Excerpt from “The Duke’s Surprise Heir”
Release Date: July 26, 2024
Click HERE for a peek at Edward and Macie’s story!
Edward rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and tried to focus on the time. It was five-fifty in the morning!
Whoever was banging on his door and repeatedly pressing that damn doorbell was in serious trouble.
“I’m coming, damn it!”
Edward Henderson, Fifth Duke of Finhearst, angrily flipped the security lock on the door, fully prepared to cut off the person’s hands so they couldn’t ring that damn doorbell ever again!
It wasn’t even six o’clock in the morning! Who the hell was at his door at this entirely uncivilized hour?
Since autumn was quickly approaching, the sun still hadn’t peeked over the horizon, so after yanking the door open, Edward stood in the doorway, taking in the incomprehensible scene in front of him.
Before his sleep-deprived mind could make sense of the person in front of him, he was shoved out of the way.
“Thank goodness!” a feminine voice whispered.
An exhausted woman with an enormous duffel-bag hanging from her shoulder rushed into his house. She wore one of those olive-drab jackets with pockets all over the front, jeans that had some sort of glop staining one thigh, worn out sneakers, and a baseball cap pulled low over her eyes, disguising her features.
Edward had worked late the previous night, so he wasn’t in the mood for pranks from the village teenagers.
Furiously, he turned to confront the ragged-looking person now standing in his entryway.
“Who the hell are you and why are you banging on my door?” Edward demanded, leaving the door open as he glared down at the woman.
“Shut the door!” the voice whispered again, furtively glancing around, then peering towards the woods on the other side of his yard.
He noticed that the woman was terrified, white-faced, and shaking. There was something oddly familiar about her. But that was impossible. This woman didn’t look like anyone that he knew. And yet…?
That voice! It was the voice that sounded familiar. “Please, Edward! I need your help!”
The word “Help” and the fact that the woman knew his name snapped at something in his brain. “Who are you?”
“Close the door…please?” the stranger pleaded, stepping deeper into the shadows of the foyer.
Since he was wearing only a well-worn pair of jeans that he hadn’t bothered to button, Edward closed the door. Not because of the woman’s request, but because he didn’t want any wandering paparazi to snap a shot of him without a shirt or shoes on.
So he shut the door and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the strange woman.
“Door is closed. Now explain!” he ordered in his best ducal voice.
Normally, that tone was all that was needed for the recipient to quake with fear, then proceed to stammer out an apology and an explanation.
Apparently, this woman was immune to his authority. Interesting. He pulled out his cell phone, one thumb hovering over the emergency button. “Get out of my house, or I’ll call the police.”
Before he could follow through on that threat, the baseball cap and gloves were removed and a mass of sleek, brown hair tumbled down over her shoulders. The hair still covered the woman’s face, but Edward immediately recognized that hair! A year ago, he’d had that long, beautiful hair draping over his chest or twisted around his hands as he’d made love to the most beautiful, amazing woman!
“Macie?” he hissed, all ducal authority melting away as he stared down into the exhausted green eyes of the only woman who had gotten close enough to touch his heart.
She didn’t even smile as she pushed her hair out of her eyes, then gently, almost reverently, shifted the heavy bag on her shoulder.
Edward reached out to take the heavy load from her. She looked exhausted. “Let me help you with-”
“No!” she yelped, stepping out of his reach while her hands splayed protectively in front of the bag. Then she tenderly lifted the duffel bag off of her shoulder, cradling it in her arms. “I need to sit down,” she told him, looking around for a place to sit. When she didn’t see any chairs, she lifted those deep, green eyes to him.
Edward was still stunned. Macie Meyers was here? In Bristol?
Her eyes pleaded with him. “Please?” she whispered again. “I really need your help, Edward.”
That word; “help”. In the short time that he’d known Macie, she’d always been annoyingly confident and self-sufficient. The plea yanked him out of his stunned silence.
“This way,” he said, regrouping and leading the way through the foyer to the great room. Looking around, he couldn’t help but wonder what Macie thought about his ducal estate. Would it matter? Would she care about the elaborate elegance? Would she even notice the ancient décor? And why did he care?
No! It couldn’t matter! Bringing himself up short, Edward reminded himself of his past, of his heritage. He’d made a vow to himself more than a decade ago. He couldn’t break that vow. Not even for Macie.
He watched while Macie slowly lowered herself to the caramel colored sofa, holding that ridiculous duffel bag as reverently as if it held the crown jewels.
Edward followed her, watching as she took a deep breath.
Suddenly, his anger overwhelmed his curiosity.
“Why are you here?” he demanded. Information, logic, and rational thought were the way he’d learned to live his life. The one time he’d ignored logic was a year ago. With Macie. He’d let his body take control and it had been the worst decision of his life.
Macie gave him a heavy, relieved sigh and turned to the duffel bag. Slowly, she unzipped the bag, beaming as she peered inside.
Edward stepped back, images of a nest of snakes coming out of that bag flashing through his head. The way she peeled back the zipper, then slowly, carefully, reached inside, set off his alarm bells.
However, the bundle that came out of the bag wasn’t something he could process!