mirror and slipped home.
“You smell like soap,” Augustine whispered, opening his eyes to slits.
Harlow smiled down at him, teeth gleaming in the room’s ambient light. “How are you feeling?”
“Actually… not awful. Better now that you’re here. How are you feeling?”
She sat on the bed beside him. “Really good. Better now that I’m here with you.” She took his hand and clasped it between her own. “Fenton turned Giselle over to the cops and she’s confessed to the murders in the garden. Nekai zapped her with one of his weaver spells so that any magic she tries to use will backfire onto her. Apparently she found that out the hard way when she tried to immobilize Fenton.”
Augustine grinned. “Nice.”
She lifted one hand to gently touch his cheek. “There’s talk that Senator Pellimento is going to be impeached. There’s a whole subcommittee being formed to look into her secret dealings.”
He frowned. “How long have I been out?”
“A little over a day.”
“That explains why I’m feeling better.”
She pretended to be injured. “I thought that was because of me.”
“It is.” He tugged her hands toward him and kissed her knuckles. “What else have I missed? Anything else major?”
“Sort of.”
Her funny little smile intrigued him, but not as much as when she dropped his hand, stood up and started taking off her shirt. “What are you—oh.”
Gleaming on her chest, right above the lacy cup of her deep red bra, sat a silver fleur-de-lis. The skin around the brand was still pink. “I hope you don’t mind that I did this without you but I wanted to make it official. Are you mad?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe you did it.”
“Did you think I would chicken out?”
“No, I just… it’s a brand.” The Harlow who’d first walked into this house and his life was gone, replaced by a warrior woman who took his breath away.
“And it hurt like a mother.” She started unbuttoning her pants.
His brows lifted. “Did you get another one I don’t know about?”
“No.” Her smiled was wicked. She dropped her pants to reveal matching underwear. Then she pulled back the covers and slid into bed beside him. “Although if you want to look for one, I’m not going to stop you.”
He turned on his side to stare at her, ignoring the slight ache in his ribs. Harlow was in bed with him. “I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
“Some people might think I’m your fiancée.”
“My what?”
“It’s a long story.” She leaned up and kissed him, hard. He reached to cup the back of her head and pull her in close. She broke away after only a few seconds. “We can talk about that later, Guardian Robelais.”
“Oh, we will, Lieutenant Goodwin.” He bent to kiss her again, his hands traveling over the glorious expanse of her skin. “Much later.”
Acknowledgments
Here are a few of the people I need to thank for helping make this book happen: My whip-smart agent, Elaine. My editor, Susan, and the publishing team at Orbit. The fabulous Writer’s Camp chicas—Leigh, Laura, Rocki. And the virtual camp members—Louisa, Amanda C., Amanda B., Julie and Kristen C. You are all such inspirations to me!
Then there’s my House of Pain Street Team, one of the best groups of readers and cheerleaders an author could ask for. And last but not least, my readers! I love you guys!
A special nod to Damon Stentz for the Louisiana legal info.
I am also blessed with a wonderful family who give me their continuous support and an amazing husband who not only makes me laugh until I cry (often without meaning to) but is the best partner I could have ever hoped for to share this journey with.
extras
meet the author
Photo credit: Kevin Roberts, Intimate Images
KRISTEN PAINTER likes to balance her obsessions with shoes and cats by making the lives of her characters miserable and surprising her readers with interesting twists. She currently writes award-winning urban fantasy for Orbit Books and paranormal romance.
The former college English teacher can often be found on twitter @Kristen_Painter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KristenPainterAuthor where she loves to interact with readers. She’s also the cofounder of RomanceDivas.com, an award-winning writers’ forum. Sign up for her newsletter at KristenPainter.com to find out when her next release is coming out.
Kristen lives in Florida with her retired Air Force husband and a horde of feline dependents.
introducing
If you enjoyed
GARDEN OF DREAMS AND DESIRES
look out for
BLOOD RIGHTS
House of Comarré: Book 1
by Kristen Painter
Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the
telltale marks of a