The Pride of the King

Book excerpt: Wickedly inviting, the dark side of life has always seduced Lauren De Beauville. With copper-colored tresses and the smile of a pirate, this young adventuress throws caution to the wind and leaps into a quagmire of temptation that is 18th Century New Orleans. Will she survive her constant craving for danger? Dazzled by glamor, Lauren plays a deadly game joining a group of brutal con artists and smugglers who are cheating their way across the New World. There are splendid gowns, handsome men and nights filled with passion. What more could she want? At the very top is James St. Clare, the ruthless yet alluring captain of a pirate ship called The Pride of the King. Risking her life and her love, Lauren allows herself to be swept into his whirlwind of desire and treachery where she gambles everything.Once again, author Amanda Hughes splashes the pages of history with adventure and love stories about audacious women in the 18th Century. Her page turning tales will keep you on the edge of your seat as you take a wild ride through one of the most passionate and dazzling periods of history."James lifted her out of the tub water running down his clothing. Her shift hugged her skin and he ran his eyes down her figure then up again stopping at her lips. The firelight danced over them and for a moment Lauren lost herself. Fear, loneliness, desire all clouded her judgment and she opened her lips to kiss him."