Recently I heard some news that really swept me off my feet - "Bound to the Prince" is nominated for The Romance Review's "Best Book of 2011" award! I'm so excited about this, and couldn't believe it, considering that I only started publishing last August! However, it's a great honor to know that so many readers enjoyed my book. ;-)
So if you liked "Bound to the Prince" and want it to be the best Fantasy Romance 2011, please visit this site and click on "Vote" over the cover (you can easily log in with your Facebook account). Thank you so much for your support!
Click the logo to vote:
I also have a little goodie for you, an excerpt from my upcoming erotic romance, "Virgin Dancer". I hope you like it!
Until soon, with much love,
Deborah
xxxx
Excerpt from "Virgin Dancer"
@Deborah Court 2012
Jade, a small town girl who has recently moved to New York to become a professsional ballet dancer, is wildly determined to lose her virginity. She goes to a Lower East Side club and celebrates her birthday with friends - fully intending to choose the most handsome, charismatic man she'll meet there to introduce her to the art of love that night. Instantly she falls for the blonde, tall Swedish sex god who owns the club, pretending to be a pole dancer who wants to apply for a job. But Alrik has secrets of his own, and soon Jade gets entangled in a web of danger, mystery and relentless passion ...
****
Don't lose your courage now, Jade thought.
In this instant she felt it, the undeniable sensation of someone's gaze on her. When she turned her head slightly, the crowed parted for a moment, and she saw the most stunning male she'd ever laid eyes on.
Much taller than any other man in his proximity, the blonde giant leaned nonchalantly against the black marble block that formed the bar, his strong arms crossed in front of his wide chest. He was broad-shouldered and sculptured with muscle, yet his exceptional height prevented him from looking like one of those bodybuilders Jade had always disliked, finding them too heavy and bulging. He looked as if he had gained that body with heavy physical work, or maybe some kind of martial arts.
Actually, he didn't fit at all into this decadent environment. This man looked strangely out of place, maybe even out of time. The only way she could describe him was as one of those medieval warriors she liked to read about in her romances - late at night, when lay alone in her room in the tiny apartment she shared with Amber, dreaming of a man's touch on her naked skin.
Looking like the epitome of understatement in this club, he was only wearing a black tank and black jeans, combined with biker boots. His golden-streaked hair was combed back, accentuating the planes and angles of his striking face - high cheekbones, a straight nose, a strong chin, and lips that were curved into an ironic half-smile. But the most impressive part of him was his piercing grey eyes, their gaze so intense that her cheeks started to burn when she saw him looking directly at her.
Jade gasped when she felt a liquid fire racing through her body - straight down to the juncture between her legs, causing a strange, throbbing feeling. His stare felt as if he was touching her, keeping her imprisoned until she swiftly turned away. She managed to make Beth remove her tongue from her new guy's mouth long enough to talk to her. "Who's that?" she asked, discreetly nodding in the stunning man's direction.
Beth chuckled, elbowing her friend, who stopped making out with her fellow dancer, too. "Hey, Amber," she said. "Look who Jade has picked - from all of the men!"
Amber followed Beth's gaze and grinned, too. "Oh. Him."
"Him?" Jade said, breathlessly. "Do you know him?"
"Sure. Everybody knows him. His name is Alrik Larsson."
"Yup," Beth added. "The sex god from Sweden. He owns this club. All the women here want to get laid by him, that's for sure. He might be a great choice to deflower you - but I'm not sure if you can handle him, sweetie. He's a bit on the dark side, from what I've heard."
"Beth!" Jade cried. "He isn't my choice. I only asked."
"But he's watching you," Amber remarked. "He's undressing you with his eyes. It's clear that you have piqued his interest.
"And … what did you mean with 'he's a bit on the dark side'?" Jade asked as her heart started to pound faster. She had a sudden adrenaline rush. It was a feeling as if something was about to happen that couldn't be stopped once she had crossed a certain point. Amber was right. The blond giant locked his gaze with her whenever she looked at him, devilishly trying to seduce her with those amazing eyes.
Amber came nearer so she couldn't be overheard. "I know a girl who told me she'd had a short affair with him," she said in a low voice. "I still don't know if she was just bragging, but she sounded honest. She said that Alrik was an incredible lover. He did things to her she wouldn't even have dreamed possible. She says that he liked to be the one in control, and that he could make love for hours. Oh, and that she never had so many orgasms in her life."
Jade swallowed. "Maybe I had better look for someone else."
"Don't worry, Jade. He was a perfect gentleman. My friend said that he never harmed her, and didn't do anything she didn't wish for herself. He seems to be very good at pleasuring a woman. This man could teach you a lot about sex, girl. Only problem was that she fell in love with him. When he noticed that, he didn't meet her again. She said that he gets cold as ice if a woman develops any feelings for him. Definitely no boyfriend material."
Jade narrowed her eyes and tried to avoid his gaze. "Well, this sounds great! He might be just what I was looking for, after all," she murmured.
"Go girl!" Beth said. "You have to grab the opportunity."
"But … I've no idea what to say to him!" Jade said.
"You'll think of something," Beth answered. "Will you go now? 'Cause if you don't, I'll shout out to all the men on the dance floor that you're looking for someone to take your virginity."
"Oh Beth, you wouldn't!"
"Don't dare me, girl."
Jade took a deep breath. You wanted this. Now go for it. Don't be such a coward. It's not a big deal. After this night, you'll never see this man again, anyway.
Straightening her back, she raised her chin and crossed the dance floor, walking directly towards him. But when she had passed the dancing crowd, he was gone. Frustrated, she leaned against the cool marble of the bar, closing her eyes for a moment. She felt so ridiculous right now. It just wasn't like her to be so straightforward. Why couldn't she just meet someone and fall hopelessly in love, instead of staying a virgin forever?
"Are you looking for someone?" a deep voice said, right over her shoulder.
Wincing, she turned and saw that the Swedish sex god was standing right behind her. Being so near to her, he was even more striking than from afar. She was taller than many men, but still her eyes were on the same level as his chest. The height difference made her feel petite and feminine for once, a feeling she wasn't used to. Slowly, she raised her head to look him in the face. Towering over her, he looked incredibly powerful, and undeniably male. His golden beauty was almost too seductive to look at. This was too much.
"I …," she breathed, swallowing. Then, unexpectedly, an idea came to her mind.
"I'm … an exotic dancer, and I'm here because of the job," Jade said. "I've heard you were looking for new dancers," she added, nodding towards one of the strippers on the pole.
He stared at her for a moment before he smiled, a lopsided grin that made her heart flutter. "That's very interesting … because right now, I don't need any new dancers."
Well, then I might have heard wrong. Sorry," she said quickly, starting to turn around. This man was too much for her to handle, Beth had been right.
His big hand closed around the bare flesh of her arm. It was a gentle touch, yet she found herself unable to move. "Wait," he said, and his deep voice sent shivers down her spine. "Don't go. Actually, maybe I could use another dancer. Would you like to show me some moves?" He spoke perfect English, but with a melodic quality that only added to his exotic attraction. And heavens, he smelled so good.
A smoldering heat spread inside her belly, going straight down into her core. "Yes," she said. "I think I'd like to do that."
He led her to a back room with a private elevator. "Let's go up to my penthouse," he said. "I have a pole there. My name is Alrik, but you probably know that, if you came to apply for a job. What's your name, beauty?"
She didn't know why, but her endearment made her shiver with need. "Jade," she said, staring at him without even thinking about telling him her last name.
When he pressed the up button, Jade felt like running away for a moment. This is it, she thought. It will really happen. When the door slid open, she hesitated. This might be her last chance to leave. Besides, could she simply follow this man to his private rooms? She didn't know anything about him.
He had noticed the changed expression in her eyes and smiled. "There's nothing to fear, fair Jade. Don't look at me like I'm the big bad wolf who wants to eat you. I only want to see you dance and talk about a possible job - unless it's you who has other intentions?"
Jade didn't have the faintest idea what to answer to that, so she simply followed him into the elevator. With this step, she probably crossed the last boundary that kept her from staying in her innocent state. This man was a born seducer, and she was his willing prey. However, she wasn't naïve. There could be no doubt why he took her to his private rooms. Surely he had some kind of back room or office in the club which they could have used for a demonstration of her dancing skills?
They played a game with open cards, and she wanted him to win, although she shouldn't show it to him too openly. He stood so close to her that she could feel the warmth of his body. He quickly typed in a code, then the elevator moved up to the 34th floor, as she noticed on the display.
Alrik's penthouse was furnished with subtle, tasteful luxury. They stood in a huge, open room that provided a 360-degree, breathtaking view of the city. It was clearly a man's apartment. No curtains. Everything was black and white. There was a large living room area with a giant flat screen and a large, comfortable leather couch, and beside it a built-in dancing pole that reached from the high ceiling down to the floor, which was covered with a thick white carpet. The other side of the room was dominated by the largest bed she had ever seen - of all things, a curtained four-poster made of dark oak. It didn't seem to fit to the rest of these lodgings. Doors led to a kitchen, bathrooms and to a office.
"Nice flat," she said, feeling incredibly stupid. He simply laughed, shrugging. "I'd be as happy in a cabin in the forest. I'm not often at home anyway. Now would you like a drink before we begin?"
"Heck, yes," she murmured, feeling her color rising. She hoped that he meant dancing, for now.
He went to a polished cupboard in one corner, busied himself there for a while and came back with a tulip-shaped glass, which was half filled with a clear liquid.
Jade didn't even ask what it was, and downed the welcome drink in a single gulp. Instantly, the alcohol burnt her throat, and she cringed, coughing. "What … the hell is that?" she croaked.
Alrik laughed, flashing perfect white teeth at her. "You shouldn't have drunk it so quickly. It's Aquavit, a traditional Swedish snaps. It's similar to vodka."
Jade tried to regain her countenance, and raised her chin, looking up into his smoldering eyes. For a moment, she thought he'd kiss her, as his gaze wandered over her face, lingering on her lips.
"Dance for me," he said hoarsely.
She went over to the pole while he lay down on the couch, propped up on one elbow. His stormy grey eyes had taken on a predatory look as they followed her every move.
Jade dropped her handbag to the carpet before she grabbed the pole with both hands, slowly moving around it. Alrik seemed to like what he saw, for his body seemed to tense. "Begin," he commanded. "But first you'll remove that enticing dress you wear. And open your hair for me."
Slowly, she reached up into her hair and removed the pins, one after the other, until the bronze curls fell freely over her shoulders.
"Beautiful," he murmured. Jade was beginning to really like this. She opened the zipper of her dress and shrugged it down to the floor, stepping out of it and kicking it to the side with her stilettos.
"Damn," he said, when she revealed her lean, athletic dancer's body. Dressed to the occasion, she wore tiny red lace panties with a fitting bra that pushed her breasts up and together. She had been blessed with a nice pair, but she'd never given it much thought until now, seeing the awed look on Alrik's face. Slowly, she began to walk around the pole ...
****
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