Beside him, Bella waved at the crowd. He knew she was smiling, because everyone was smiling right back at her.
“We did this together,” she said. “Liam and I are a team, and together we want to work to make Geimhreadh the place for tourists to visit, with your help, of course. Geimhreadh is nothing without you. Wintersea is nothing but a pretty castle without you.”
The partygoers were all in now, he noted. “To that end, Bella and I are requesting that you consider joining the newly formed Geimhreadh Council for Village Tourism.”
“But not tonight,” he added, and a few laughed. “Tonight is for celebrating.”
Liam nodded at the band to begin playing. The microphone was transferred to the stage as he took his duchess in his arms.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he murmured.
“Thank you.” Her eyes sparkled. “You look handsome. But I’m a little sad.”
He almost frowned, but then remembered that everyone was staring at them as they danced. “Why is that?” Did she miss her family? Was she imagining this happening in Holland Springs? God, how could have he been so selfish as not to suggest that?
“You’re not wearing a kilt.”
“A kilt—that’s what making you sad?”
She shrugged a little as he spun her around. “You have really nice legs.”
“I don’t have to wear a kilt for you to see those, lass.”
She turned a charming shade of pink. “I know. But I had these expectations of Scottish men.”
“Men?” Jealousy began to burn, despite the fact that she was in his arms, only looked at him, and wanted to see him in a bloody kilt.
“Man. You. Better?” she asked, and he nodded. “I expected to see you in a kilt for at least one official occasion. This would be one of them.”
“And what would you do with me, if I wore such a thing?” he asked, warming to her flirting. Because that was exactly what she was doing. Flirting with him.
“I’d ogle you. A lot.”
“That’s all?”
“Super lustful thoughts would occur,” she said.
“But no acting on them?”
She gave him a teasing grin. “Depended on the kilt.”
He threw his head back and laughed. The villagers took that as their cue to join in the dancing. The music sped up and, pretty soon, traditional dances were being taught to Bella. He lost sigh of her at one point, and his gut clenched.
Then her pretty, purple dress caught his eye, and he heaved a sigh of relief. For the rest of the night, he kept a watchful eye on her as she danced, ate, and talked with every single person there.
Bella glowed, her genuine happiness apparent. People responded to her, because she took the time to listen. He could tell by the way she held herself, by the way she looked each person in the eye, and focused on them.
“A treasure,” he said into his drink. That was what he’d gotten by marrying Bella. He had always known he needed his inheritance, but he’d never knew how much he needed another person, until her.
He set his bottle of beer down, and made his way to his bride. Her smile grew brighter when she spied him, and his heart turned over in his chest.
She nearly ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and saying, “This is the best party ever, Liam. Everyone is having a great time.”
“But is my duchess?” he asked, more concerned for her than anything or anyone else.
“I am now.” She stood on her toes and gave him a long, slow kiss that heated him all the way to his toes.
“Ready to go home?”
Her eyes burned brightly. “To bed?”
“The bed, the floor, the dresser. Take your pick,” he said, his body growing hard at the thought of being inside her again.
“I’ll take everything,” she said and nuzzled his ear. “Every last inch.”
Coach purse,
mirror, and money holder (value of $500)
Open to contiguous US only.
About Marquita Valentine
New York Times Bestselling Author, Marquita Valentine, writes sexy heroes that
make you swoon and sassy heroines that make you laugh. She’s the author of the
bestselling contemporary romance series, Holland Springs, and the new adult
romance series, Boys of the South.Marquita met her husband aka Hot Builder at Sonic when they were in high school. She suggests this location to all of her single friends in search of a good man—and if that doesn't work, they can console themselves with cheesy tatertots. She lives in North Carolina in a very, very small town with Hot Builder and their two children.
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