In the current excitement around the house, I almost forgot that Guarding His Body is being released by Total-E-Bound today!

If you like assured, European men and capable yet vulnerable women in a topsy-turvy situation, be sure to give it a go. Remember, you can read the entire first chapter on my site here or you can download the Sampler to read first chapters of all my releases. But just to whet your appetite, here’s a short excerpt, detailing the first real interaction between Helen and Yves:

“Okay, why not pretend you have a knife?” she suggested. “Take a stab at me.”

He didn’t believe she was ready. She couldn’t be ready, not when she had not adopted any traditional stance that he knew. Her feet were a little apart, but she had not even raised her hands. Maybe this femme didn’t know anything, and this whole episode was some kind of sick dare aimed at an unsuspecting foreign dupe. Well, she would soon find out what it meant to waste the time of Yves de Saint Nerin!

Despite his irritation, Yves didn’t want to hurt her so, imaginary knife in hand, he made a relatively slow overhand lunge at her with his right hand. He didn’t know what happened next, although Guy told him later that she moved the instant he started his downward arm movement. There was a stinging pain in his arm, then across his chest, then he felt a hard wall slam into his back. The breath whooshed out of him.

Helen Collier stepped up and glared at him. “Only villains in television dramas try to knife someone in an overhand attack,” she told him. “How about attempting something a bit sneakier?”

Yves grimaced and tried hard not to look too flustered. He stepped forward, away from the wall, and she stepped back to give him more room. He glanced over at Guy, who looked like he was trying to hold back spasms of laughter.

He was distracted, that was all. Distracted by that revealing figure-hugging vest item she was wearing, and a fragrance that reminded him of a summer’s breeze blowing across French fields. He would not make that same mistake again.

He frowned at Guy, to show that he was not happy to be the butt of someone’s joke, and asked for the pen that lay on a table next to his assistant. Guy threw it to him, and he caught it with one hand. That felt better. Now he could better visualise what it would be like to be holding a weapon, instead of just pretending to. That was another thing that probably threw him off, simulating a knife attack without a knife. Feeling more confident, Yves widened his stance and opened his arms, beckoning her to fall into his embrace. This was certainly something different for him, enfolding a woman in a way that was not at all affectionate.

Helen didn’t move. She just stood there, waiting, looking at him with those huge, stormy eyes until he eventually took a step forward, determined to try for a slash across her body this time. Again, she moved faster than he could track. He felt something hard contact his hand, sending the pen spinning across the room, then a sharp elbow in his gut, driving the air from his body. This time, he felt himself stagger back, hitting the wall once again. Dimly, he heard Guy spluttering in the distance, but he shook his head. In front of him, Helen Collier stood, as cool and unruffled as before.

Bien, so the chit knew something after all. But Yves was still not willing to put his safety in her delicate looking hands.

“That was an impressive demonstration, Madame Collier,” Guy said, obviously thinking that Yves had had enough of being slammed into a wall. “I think perhaps we have seen–”

“Non,” Yves interrupted loudly. “Let’s clear some space and try one more time. And not with a pretend, or otherwise, knife this time.”

Something flickered across her face—it couldn’t possibly be amusement—and then she was helping Guy move the furniture to the other side of the room. The conference table was rather large, but they turned it sideways and shoved it against the wall, leaving a large open space near the door for Yves’ last experiment. Despite himself, he liked that about her. There was no hesitation in helping Guy, even when it involved moving heavy objects around the room. The usual women of his acquaintance would have shrieked horribly lest they chip one of their perfectly manicured fingernails but, after slanting that one sly look at him, she had pitched in without complaint. It was—disconcertingly attractive.

You can buy Guarding His Body by following this link. And thank you. (And remember, for a chance to win this one for free — or A Pirate’s Passion, my May release — just leave a comment. Anything said till the end of the month is in the draw.)