When Selena Kelsey flees Victorian London just before
her evil stepchildren can institutionalize her for
hysteria, the children ask Gavin Fletcher to bring her
back home. Feeling beholden to the family since he was
responsible for Selena's husband's death, he agrees.
But when he finds her living on the island of Cyprus
with a group who worship Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of
sensuality and sex), his need to have her begins to
block out every other impulse, including duty and even
personal safety.
The Buzz: 4 1/2 Stars from Romantic Times! "...a heat
rating off the charts!" **TOP
PICK**
A
Fallen Angel Reviews Recommended Read: "Jess
Michaels entertains and enthralls with Aphrodite’s
Passion..."
"...sure
to please erotic readers and turns up the heat. Jess
Michaels has written another story that will transport
readers back in time." -- Romance Junkies
Excerpt
Selena paced across her chamber, lighting a few lamps
and straightening her bedclothes as she went. Why was
she so nervous?
Stopping, she peered over her shoulder to look at Gavin.
He stood by her door, appearing much as he had when he
caught her pleasuring herself. A wash of desire worked
through her with the memory. He was why she was
nervous.
He
was a stranger. Sent to take her back to a life she
loathed. And yet, she ached for his touch. Her desire
for him went deeper than mere physical attraction, yet
she couldn’t explain it. Not to herself. And certainly
not to him.
Now
she was alone with him. She’d chosen him to be the first
man she would take to her bed since her husband. This
dangerous man who brought out needs she hadn’t realized
she had, even as she allowed her sexuality to be
awakened by the teachings of the temple.
She
sighed. The temple. There was no doubt this man had
questions about the temple, the cult and what they did
here. How could she tell him enough to soothe his fears
about what would happen to him without telling him so
much that he could destroy the group?
When
she paced passed the mirror, she caught Gavin watching
her. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. Oh, what if
she did this all wrong? What if she hurt her friends? Or
worse, what if she disappointed him, proving she wasn’t
really a sensual being at all? Proving she belonged in
the straight-laced society she hated and fled from.
“Now
that you have me here,” he said softly when it became
more and more apparent she couldn’t find words to speak.
“What will you do?”
She
struggled with an answer for a moment before her eyes
fell on the large metal tub in the middle of her room.
It had been filled, probably on Isadora’s orders. Steam
rose from the water.
“You
must be tired from your long journey. A bath has been
drawn for you. First you will wash, then we’ll discuss
our options.” She was surprised how cool and strong her
voice sounded when nerves caused her whole body to
tremble.
“Very
well.” Still he didn’t move away from the door and
continued to watch her cautiously. “I’ll bathe if that’s
what you want, but why don’t we talk while I do so?”
She
nodded once. “Fine. Undress.”
He
looked around the room, then at her. “In front of you?”
She
was pleased that his eyes widened. Obviously, he was as
unnerved by the situation as she was. Probably even more
so since he didn’t understand where he was and his life
had already been threatened.
She
paused at that thought. No matter what Isadora wanted,
Selena wasn’t going to allow him to be killed.
She
managed a smile. “Do you have something to hide, Major?”
Now
it was his mouth that quirked up with arrogance. He
reached up to the collar of his shirt and slid each
button free. “Absolutely not. The only one in this room
who has secrets is you.”
She
pursed her lips. How dare he take that taunting tone
when she had saved his life not half an hour before? She
opened her mouth to retort when he freed his shirt from
his trouser waist and pulled it over his head. Then all
words, all coherent thoughts disappeared.
Gavin
Fletcher had felt good beneath her hands when she
touched him. He had looked good in his fitted clothing.
But it was nothing compared to the way he looked naked.
His shoulders were broad and his arms rippled with
muscles. The only marring element was a long scar
jutting down his left arm. His chest was magnificently
muscled with a peppering of dark chest hair that tapered
into a V and disappeared into the waistband of his
trousers.
She
shivered as she pictured rubbing her breasts against
that chest. Having those muscular arms hold her. Those
strong, skilled hands touch her in every aching place.
It was a body made for pleasure.