For the love of Pirates!

Way, way back, sometime in the 80's, I cut my teeth for romance on the historical love between fictional men and women. Sometimes the story took me to the old west with cowboys and Indians. Sometimes to Regency England. And more often than not, to the high seas. 

*sigh*

I loved every pirate romance I read--and still do! 

Last year, Totally Bound opened submissions for novella-length stories of erotic, romantic love on the high seas and I jumped at this opportunity. Me, history, pirates, sex and happily ever after...What's not to love?

My devious muse came up with (what I think at any rate) is a great twist: a heroine who wants to be ravished, and a Spanish pirate captain who needs to keep away because revenge should be much sweeter. But is it? 

Here's my pirate tale releasing from Totally Bound this Friday: 

Temptation Released

by Ayla Ruse

Part of the Jolly Rogered Collection

Genre/Themes: Historical erotic romance, bondage

“When is a pirate not a pirate? When he refuses to ravish a perfectly willing captive.” – Lady Elise Clifton

Raphael de la Torres, the pirate captain El Angel, is notorious for kidnapping travelers to the colonies. He leads a rewarding life, and one that cleverly covers his true purpose—getting close to the cousin who betrayed him.

Raphael’s latest capture, the beautiful Lady Elise Clifton, is the one person whose ransom will give him an edge. Simple plans are rarely simple, however. He must deliver her untouched in order to have his revenge, but Lady Elise is desire untapped, and more than ready for the taking. His every effort to frighten and push her away only excites her and tests his limits of control.

Lady Elise is desperate to get out of an unwanted engagement. She will do anything to avoid being under another man’s control, even seduce a pirate to ensure her ruin. To her mind, once the Captain ravishes her, (as all notorious pirates do) she will be free. Her plans would be perfect if the Captain would cooperate, but no matter how hard she tries, the sexy Spaniard refuses to take her to his bed.

With the currents stirring up between the two, will the sweet taste of revenge shift to a deeper passion, and will the control Elise is running away from, be exactly what she needs? 

Here's a little tease of an excerpt: 

“Will…will she be okay?” Elise asked, the reality that she was alone with her captor settling firmly in her skin.

“Paulo will not hurt her. Do not worry.”

He’d also watched the pair leave, but now turned back to Elise. He studied her and one brow rose. “Now, what do we have here? They call me El Angel, but I think it is right to give you that moniker.”

“El Angel? Captain of the Angel’s Light?”

He quirked a brow. “So you have heard of me, sí? Tell me, what do they say?”

“I don’t know much. Just that you are a pirate.” Her voice squeaked at the word pirate and Elise coughed to calm her nerves. What would he do to her?

“And…”

“And that you, um, are known for taking cargo for ransom rather than greed.”

He walked around her, his boot heels sounding hollow and strong. “But isn’t ransom a form of greed as well?” He ran his fingers down her naked back and Elise gasped. Her nerves were strung taut with both fear and excitement. She’d never been alone with a man before, much less a pirate. And never naked. Yet this was the man who would ravish her. Would he hurt her? Or would he make her feel the pleasure she gained when she touched herself in secret?

“I, ah…” What had he asked?

 

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Temptation Released will be available exclusively from Totally Bound this Friday, June 1. 

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