A Seal Upon Your Heart Coming in 1 day

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Jane used to have a different name, a different life—but that was before she was rescued from the refugee camp after the Rwandan genocide and brought to the convent to be raised. Now she is being dismissed, told to go out into the world. But how does she do that when all she knows is the convent?

Sometimes she wants to scream, I am a child of Africa! And sometimes she wants to dream about a love that will save her from her loneliness…but mostly she wants to fit in.

Tim Singleton lost his wife to breast cancer less than a year ago and yet the pain and anger is still fresh in his mind. He hates the sympathetic looks from his colleagues and tolerates the invitations from friends with their good intentions. When Corrine died, so did Tim’s faith…so when he received the call from the convent that his wife had focused her charitable endeavors, Tim isn’t quite sure why he agreed to help the young African girl with a job.

She didn’t quite fit in with the others at the law firm that wore thousand dollar Chanel suits while her clothes were picked with care from the donation bin at the church.  At nearly six feet tall, the shy girl tried to become invisible in the hectic world around her. But if her ill-fitting clothes didn’t draw attention to her, then it was a beauty that couldn’t be hidden so easily. 

Soon Jane sees Tim as not only her benefactor, but her one true love. But can Tim finally open up and allow someone else to touch his heart? Can he forget their difference in race and age? And more importantly, would being with him mean the loss of her innocence?

EXCERPT

(Mature readers only; adult content)

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Martier stripped out of her clothes and stared at herself naked in the mirror. Maybe she should shave her legs again. Only a few of the nuns shaved their legs and underarms. Some really should shave their chins and upper lips but you weren’t supposed to think that.

She placed her hand over her mound. It was covered in black curly hair and would surely sprout from the white bathing suit.  She’d never shaved her pubic hair before and her razor wasn’t the best tool for the job, but when she was finished and ran her hand over the smooth flesh it made her quiver and grow warm. She immediately moved her hand away and concentrated on the hair on her head.

Removing all of the pins she let down her bun. Her hair fell into heavy waves along her shoulders and down her back where they bounced at the middle of her shoulder blades.  Making sure that everything looked hair-free where it should be hair-free, she slipped on the bathing suit that Claudette had called a tool.  

Martier knew that Claudette had thought her too naive to understand. But she did want Tim to look at her as more than a charity case that he had to take care of.  If it was a tool, then so be it. She didn’t bother with a towel or shoes. She shook out her thick hair, and then nervously left the house feeling naked; as naked and vulnerable as a newborn kitten.

Tim added extra coals because he wanted indirect heat and for the meat to cook for hours so that it fell off the bone. He poked the coals until he was satisfied that they took up no more than half of the grill. He heard Martier’s approach and turned. The poker fell out of his hand and clattered to the ground.

Tim’s mouth parted and he stared at the beautiful woman approaching him. If this was a movie the world would have converted into slow motion and everything except the sight of her would have been blurred out. She wore a simple white bathing suit. It was not cut high at the thighs, the neckline did not plunge down to show cleavage. There was nothing singularly erotic about the suit. But it seemed to Tim that it was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen. The contrast between the deep darkness of Martier’s skin and the stark white fabric was but one element. But then add to that the way the fabric clung to her every curve. And yes she was lean but she was curvy in a way that her previous wardrobe could have never told.

Her breast weren’t large but they didn’t have to be. Their perfect roundness was evident even beneath the fabric. Lithe and tall didn’t mean skinny, far from it. Her narrow waist swelled toward hips that swayed softly as she walked. Her thighs and legs were toned and nicely formed. His eyes moved up to where her face was haloed by luxurious waves of cascading black hair.  She wore no make-up, no jewelry and yet he thought she could rival any Hollywood actress or any Parisian runway model.

“Martier…” He managed.

She smiled and tried for brave, maybe even alluring but she thought it only ended up as embarrassed.  Tim blinked. His eyes darted away; only then could he think those thoughts that needed to be thought. Because when she had smiled at him, in just that second when she was innocence mixed with seduction, Tim Singleton’s heart soared.

“You look…beautiful.  Your suit! I mean…you.” He stammered and then wanted to palm his face for sounding like an idiot schoolboy.

She tried not to duck her head, or wrap her arms in front of her, but to stand still and accept his compliment with good grace.

“Thank you.” She cocked her head and glanced at the grill. “Is it ready? I left the meat in the refrigerator-” She gestured back to the cottage.

“I’ll get it.” He was already darting across the yard to the little cottage. Once inside he shut the door and took a moment to try to reign everything in. He pressed his erection with the palm of his hand, but that actually felt way too good. Walking to the kitchen he tried to think of things to curb the sudden spike of desire. Nuns didn’t work this time. He just kept picturing Martier.

“This is no good.” He muttered while storming into the kitchen. He gripped the counter. “Tonight you will jerk off like a beast, but right now pull it together Tim!” She is beautiful, but she is innocent. Help her the way Corrine would have wanted, but keep your hands off! 

Coming to Amazon January 22nd and Barnes and Noble Thursday January 24th.