Rapunzelis trapped by the harsh, inescapable reality of her prison, so she builds vividsexual fantasies where she has full control and no one can take it away. Ifnothing else, at least she has command over her thoughts.
WhenPrince Samuel climbs into her tower it’s a small, satisfying excuse to breakthe rules—until his gentle touch coaxes out her trust. But it’s not enough. Nolonger can she keep her dark, sexual secrets inside. Rapunzel yearns for rough,passionate sex—a way to unlock her sensual freedom for good.
Vulnerablebut unable to turn back, Rapunzel leads Prince Samuel on an intimate journey todefine their sexual limits while twisting their definitions of control forever.
Excerpt:
“What in Christ’s name…”I must be hearing echoes from thetown nearby, where Mother sells her herbs and braided goods. No one venturesthis far toward my tower because Mother’s gone to great lengths to see thatthey don’t—bear traps are her new favorite method of discouragement. Once onelife is claimed, I imagine word spreads fairly quickly to stay away from thearea. Why then are there hoof beats that make my head pulse with a slight pain?
There’s no understandable excuse Ican delude myself with any longer. Before I can focus on the consequences, Iswing my head out the window into the oppressive, humid summer air. Just thevery top of his head is visible, his hair brushing past his cheekbones, glowingfrom the sunshine and shot through with gold. Never have I seen a color so closeto my own before—not that I see many people.
For a few moments I can’t quite cometo terms with his presence and it’s not for a lack of staring that my pulseinevitably echoes inside my head like an overbeaten drum. This is my chance.Mother won’t be back for quite some time with her wares. He’s circling thetower, slouched over a horse who looks a bit like a nag. Certainly not a properhorse for a man with such fine clothes in gorgeous colors and sumptuousfabrics.
There’s no going back from this moment.It’s a certainty that makes my teeth chatter in a wash of cold fear, despitethe heat, and my hands clasp around my middle as I try to hold myself together.He hasn’t looked up yet, more intent on studying the free-standing structurethan noticing my shadow plastered across the grass. My mind is desperatelyworking out what I’ll cry out to him. Even as my throat closes with an infusionof happiness that makes me rock on my feet.“Excuse me?” A tentative questionI’m not sure he will hear because it can’t be any louder than a frightenedwhisper. “Sir, you’re really not supposed to be here.”
Somehow, I’ve managed to make thispart louder because he glances up—and his slack-jawed expression is a blow tomy chest. He possesses the most gorgeous cobalt blue eyes. Underneath my ribs,the pain grows until taking a full breath is hard. Mother is right, he hasn’teven overcome his shock as my heavy plait of hair rests down the stone side ofmy prison. He’s not to be trusted.
What am I thinking? He won’t evencome near me to aid my escape and his eyes are swamped in confusion—and there’sa flash of unreadable emotion that I refuse to question. He must leave here nowand I must somehow convince him to bring no one back with him. I won’t beparaded around for anyone’s amusement. This man has made a mistake coming here.
Yet, there’s still a part of me thatgrips the windowsill until my palms are numb and that clings to the hope thathe will at least acknowledge me. So long since I’ve had any kind of normalconversation. One that didn’t revolve around my hair, my rules or my mother’sday. Won’t he say anything? I’m as trapped by his thick silence as I am by thebeauty of his face.
“Please, you must go and tell no oneabout what you’ve seen. You shouldn’t have ignored the traps. They are therefor a reason.”
I don’t know how I’ve gotten thatall out because my main focus lies on the foreign stirrings of heat in mycheeks as the pulsing sensation twists lower in my abdomen. What is happeningto me? With a certainty that surprises me, I find myself clenching my thighstogether, only to have the subtle touch of flesh-on-flesh be more than I canbear. He has yet to take his gaze from mine and a shudder slips up my spine.
“How long have you been here?” Hisvoice carries the strain I hold back and I’m slightly put at ease that at leastwe are on similar ground. “Who did this to you?”
“For a man who is about to leave, Idon’t believe it matters.”
The words barely tumble out of mymouth before I clamp my hand over my lips. I hadn’t meant to be so harsh andinstantly regret it. He is so handsome—and these sudden urges, they areoverwhelming and confusing to the point where I wish to completely remove theproblem. My lips part in an apology and I watch a jovial grin span from ear to earas he laughs at me until I can’t hear anything but the frantic beat of myheart.
Who is this man? Now he stares at mewith a playfulness that washes a wave of goose bumps across my flesh. Hedoesn’t seem offended, merely amused at my suggestion that he leave. To furtherthat fact, he quickly dismounts and ties his horse to a nearby tree branch.While I can only stare at the way his tight riding boots and breeches hug hismuscular body from his calves all the way up to his perfectly rounded buttocks.
Though I’d learned of desire from mymother—and all its wicked principles—I never expected it to rear its head in mylonely, simple world.However, now my life spirals out ofcontrol quickly enough that I tilt back against the wall to my left and watchwith trembling hands. This mysterious man climbs the wall of my tower as if ithad been built to be climbed so easily—without any aid from my hair. Onestrong, sun-kissed hand and booted foot at a time. When he offers up his handto me to pull him over the side, what choice do I have?
Even a man that strongwould eventually grow tired and plummet to his death—and I want him tuckedclose to my body, not on the ground.
“I was beginning to wonder what ittook to get some assistance.”
He softly grunts and clasps my handhard enough that I gasp as I shift my weight to pull him over the side. MusclesI didn’t know existed inside me burn with sharp pain from disuse because of myisolation. His touch radiates heat all along my arm. If it wasn’t for hisprecarious situation, I would fight to pull away on instinct—but as it is, hemanages to throw himself into my home with as much grace as a charging boar—andhe trips, falling on top of me and sending us to the hard, stone floor.
His surprisingly soft hand brushesthe hair out of my face and lingers, gently stroking, down my cheek. Should Ibe frightened? Probably. At the moment I can’t bear the thought that my firstsincerely gentle touch from a man would be anything but special. His sharpleather scent surrounds my tingling skin.
“Isn’t this a day for surprises?”His gaze cuts through all the fear inside me and his mouth holds the subtlecurve of a half smile. “I should move myself off you, this isn’t proper at all when we’vebarely been introduced.”
Yet he doesn’t move an inch.A realization whips through my mindand would have left me on the floor if I wasn’t already pinned there by agorgeous man who touches me with such reverence I might weep. When will thishappen again? After this twisted, meandering path of fate, there is no doubt Iwill be alone again—and I want a loving memory to cling to at night when my oldfears tighten my chest until I can’t breathe. This is a choice I can make formyself. And I won’t live the rest of my ordinary, sheltered life not knowingtrue passion when it burns across my skin.
“They call me Rapunzel.”“Samuel.”
His inviting smile lights up mywhole world.Buy Links:
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9567-roped-emotions.aspx
Author Links:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elise-Hepner-Writing/311925106401
www.twitter.com/EHepner
www.ehwriting.com
No comments:
Post a Comment