“Eighteen hundred and eighty-three,” he said simply.
“Ah, Victorian. Way before Downton Abbey. Cool. God, my head hurts. Can I get a cool rag or something?”
“I will ask for one. Are you ready to see the physician?” he asked. His voice was simply mesmerizing. She knew he tempered it to keep from hurting her head, but the depths of it resonated in her chest—as close as he was—and damn if he didn’t smell amazing. She felt her nipples harden against the corset she wore. At least something was working properly.
This was one of the most vivid dreams she’d ever had. Her hands flexed against her legs, as if to hold on to it for a minute because she felt so incredibly lucid through the pounding in her head, and she simply didn’t want to wake up yet. She’d have to hurry and get his ass naked and tied to her bed before she awoke.
“I beg your pardon?” His voice dropped so low it was feral, and for the second time, she looked into his eyes. His deep, black, heavy eyes.
“Sorry? Did I say something?” she said, and he nodded. “What did I say?” she asked, attempting to feign innocence.
“You… I fear repeating what I heard.”
She laughed and instantly regretted it. “Yeah, probably something about you being naked and tied to my bed. Listen, can you send the doc away so we can get down to business? This dream needs to move along because I’m all kinds of horny right now.”
He stared at her, a look of complete and total shock on his face. Holy crap, she didn’t usually make her dream men so compliantly non-compliant.
“What do I need to do, make it old school? Fine! Fetch the physician, if you must. I would like to have a lie-down,” she said putting on her best British accent. He flinched, so it probably sucked as usual. She flicked her fingers at him to shoo him off to the door.
His eyes narrowed on her before he spoke. “Cecilia, I’m going to ask a favor of you. I’m going to bring the doctor in here. Please do not make any references to time or place. Please simply convince him you are well so he will leave and we can continue our discussion.”
Lulu smiled and wondered if she should ask him if he should be using someone’s Christian name, just like the heroines always did in her favorite historicals. He stood before she managed the words and went out into the hallway. Well, all righty then. Looked like they’d get rid of the doc and get right down to it. Fantastical.
The door swung open again, and the doctor came over to her. He treated her as if she were a CPR dummy—with no senses—poked and prodded without so much as a by-her-leave. Then he asked her inane questions, to which she tried to respond in a decent fashion. It helped that the man she wanted to tie to her bed was standing behind him, shaking and nodding his head with the answers.
“She may need rest for a few days, but she should be just fine.” The doctor looked to her once more. “We should check you for burns.”
“Burns?”
“She had no burns.” God, he was spare in his speech. She loved it. Wait, burns? She looked down at her dress and realized what the awful smell was. The skirts were in tatters, fringed with burn marks. She looked over to the fireplace. Huh, okay, apparently she caught fire and that’s how she ended up on the floor.
Oh my God! She’d been a victim of the flaming crinolines. This was a seriously intricate dream. I had to be a dream, but the smell of burning chemicals hung in the air, bitter and sharp. Yuck.
She turned back and smiled at the doctor as if to say, Time for you to go. He watched her warily for a moment, and she tilted her chin up and narrowed her eyes on him. He stood.
“Your Grace, if you have need, call on me. I should return in a few days to check on her, make sure her head is clear.”
Warrick nodded. “I will send for you, if necessary.”
Lulu grinned at Warrick. “So,” she said, “about that bed.” Warrick’s eyes looked like they might just pop right out of his skull, and everyone in the room stopped and looked at her.
“Too soon?” she asked.
Someone behind her whisked the curtains open, and the light assaulted her. She winced, stood, was immediately light-headed, and she felt Warrick’s arms surround her and then…nothing.
Such bad timing. Damned dreams…
Acknowledgments
Editor: Rhonda Merwarth
Production: Shelly Das
Louisa: Jess Adams
Ellie: Katie Phillips
Hugh: Jordan Farris
Charles: Dave Collins
MUA: Kimberly Distel
Beta readers: Ann & Moira & Michelle (Thank you!)
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Romance Picture Books by Jenn LeBlanc
Jenn got her start in book publishing with a novel idea: an Illustrated Romance.
Her first three books were originally published with over one hundred images in each book. They took the ebook world by storm and so many of her loyal readers fell in love with both the words and the images.
If you’d like to see what an illustrated romance is, download the samples of one of these novels today to experience the books as they were originally meant to be experienced.
The Rake and The Recluse - A Tale of Two Brothers
(Book one in the Lords of Time - Illustrated, Series)
Signed Print Edition (international shipping)
Gideon and Francine
Perry nd Lilly
The Duke and The Baron — Absolute Surrender
(Book two in the Lords of Time - Illustrated, Series)
Signed Print Edition (international shipping)
Charles and Amelia and Hugh
The Duke and The Domina — Warrick, The Ruination of Grayson Danforth
(Book three in the Lords of Time - Illustrated, Series)
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Warrick and Lulu
The Trouble With Grace — Celeste Moravia Agathe Alain
(Book four in the Lords of Time - Illustrated, Series)
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Celeste and Calder and Quinn
The Spare and The Heir — Calder
(Book five in the Lords of Time - Illustrated, Series)
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The Sadist and The Stolen Princess : MADOC : atonement — book six in the Lords of Time series
Madoc and Willow
The Lady and Her Secret Lover : Louisa — book 2.5 in Lords of Time Series.
Ellie + Lou
About the Author
Jenn LeBlanc is a Colorado girl living in a Hollywood world. A storyteller in words and imagery she writes wildly original illustrated Victorian erotic romance.
Jenn wrote, photographed, and published the first ever Illustrated Romance and is Queen of Studio Smexy—a groundbreaking custom and stock photography studio in Los Angeles and Denver that specializes in romance novel covers. She works with authors and publishers to create powerful, inclusive, and representative cover images in an ever-changing publishing landscape.
Jenn is currently a PAN member of Romance Writers of America as well as a member of Orange County Chapter of RWA, Los Angeles Romance Authors and Rainbow
Romance Writers.
She loves getting new research books and chatting with readers.
The Rake and The Recluse is the first book in the illustrated Lords of Time family saga and erotic romance series.
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Also by Jenn LeBlanc
COMING SOON:
Tristan lost the love of his life and doesn‘t intend to ever attempt to replace her. He’s been fucking his way through WeHo for 3 years and is perfectly happy to go on that way, whether his friends like it or not.
Lucas may shake his ass as a gogo dancer at night, but all day long he works his ass off for an entirely different goal. He thinks Tris is super hot, but he isn’t interested in a guy who is just in it for a moment. Lucas likes a good one night stand, like most young men, but Tristan...there’s just something about him that won’t let him fall for his game.
Maybe...if he agrees to a modeling gig with him on the weekends... just maybe, he can change his mind and heal his soul.