An excerpt from The Midas Bride (explicit)

Title: The Midas Bride
Author: Adrianna Dane

Purchase Link: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/MidasBride.html
Author URL: http://www.adriannadane.com
Publisher: Amber Quill Press/Amber Heat

ISBN: 978-1-60272-097-8

Cover Art by Trace Edward Zaber


SYNOPSIS:

Once upon a time there was a modern woman who wasn't looking for prince charming. Not anymore. But there was indeed a prince who needed to find his princess bride or suffer the full effects of the curse brought down upon his family. He tossed a magic coin out into the world in hopes of finding his true soul mate–the one woman who could tame the beast inside his soul and halt the curse. Only her love could save him. But will a greedy witch find her first and destroy his one chance at happiness?

Excerpt:

This was the first he had seen his bride—a photo of her naked and bound to a bed.

Anger burned inside him. Had it been Darth who touched his bride, or the witch? A red haze blurred his vision. He wanted to rip out their hearts for doing this to her. It was not the way it should have been. He had meant to woo his bride, to show her the human side of himself before unveiling the secrets. He wanted her to love him before he revealed his true self. It was not fair to have brought her to this. She would be frightened when she discovered the truth. She would be angry.

It should have been different and he would make them pay for what they had done to her. The photograph showed her bound and spread out on a bed. They'd undressed her and she lay there naked and exposed. He felt the rage building like a tornado, gathering speed as it gripped him. The beast would overtake him if he wasn't careful.

Maybe that's what they wanted.

This was his woman they had misused. And they would pay dearly for having dared to touch her. He picked up the scrap of blouse that had also been enclosed in the envelope from the desk and lifted it to his face, inhaling her scent. His cock thickened, needy to claim her, to mark her as his.

They would have their map, damn them, though it would do them no good. Having the touch was not something these greedy kidnappers would be prepared for. Maybe it's exactly what they deserved.

He walked to the other side of the room and opened the ornate box, removing an ancient rolled-up map tied with a strip of rawhide. He had sent for it yesterday, as soon as he received the envelope. Their possession of the map would not bring them what they expected. By the time he returned to his home with his bride, Darth and Moreen would have met their fate. They would get everything they deserved for eternity. If they wanted the location of the river they would have it and everything it entailed.

He inserted the map into the inside pocket of his tan suede jacket. He turned back to the desk and picked up the photograph, gazing down at it. Her long hair lay in disarray trailing over the pillow. Her body was lush and ripe, not thin and gaunt as was the fashion. Her mouth, even in repose was sensuously inviting. Her long legs looked silky and he ached to stroke them, to be certain she was real.

He crumpled the picture in his fist. They had touched her, violated his woman, his bride. He felt the change beginning to assert itself. If he allowed it to consume him now, he would never regain control in time to make the exchange. His need for her was too great. If he allowed anything to happen to her, there would never be another to take her place.

He flung the crumpled photograph across the room, whirled around and stalked out the doorway, hurrying toward the elevator and down to the car waiting in front of the hotel. The chauffeur quickly came around to open the door of the sleek car for him. Lyon shook his head.

"No, I'm driving myself."

Adrianna