Deeds Not Words
By Ashe Barker
- Ashe
Barker Books, 2020
- Release
Date 27 October 2020
- 20th
Century erotic romance, historical romance, spanking
- HEA ending
Taglines
·· Gritty, realistic, insanely sexy
·
Buy Link mybook.to/DeedsNotWords (and it’s FREE to read on Kindle Unlimited)
Miniblurb
James has never entertained the slightest doubt that
Clarissa will be his viscountess. He’s loved his younger half-cousin for almost
as long as he can remember and was only waiting for her to be old enough …
But she’s grown up while he wasn’t looking, and time
has run out. His sweet little Clarissa is a Suffragette
on hunger strike in Holloway. James has to act fast or lose her for good.
Blurb
A handsome viscount. A headstrong Suffragette. And a
cause worth dying for.
She grew up while I wasn’t looking. My sweet little
half-cousin is now a beautiful woman. I’ve adored her for as long as I can
remember. It’s high time I made her my viscountess.
But there’s just one problem. While my back was turned
Clarissa has joined the Suffragette Movement. And now, I gather, she’s
incarcerated in Holloway facing their vile force-feeding regime and God only
knows what other horrors. I need to act quickly.
I’ve never been more pleased to see my handsome
cousin. Always my guardian and protector, James rescued me from that awful
place and brought me home to Smallwood where he is determined to keep me safe.
And he insists upon employing his own brand of discipline, to teach me the
error of my ways.
I want to surrender to him. I love him. I think I
always have. But I love the Suffragette cause too. James wants me to submit to
his authority and continue the campaign without endangering my life. But this
has become a fight to the death, and I will not desert my sisters.
Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for
mature readers.
This story
was previously published in the 2019 anthology Once upon a Christmas Wedding.
This version is a stand alone story, re-edited, and with new content added.
Excerpt
“So, you are back then?” Cousin Victorine’s waspish
tone could have cut glass. She advanced on Clarissa from the centre of the
room, her features near crimson with rage. “I told him, told James I would not
have it. Yet here you are, using my
hot water, my linens. Have you no
shame, girl, after the disgrace you’ve brought to this house?”
“I don’t… I mean, James—” Caught off guard, Clarissa
could only stammer her response.
“I’ll deal with James later. Right now, it’s you I’m
talking to. If you think you can just waltz back in here as though nothing’s
happened, then you are quite wrong. You are nothing better than a common
criminal. I can still smell it on you, the stench of that prison. You are not
fit to be among decent people.”
Clarissa fought to gather her wits. She and Victorine
had crossed swords often enough in the past, and although the older woman’s
constant harping had been a major factor in convincing Clarissa to make her
home elsewhere, she was accustomed to responding in like manner.
“How nice to see you, too, Victorine. I trust you are
keeping well?” Clarissa injected a note of sarcasm into her words and made her
way to the chair closest to the roaring fire. She settled down in it and smiled
brightly at her unwanted visitor. “I was just about to get ready for bed,
though, so maybe we could save this little reunion for another time?”
“Do not take that tone with me. And you!” Victorine
turned her attention to Trudy, just emerging from the bathroom. “You can get
out. There’ll be no pampering for this one. She’s made her choice. She can go
back to those women and see if they’ll look after her because there’ll be none
of it here.”
“Miss Victorine, I was just about to—”
“Out! Out, now.”
Trudy dropped a quick curtsey and fled for the door.
Her thin lips flattened in satisfaction, Victorine
levelled her attention once more upon Clarissa. “You’re not staying at
Smallwood, so do not be getting comfortable. This is a decent house, not for
the likes of you.”
“James brought me here,” Clarissa replied. “It is up
to him to determine if I may stay.”
“James is too soft, too soft by far and apt to have
his head turned by a pretty face. You’ll be gone first thing in the morning, do
you hear me? Or I’ll have the constable come and take you back where you belong.”
“You can’t do that. I was released; Mr Roundhill has
the documents. I can stay here as long as I like, or as long as James permits
it.”
“Over my dead body! You will—”
“I am certain that could be arranged, but do not tempt
me, Victorine.”
Clarissa and Victorine both swung around at the sound
of James’ measured tone. He did not raise his voice. He did not have to. His
words were cold, his expression arctic as he shot his half-sister a withering
glare. He entered the room, Trudy beside him, clearly agitated. He turned to
the servant. “Thank you, Trudy. You were quite right to fetch me. Now, perhaps
you would leave us for a few minutes?”
About Ashe Barker
USA Today Bestselling author Ashe Barker writes
erotic romance and spanking romance in a variety of genres including
contemporary, BDSM, paranormal, historical. ménage, gay romance and time
travel. She is a #1 Amazon Bestseller and all her stories feature hot alpha
males and sassy submissives, often with a lot to learn. Kink abounds, and
there’s enough dirty talk to satisfy the most demanding smut lover. However
dark and dirty the setting, love always emerges triumphant, and her stories
never fail to deliver a satisfying happy ever after.
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