A
VIXEN IN VENICE
by
Kate Deveaux
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
He’s
an art thief on the run…with her heart
Look
closer, into Hotel Totally Five Star Venice, where art curator
Monique Le Bres has just walked through the doors of the newly opened
swanky luxury hotel to assist with their art collection.
Alessandro
Bonnard, the world-renowned art connoisseur and collector has been
sent incognito to supervise Monique and oversee her acquisitions for
the hotel.
Concealing
his true identity, Alessandro is intrigued by the art-loving vixen
with an appetite for kinky sex. He pursues Monique, charming her at
every turn — taking her to places she’s never been — both in
and out of bedroom.
Monique
falls hard for the man who has utterly captured her body and soul.
Only to find out he isn’t who she thought he was after all…he’s
an art thief on the run…with her heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt :
Smiling,
the hotel clerk handed her the large gold room key.
“Signorina
Le Bres, benvenuti a Venezia.” She welcomed Monique warmly. “Signor
Amatus will be here un momento to escort you to your suite.” The
mix of English and Italian words was enchanting to Monique, so far
from the small dirt filled town back in Kansas that she’d dragged
herself out so many years ago where the only foreign language spoken
was pig Latin if you were lucky and grow up on the right side of the
tracks. Monique hadn’t even been that lucky, the rusted out trailer
she’d shared with her mother couldn’t have been further from the
right side of anything.
“Grazie.”
Monique took the gold key, noting how large and heavy it was in the
palm of her hand. Almost ominous of what lay ahead. No slick
electronic keys at this hotel. No, this was one hundred percent
Italian luxury. The key began to heat in her grasp as she glanced
around for the man who was supposed to greet her.
The
elevator door dinged, catching her attention.
Monique’s
mouth dropped open. A good looking twenty-something man dressed in
employee issued suit exited. His robust laughter had caught her
attention with his momentarily flirtation with a sexy young woman
dressed in the hotel uniform that made Monique smirk as the man
patted her ass when he passed. A first rate flirter for sure, she
made a mental note to steer clear.
Monique’s
smirk turned into a frown as the man kept walking straight towards
Monique.
“There
he is, Signor Amatus,” the clerk behind the counter called to
Monique while she stood somewhat transfixed as the flirter
approached. He really was young. Could he really be her supervisor?
Not at all what she’d been expecting. Maybe mid twenties if she was
generous. Barely legal age back in the states and good ten to fifteen
years younger than her she was quite sure.
“Ah,
Signorina Le Bres...”
“Yes,
I am Monique Le Bres.” She extended her hand. He wasted no time
sliding it into his and reaching it to his mouth. Pausing before
kissing the back of her palm, his gaze stayed fixed on hers.
“Incantanto,”
his words almost a whisper.
These
Italian men were skilled at the art of flirtation; there was no
denying that. But the sooner she made it clear to him that she was
all work and no play the better it would be for both of them.
“I am
Donovan Amatus, please allow me welcome to you to Hotel Totally Five
Star Venezia. I am sure you will be molto comfortable here.”
The
wicked glint in his eyes made her blush and fume at the same time.
“I’m the new art curator,” Monique scrambled to say something,
trying not blurt out what she was really thinking. That it was
actually both flattering and maddening all at the same time to be
flirted with by this young stud with the wandering eyes only moments
after her arrival at the hotel.
“I
know, si. Art Curator,” he said, releasing her hand but not before
running it lightly over his lips. “I will be your liaison while you
are here, answer any questions you have. Work with you side by side.
Fianco a fianco,” he repeated the words in Italian, his tone so
intimate that she was lost for a moment as she studied his nametag.
Donovan
Amatus, Del controllo qualità.
Quality
Control Manager. A vague memory of her letter of employment and that
name stuck in her head but she was damned if she could reconcile the
young man in front of her with her supervisor. Surely there had been
some mix up. This young man couldn’t possibly be supervising her
and the forty million euro budget the CEO had entrusted her with.
“The
key Signorina?” he prompted.
Speechless
she just stood there.
“La
chiave, the key, per favore?” He repeated and then reached to take
the key from her grip. “Follow me Signorina Le Bres.”
“Oh,
please call me Monique.”
“You
Americans are so friendly,” he said with a smile as he led her
toward the elevator, placing his hand firmly around her waist.
Summoning
her most professional demeanor she slipped from his hold and stepped
into the elevator.
“I am
sure you will be very happy working here at the hotel Totally Five
Star Venezia.” He said as he punched the fifth floor button.
Monique
tried to focus on what she was there for, her dream job and not the
leering eyes of her so-called supervisor. “Yes, I’m sure I will.
Mr. Conroy’s letter of employment said I could start to work
tomorrow.”
“Assolutamente,”
he confirmed. “Tomorrow. But first I show you your room, bene?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Kate
Deveaux is a contemporary erotic romance writer and die-hard
romantic. A former wedding planner, she has always been “in love”
with love! Kate is currently working on several fictional stories –
each filled with sexy romance, heroines who are no shrinking violets
and heroes who make your heart skip a beat. She currently resides
with her husband in the U.S. When Kate is not busy writing, she can
be found on the tennis court –yes, there’s even ‘love’ in
that game too.
SOCIAL
MEDIA:
Author
website: http://www.katedeveaux.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Deveaux/349294291841235
Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/KateDeveaux
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/katedeveaux
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7126956.Kate_Deveaux
Google
Plus: https://www.plus.google.com/104114173171800541171/
Join
Kate’s Kitten’s, the official STREET TEAM of Kate Deveaux:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1561963064047158/
No comments:
Post a Comment