Blurb:
Theodore has already been disappointed in love twice, and he
isn’t looking for any more heartache. So when the handsome Nicholas, who
happens to be suffering under a curse placed by Theodore’s mischievous
godmother, informs Theodore that his love is the only cure, Theodore refuses to
believe it. But Nicholas knows from their very first kiss that Theodore is the
man for him. He isn’t going to give up until he convinces Theodore their love
is what they’ve both spent years longing for.
Excerpt:
Theodore ignored
Gerard and Jacob as he ran out of the house. He’d explain everything to them
once he knew what was going on himself.
“I have to do what?” he yelled at Nicholas as he caught up with him.
Nicholas turned a
flirtatious smile his way. “Fall in love with me.” He shrugged. “I’m not
worried, given the way you responded to that kiss.” He winked and raked his
dark hair off his forehead.
“Having a physical
reaction to a kiss and falling in love with someone are not in the same league
at all.” Theodore struggled to catch his breath. “You’re being far too flippant
about this. I can’t believe that’s the only way.”
“Go ask your
godmother, if you can get her to stay in one place long enough.” Nicholas
stopped and took several deep breaths. “It’s wonderful to be outside again. Do
I need to explain it all one more time?”
Theodore glared at
him.
“My, that’s a
serious look. All right, here it is. I rejected your dear godmother Maeva
because I don’t like women. At all, in case that kiss didn’t drive the point home.
She got angry, and I told her to stop haunting me. That only made things worse,
so she turned me into a ghost, as she put it, though really she simply took
away my body and bound me to the house. Pretty sure you do have to die to be a
ghost, but arguing the point probably would have resulted in my real death, so
I let it go.” He paused, stretching his arms over his head, and then linked his
hands on the back of his neck. “With me?”
Theodore nodded
curtly.
“So, she bound me
to the lovely family estate.” He unlinked his fingers and gestured to the manor
behind them. “My family fled in terror.” He laughed. “And she’s right. I should
thank her because we did hate each other. Most of the time, anyway. I was
alone, just sort of floating around, until Gerard moved in. Then, the waiting
began. But that’s over now.”
“You think so?”
“She told me I
would regain my life when the right man came along. Touching him long enough
would restore my body, which is why I held on so tight. Couldn’t have you
getting away until you could at least see me. His kiss would free me from my
prison here.” He took two steps closer, lowering his voice. “And his love will
restore my life completely.” He held up his wrist, revealing a tattoo of a
black heart.
“What’s that?”
“The mark of her
curse. I’ll know it’s lifted when this mark disappears.”
“You’re free from
the house now, but you said inside you were bound to me as a result.”
He nodded with a
grin. “Indeed. Have to keep touching you to stay solid and warm, and if you
roam too far I’ll find you eventually. So you’re stuck with me.”
“Like hell I am!”
Nicholas put his
hand on Theodore’s shoulder. “You don’t get it, do you? I am literally bound to
you. You can’t get away from me. You
could be miles away, but I’d be able to come to you with a thought. We’re
connected now.”
Theodore swatted
his hand away. “And what gave you the right to drag me into this?”
Nicholas looked
annoyed for a moment, but he soon smiled again. “You aren’t flattered? I only
get one chance at this. If you don’t love me, I’ll be in this limbo until you
die, and then I’ll die, too.”
“No, I’m not flattered. Not in the slightest.” Theodore actually was
flattered the handsome, sexy man who kissed like a devil and an angel in the
same breath wanted him, but his anger at being dragged into his godmother’s
curse made that easy to ignore, at least for the moment. He didn’t know how
long his resolve could truly last against the silver-tongued charmer and his
dark, flashing eyes.
“You have the most
beautiful blue eyes,” Nicholas said.
Theodore jerked to
attention and realized he’d been staring for quite some time. His face flamed
as he turned away.
“Don’t be
embarrassed. I’ve been watching you ever since that day I saw you staring at my
portrait and recognized you. I think we met at the palace a couple of times. I
like your hair shorter.” He reached out and toyed with a blond strand. “You
seem different now.”
Theodore stepped
out of his reach, waving his hand away but not looking at him. “I’ve been
through a lot.” Why did the man have to keep touching him? He groaned inwardly
when he realized the circumstances of the curse were only going to make
Nicholas’s flirtatious and clingy behavior worse.
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