IF THE DUKE DARES by Darcy Burke excerpt and giveaway

IF THE DUKE DARES

by Darcy Burke

GENRE:  Regency Historical Romance

BLURB:

Incorrigible flirt Acton Loxley, Duke of Wellesbourne is in need of a duchess. En route to greet a potential bride, he encounters a most intriguing and captivating widow who completely distracts him from his task. However, she disappears before he can deepen their acquaintance. Acton begrudgingly goes to meet his bride, unaware she and the widow are one and the same.

When Persephone Barclay’s younger sister is compromised, Persephone must wed before the scandal spreads. Her parents scramble to present her to the Duke of Wellesbourne; except he’s precisely the kind of rogue she has now vowed to avoid. Taking flight to avoid a match, Persephone runs straight into her would-be betrothed and pretends to be someone else. But dash it all, the duke proves to be irresistibly charming! If she remains in his company, she’ll end up in the wicked scoundrel’s clutches.

Even worse, her second attempt at escape lands her in increasingly poor circumstances. With nowhere to turn and her safety at risk, she may have to accept help from the one man who threatens her resolve—and her reputation.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

Acton eyed the young woman, curious as to why she was alone. “Seems silly for us to dine at opposite ends of the table,” he said, picking up his utensils and moving them to the place across from her.

She lifted her head, and Acton took a few steps toward her so he could see her more closely. The moment her gaze met his, a ripple of awareness swept over him. Her eyes were a lush, vivid blue that reminded him of the sky in early autumn when the air was crisper and the colors more vibrant. An intriguing bump marred the line of her nose, and dark gold brows arched over her stunning eyes. Her pink lips parted—barely. Acton held his breath in anticipation that she would speak.

“Does it?” she asked, sounding uninterested.

“To me, yes. But then I rather dislike dining alone. Do you mind if I sit here?”

She took just longer than a moment to respond. “What if I said yes?”

Was she joking? Flirting? Or did she really not want him to sit there?

Bah, of course she wouldn’t mind him sitting there. She had to be flirting.

Acton slid into the chair.

She eyed him warily. “I’ll be finished soon.”

He sent her his most provocative gaze. “When you finish, perhaps I’ll persuade you to keep me company. Unless you need to dash upstairs for some reason?” Such as a husband or children. Perhaps she was only alone here in this room.

“I do not. Though, I am tired from traveling. Aren’t you?” she asked before picking up her wineglass.

“I’m quite refreshed after a hot bath. The innkeeper has taken very good care of me. You are traveling alone, then?”

She snorted, then wrinkled her nose before she lifted her hand to briefly cover her mouth. “That is a presumptuous question.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of over sixty captivating, compelling historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Her novels have been translated into five languages and are also available as audio books. Join her Reader Club at https://www.darcyburke.com/join.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming, teacher husband, artist daughter, and writer (yes!) son. They’re a crazy cat family with two Bengal cats, a small, fame-seeking cat named after a fruit, a rescue Maine Coon with attitude to spare, an adorable former stray who wandered onto their deck and into their hearts, and two bonded boys who used to belong to (separate) neighbors but chose them instead. You can find Darcy in her comfy writing chair, folding laundry (which she loves), or enjoying game night with the family. Visit Darcy online at http://www.darcyburke.com and follow her social media: Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/darcyburkefans, Instagram at http://www.instagram/darcyburkeauthor, and Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/darcyburkewrite.

If the Duke Dares website link: https://geni.us/IftheDukeDares

If the Duke Dares buy links

Amazon: https://geni.us/IftheDukeDares-Amz

Apple: https://geni.us/IftheDukeDares-App

Barnes & Noble: https://geni.us/IftheDukeDares-BN

Google Play: https://geni.us/IftheDukeDares-GP

Kobo: https://geni.us/IftheDukeDares-Kobo

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