ABOUT A PROMISE AT DAWN:
Their affair
was scorchingly sensual
Faye Burke, recently widowed, retreated to the coast
of Maine to grieve and reassess her future. Her favorite part of the day is
watching the sun rise out of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s also when the man she
considers her guilty pleasure runs along the beach.
Gil Farrelly, a successful painter, is trying to get
his career back on track after the studio fire that destroyed everything. He
starts his creative juices flowing every day by running on the beach. The
lovely woman who watches him also gets his juices flowing and he’s determined
to reinvent his career by painting her.
Faye’s combination of maturity and sensual
vulnerability intrigue Gil and he wants to immortalize her on his canvas. She’s
flattered, aroused and ultimately frightened of the emotions he incites. He
claims not to care he’s younger by twelve years but she believes sooner or
later he’ll come to his senses and seek out women his own age. Can Faye conquer
her fears? Can Gil prove to her it’s not age separating them but her fear?
EXCERPT
With a clatter of easels, boxes of
paints and glass jars of brushes, Gil set up on her porch. A stiff breeze swept
across the space but a rattan wind screen at one end did a good job of
protecting them. The day had started out cloudy and threatening rain and still
held that promise. He had work to do before he could give in to the weather.
Faye had greeted him at the door,
looking almost as adorable as she'd looked the night before. Today she wore
light makeup and left her hair loose and wavy the way he'd asked her to. Denim
cropped pants and a tight red sweater made her look like a teenager. She had to
be in her early forties but it didn't matter to him. She was very attractive no
matter her age. "Let's get started, shall we Faye?"
"Would you like some coffee or
something else to drink?"
"Not right now but I'll take
you up on that later, okay? Why don't you stand over there." He indicated
the corner of the porch. "Lean one hip on the railing." When he came
close, he was enthralled by the warm vanilla fragrance infusing her hair. He
lifted a hand to touch the cloud-soft mass. She stilled, then shivered as if
waiting for him to make a move. He wrapped his fingers in the silky strands.
She uttered a little cry, more of a
whimper. Her lips parted, her eyes widened and met his with a flustered look.
At that moment he wanted her fiercely. Before he'd known anything about her,
she'd seemed fragile. He didn't know much more now but a woman who still wore
her wedding ring a year and a half after her husband's death must have loved
him very much. A woman like that would have depths of emotion.
He'd thought he was in pain from
losing his studio and his work but Faye's was far more significant. He didn't
want to see her grieve any longer but all he knew for sure was that he wanted
to paint her for himself. He envisioned the scene in his mind. She was perfect
for it. All that was left was to do her justice. Was it because he wanted to
capture her beauty on canvas or because she got his juices flowing faster than
any running could? He knew it was both.
He rested his forefinger under her
chin and turned her face toward him. Giving her his most soothing smile, he
said, "Relax, Faye, this won't hurt a bit. Now I'm going over there."
He pointed toward his easel. "You're going to lean here." He tapped
the railing. "And I'll start some sketches."
She gazed up at him with those
incredible turquoise eyes, her confusion and longing speaking to him, raspberry-shaded
lips pursed slightly. Mmm, the thought roared through his mind. Kiss her.
It's
too soon.
She's
not ready.
Just
paint her.
A
Promise at Dawn is available at Amazon
Amazon Reviews
"Good short story! Faye and Gil have
very hot chemistry, and their story is heartwarming. I was surprised at the
character development in such a short offering. Faye had suffered such a huge
loss, and we were drawn in along on her new path in life."
"Ms Quinn paints a detailed portrait
of a woman re-awakening after the loss of her husband. Her emotional state is
handled quite deftly. This story has pathos, passion and humor woven together.
Gil and Faye's story unfolds quickly and it's a scorcher."
Bio
Sensual fantasies were
locked in my mind for years until a friend said, "Why don't you write them
down?" Why not, indeed? One spiral notebook, a pen and the unleashing of
my imagination later, and here I am with more than a dozen books published. The
craft of writing erotic romance has become my passion and my niche in life. I
love every part of the creative process — developing characters, designing the plot,
even drawing the layout of physical spaces from my stories. My careers have
been varied — third grade school teacher, bookkeeper, secretary — none of which
gave me a bit of inspiration. But now I'm lucky enough to write romance full
time — the best job in the universe!
Labels/Tags: artist, contemporary, erotic romance, older
woman/younger man, young widow
Jane
Leopold Quinn
My
Romance: Love With a Scorching Sensuality
