A VIXEN IN VENICE
by Kate
Deveaux
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB
He’s
an art thief on the run…with her heart
Look
closer, into Hotel Totally Five Star Venice, where art curator Monique Le Bres
has just walked through the doors of the newly opened swanky luxury hotel to
assist with their art collection.
Alessandro
Bonnard, the world-renowned art connoisseur and collector has been sent
incognito to supervise Monique and oversee her acquisitions for the hotel.
Concealing
his true identity, Alessandro is intrigued by the art-loving vixen with an
appetite for kinky sex. He pursues Monique, charming her at every turn — taking
her to places she’s never been — both in and out of bedroom.
Monique
falls hard for the man who has utterly captured her body and soul. Only to find
out he isn’t who she thought he was after all…he’s an art thief on the run…with
her heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Smiling, the hotel clerk handed her the large gold room key.
“Signorina Le Bres, benvenuti a Venezia.” She welcomed
Monique warmly. “Signor Amatus will be here un momento to escort you to your
suite.” The mix of English and Italian words was enchanting to Monique, so far
from the small dirt filled town back in Kansas that she’d dragged herself out
so many years ago where the only foreign language spoken was pig Latin if you
were lucky and grow up on the right side of the tracks. Monique hadn’t even
been that lucky, the rusted out trailer she’d shared with her mother couldn’t
have been further from the right side of anything.
“Grazie.” Monique took the gold key, noting how large and
heavy it was in the palm of her hand. Almost ominous of what lay ahead. No
slick electronic keys at this hotel. No, this was one hundred percent Italian
luxury. The key began to heat in her grasp as she glanced around for the man
who was supposed to greet her.
The elevator door dinged, catching her attention.
Monique’s mouth dropped open. A good looking
twenty-something man dressed in employee issued suit exited. His robust
laughter had caught her attention with his momentarily flirtation with a sexy
young woman dressed in the hotel uniform that made Monique smirk as the man
patted her ass when he passed. A first rate flirter for sure, she made a mental
note to steer clear.
Monique’s smirk turned into a frown as the man kept walking
straight towards Monique.
“There he is, Signor Amatus,” the clerk behind the counter
called to Monique while she stood somewhat transfixed as the flirter
approached. He really was young. Could he really be her supervisor? Not at all
what she’d been expecting. Maybe mid twenties if she was generous. Barely legal
age back in the states and good ten to fifteen years younger than her she was
quite sure.
“Ah, Signorina Le Bres...”
“Yes, I am Monique Le Bres.” She extended her hand. He
wasted no time sliding it into his and reaching it to his mouth. Pausing before
kissing the back of her palm, his gaze stayed fixed on hers.
“Incantanto,” his words almost a whisper.
These Italian men were skilled at the art of flirtation; there
was no denying that. But the sooner she made it clear to him that she was all
work and no play the better it would be for both of them.
“I am Donovan Amatus, please allow me welcome to you to
Hotel Totally Five Star Venezia. I am sure you will be molto comfortable here.”
The wicked glint in his eyes made her blush and fume at the
same time. “I’m the new art curator,” Monique scrambled to say something,
trying not blurt out what she was really thinking. That it was actually both
flattering and maddening all at the same time to be flirted with by this young
stud with the wandering eyes only moments after her arrival at the hotel.
“I know, si. Art Curator,” he said, releasing her hand but
not before running it lightly over his lips. “I will be your liaison while you
are here, answer any questions you have. Work with you side by side. Fianco a
fianco,” he repeated the words in Italian, his tone so intimate that she was
lost for a moment as she studied his nametag.
Donovan Amatus, Del controllo qualità .
Quality Control Manager. A vague memory of her letter of
employment and that name stuck in her head but she was damned if she could
reconcile the young man in front of her with her supervisor. Surely there had
been some mix up. This young man couldn’t possibly be supervising her and the
forty million euro budget the CEO had entrusted her with.
“The key Signorina?” he prompted.
Speechless she just stood there.
“La chiave, the key, per favore?” He repeated and then
reached to take the key from her grip. “Follow me Signorina Le Bres.”
“Oh, please call me Monique.”
“You Americans are so friendly,” he said with a smile as he
led her toward the elevator, placing his hand firmly around her waist.
Summoning her most professional demeanor she slipped from his
hold and stepped into the elevator.
“I am sure you will be very happy working here at the hotel
Totally Five Star Venezia.” He said as he punched the fifth floor button.
Monique tried to focus on what she was there for, her dream
job and not the leering eyes of her so-called supervisor. “Yes, I’m sure I
will. Mr. Conroy’s letter of employment said I could start to work tomorrow.”
“Assolutamente,” he confirmed. “Tomorrow. But first I show
you your room, bene?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FIVE RANDOM QUESTIONS TO KATE DEVEAUX
"Thank you so much for having me as your
guest. I’m delighted to stop by and chat."
In
5 words, please describe your ‘Romance Writing Style’
Sensual,
scintillating, vivid, evocative and sassy.
When
you walk into a book store, where do you head first?
I
go straight to romance, then fiction, and then cookbooks to indulge my inner
cooking diva.
If
you could live in the world of One Novel, which one would You choose?
Oh,
that’s a hard one. I think I’d pick Maeve Binchy’s “Evening Class.” All things
I love: Dublin, a sense of community and friends, and the Italian language and
a trip to Italy.
If
you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would you want
to have seen?
I
would have loved to witness Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel. It took over
4 years for the initial section, so I would have been there a while. But wow,
what an experience.
If
you could be any age again for one week, what age would you be?
I
think I’d like to be 8 and at the beach for summer vacation.
Those were simply wonderful questions, very thought
provoking. It was challenging to narrow down each answer to just ‘one.’ My mind
is still reeling with all the marvelous events in history to have witnessed as
well as what novel I’d most like to live in.
All the best,
Kate
xx
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Kate Deveaux is a contemporary erotic romance
writer and die-hard romantic. A former wedding planner, she has always been “in
love” with love! Kate is currently working on several fictional stories – each
filled with sexy romance, heroines who are no shrinking violets and heroes who
make your heart skip a beat. She currently resides with her husband in the U.S.
When Kate is not busy writing, she can be found on the tennis court –yes,
there’s even ‘love’ in that game too.
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