Today I’m going to let you get a brief glimpse of Esteban Cesare, the hero from Renegade Love. He’s a complicated man due to his past and there is so much more to his past than anyone knows.
In this scene Esteban finds out that his father has arranged a marriage for him.
“You what?” Esteban yelled at his father.
“I’ve arranged a marriage between you and Rosalita Mendez,” Alejandro repeated calmly, although his heart raced at an alarming rate.
Esteban paced in front of his father’s wide desk, glad that it separated them from each other, for he had an uncontrollable urge to reach out and strangle him. “I have told you repeatedly that I would not marry—and yet—you arrange a marriage against my wishes?”
“I do not need your permission,” Alejandro reminded him.
Esteban stopped pacing. “I take orders from no man, Father.”
Alejandro lowered his head a fraction in defeat, though he had no intentions to surrender. He rubbed at his forehead, hoping to ease the throbbing pain, his voice muffled as he spoke, “You have a duty, my son. You must marry and produce an heir so the Cesare name and land will continue to prosper.”
It was partially the truth, though what Alejandro prayed for the most was that Rosa would help restore Esteban to his old self, erase his hurtful past and that they would share a happy life together.
Esteban braced his hands flat upon the desk and leaned forward toward his father. “Believe me, Father, when I tell you that no good would come of this marriage. You do the innocent girl an injustice by forcing her upon me.”
“Rosa seems pleased with the arrangement,” Alejandro lied and silently offered a quick prayer of contrition.
Esteban stood straight. “Why?”
Alejandro scrunched his brow confused. “What do you mean?”
“Why should she agree to marry me in only two weeks? Does she need a husband?”
Alejandro caught his son’s insinuation immediately. “Rosa is a good girl as I had told you. There is no need for her to marry quickly. Why I doubt she has ever been kissed.”
Esteban found his blood racing at the idea of one so innocent. To taste such purity would be a mistake. It would only leave an insatiable appetite for more and once started he would not stop, and then—she would be innocent no more—and by the time he was done… she would be full of sin.
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Renegade Love will be available at the end of the year or early 2013. I will keep you all updated.
To celebrate the new cover for Untamed Fire, I’ve dropped the price to $.99 for a limited time. So if you haven’t got it, grab it now while you can. If you haven’t given it a try… now’s the time!
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