EXCERPT from Chapter
One:
...She crossed
to the desk. When no one came to greet her,
Alexia peered over the counter and picked up
a map of the hotel from behind the counter.
Management offices were down the hall to the
left.
Certain she'd find Braeden's office there, she
headed down the long, dark hall stopping at the
first set of huge, metal-studded double doors.
If the Lord of the Castle had an office, this
had to be it. A quick glance at the brass wall
plate confirmed her guess.
Should she
march right in, knock, or turn around and leave?
Her stomach somersaulted. Her heart raced. She
couldn't decide.
Why? After all this
time, why? She'd successfully squashed her
feelings for him--her anger and near hatred had
made it easy enough. So why now had her legs
turned to jelly?
She sensed him just
beyond the door. The spicy scent of his
aftershave swirled beneath her nose, awakening
more intimate memories. The gentleness of his
large hands brushing against her cheek. She
shivered, remembering the feeling of his warm
breath against her neck.
Those tangible
memories could easily be pushed back. It was the
others, the more recent ones, that threatened to
bring her to her knees.
Her chest
tightened as she remembered. When he'd lifted
her from the car wreck, his voice had been husky
and deep with concern. But when she'd lost the
baby they'd both longed for, he'd blamed her.
And when she'd tried to explain he'd
insisted that her mind was playing tricks with
her.
Alexia lifted her hand to the
throbbing in her chest. She couldn't do this.
She couldn't face him. Not even after all this
time. She'd have to find some other place of
safety - because Dragon's Lair wasn't safe after
all.
Quickly, before she was discovered,
she turned and headed back down the hall toward
the lobby.
The door behind her groaned.
She clutched the package in her arms to her
chest, hoping the pressure would slow down her
pounding heart.
"Leaving already?"
Braeden's deep voice rippled over her, stopping
her escape.
"I don't know."
The
carpet beneath his feet silenced his footsteps,
but she sensed his approach. And to her horror
her body warmed in welcome...
REVIEWS:
Ms Lynn has
put together a fast-paced sexy tale of two
wounded hearts trying to find trust in each
other. This book was great from start to finish
and will grace my keeper shelf. ~ Robin, Night
Owl Romance
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An intense,
even dark atmosphere hovers around this story,
darkening the shadows even more than the
brooding castles and the magical subterfuge at
work. There is a real feeling of menace that
threatens this couple and their own mistrust of
each other is palpable. You get the feeling that
as dangerous as Braeden's more malevolent kin
may be, the real struggle is against the
darkness in the hearts of this couple. Their
pain and their attempts to rebuild their
relationship are very real: you want to see them
back together and you want to see their love
rekindled. Their dance of attraction and
distrust around each other leaves you breathless
with hope. This is definitely one Nocturne well
worth re-reading! ~ Renee C. Mulhare, Amazon
----------
This is an excellent romantic
fantasy starring a wonderful lead couple caught
in a great premise. They each feel their
relationship suffers from a weird sexual
bi-polar syndrome as they bounce from euphoric
passion to abject loathing and back in an
instant; neither is cognizant that their sudden
uncontrollable desire seems to occur whenever
they begin to translate the tome. Lacking
restraint makes for a fun tale that sub-genre
fans will relish as the powerful battle to
control the Druidic spell book starts with a
need for the lead couple to find a way to
restrict their extremes so they can work as a
team. ~ Harriet Klausner
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It's been a while since I've read a Nocturne,
and when I end up with a good one I always ask
myself why I wait so long to read another. Never
really get a good answer to that question other
than the usual too many books, too little time.
I'm determined to remedy that as far as these
Nocturnes go, though. I've had great luck with
them in getting good stories and terrific
characters, and Dragon's Lair is right up there
with the best. ~ Sandy M, Good, Bad and Unread
----------
Medieval diva Denise Lynn
turns her considerable storytelling talents
toward the contemporary arena with a spicy,
captivating paranormal. Silhouette Nocturne's
DRAGON'S LAIR boasts a real, appealing romantic
couple reunited against a nasty immortal bent on
destroying the pair and a storyline as magical
as the hero's powers.
Ms. Lynn keeps the
sexual tension high while focusing almost
exclusively on the alpha, incredibly sexy wizard
Braeden Drake (whose sometimes overwhelming
arrogance might be tempered with a well-placed
baseball bat) and his feisty wife, Alexia. While
these two strong personalities clash with each
other, their obvious attraction for each other
blazes across the pages of DRAGON'S LAIR.
~Debbie Jett
----------
Denise Lynn
once again has crafted an absolutely
astonishing, unexpected story and conclusion
that will thrill every reader rooting for
Braeden and Alexia's healing reunion and
insatiably curious about the outcome of the
battle for the Druidic elder spells. Dragon's
Lair is the best of all Denise Lynn's terrific
novels! ~ Viviane Crystal, Crystal Reviews
----------
Enchantingly imaginative with
a spellbinding premise and unforgettable
characters, DRAGON'S LAIR enthralls during every
riveting moment. ~ Amelia Richard, CataRomance
----------
Pursued by men wanting her to
translate an ancient manuscript, Alexia
Reve-Drake runs to her estranged husband,
Braeden, for protection. Together they must stop
an ancient wizard determined to take power from
the manuscript and kill both husband and wife.
Novel and engaging, Lynn's excellent story
combines realism and fantasy. Strong characters
and complex problems make this book impossible
to put down. ~ Alexandra Kay for Romantic Times
Review, 4 1/2
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