Amanda McCabe - Betrayed by His Kiss

That kiss had been like nothing else she had ever known or could even imagine.

The very ground beneath her feet had swollen like the wave of a flooding river and burst, drowning her, and surely nothing could be the same again. It was as if she'd glimpsed the emotions only evoked by paint or charcoal on canvas.

Yet then he had vanished. Disappeared as if he was one of her dreams—half-hidden, desperately sought, but always elusive.

She closed her eyes for an instant and in that darkness she saw again the way he'd looked at her after they'd kissed. The sadness and longing, the burning fire of passion that had made her want nothing more than to leap into those flames and be completely consumed.

She knew she couldn't have been fooled by that glow in his eyes. There had been no artifice there in that instant—only raw, burning life.

Yet there had been that fathomless darkness, too. The darkness that had frightened her the first time she'd met him, when she'd seen the depths of anger he held deep inside himself. That had been there as well, fighting with the light of desire.

Praise forAmanda McCabe: Praise Title Page Dedication About the Author Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Epilogue Author Note Copyright

THE TAMING OF THE ROGUE

‘McCabe sweeps readers into the world of the

Elizabethan theatre, delighting us with a lively tale and

artfully drawing on the era's backdrop of bawdy plays,

wild actors and thrilling adventure.’

—RT Book Reviews

RUNNING FROM SCANDAL

‘Including a darling little girl, meddling relatives and

a bit of suspense, McCabe's story charms readers.’

—RT Book Reviews

HIGH SEAS STOWAWAY

‘Smell the salt spray, feel the deck beneath your feet

and hoist the Jolly Roger as McCabe takes you

on an entertaining romantic ride.’

—RT Book Reviews

Betrayed by His Kiss

Amanda McCabe

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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This book is for Kyle

‘I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.’ —Much Ado About Nothing

AMANDA McCABEwrote her first romance at the age of sixteen—a vast epic, starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class. She's never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA ®Award, RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Oklahoma, with a menagerie of two cats, a pug and a bossy miniature poodle, and loves dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network—even though she doesn't cook.

Visit her at http://ammandamccabe.tripod.comand www.riskyregencies.blogspot.com

Contents

Cover

Excerpt That kiss had been like nothing else she had ever known or could even imagine. The very ground beneath her feet had swollen like the wave of a flooding river and burst, drowning her, and surely nothing could be the same again. It was as if she'd glimpsed the emotions only evoked by paint or charcoal on canvas. Yet then he had vanished. Disappeared as if he was one of her dreams—half-hidden, desperately sought, but always elusive. She closed her eyes for an instant and in that darkness she saw again the way he'd looked at her after they'd kissed. The sadness and longing, the burning fire of passion that had made her want nothing more than to leap into those flames and be completely consumed. She knew she couldn't have been fooled by that glow in his eyes. There had been no artifice there in that instant—only raw, burning life. Yet there had been that fathomless darkness, too. The darkness that had frightened her the first time she'd met him, when she'd seen the depths of anger he held deep inside himself. That had been there as well, fighting with the light of desire.

Praise Praise forAmanda McCabe: Praise Title Page Dedication About the Author Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Epilogue Author Note Copyright THE TAMING OF THE ROGUE ‘McCabe sweeps readers into the world of the Elizabethan theatre, delighting us with a lively tale and artfully drawing on the era's backdrop of bawdy plays, wild actors and thrilling adventure.’ —RT Book Reviews RUNNING FROM SCANDAL ‘Including a darling little girl, meddling relatives and a bit of suspense, McCabe's story charms readers.’ —RT Book Reviews HIGH SEAS STOWAWAY ‘Smell the salt spray, feel the deck beneath your feet and hoist the Jolly Roger as McCabe takes you on an entertaining romantic ride.’ —RT Book Reviews

Title Page Betrayed by His Kiss Amanda McCabe www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dedication This book is for Kyle ‘I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.’ —Much Ado About Nothing

About the Author AMANDA McCABE wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen—a vast epic, starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class. She's never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA ® Award, RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Oklahoma, with a menagerie of two cats, a pug and a bossy miniature poodle, and loves dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network—even though she doesn't cook. Visit her at http://ammandamccabe.tripod.com and www.riskyregencies.blogspot.com

Prologue Prologue Tuscany —1474 The church was silent and marble-cold. Candles were lit over the altar, sparkling on the gilded image of the Virgin Mary surrounded by saints and solemn angels, but everything else was in darkness. Orlando Landucci was alone. Except for the woman who lay on her lonely bier before the altar steps. His sister, gone from him now. He knelt beside her, his hands clasped before him, but he could not pray. Even in this holy place he couldn’t let go of the fierce anger burning inside of him. Maria Lorenza’s face, so delicately pretty in life, was pale and still. Her blond hair was hidden by the white linen wrappings and her brown eyes were closed for ever. A rosary was threaded through her cold fingers. Perhaps she was at peace now, at last. Her torment had been so great for so long. Yet how could she be, when her murderer was still out there? Matteo Strozzi had not held the poison bottle to her lips, but he had surely guided her hand as she swallowed.