by Cheryl Holt
“Theo!” Bernard said, as her father bellowed, “Theodosia! What have you done now?”
“I guess it’s probably just what you’d have expected of me, Father.”
“Hello, Lord Wood,” Soloman blithely said. “I am Soloman Grey.”
“Soloman…arh…!” Lord Wood bit off the name as if he was choking on it. “Release her, you fiend!”
“I can’t, Lord Wood,” Soloman responded.
“Why can’t you?”
“Because she’s mine, and Bernard can’t have her.”
Soloman continued on, and Theo assumed Lord Wood would physically prevent them from departing, but he was so stunned that he was frozen in place.
“I can’t marry you, Bernard,” she said as they neared the front door.
“But…ah…I need the money, Theo,” he stammered.
“What money?” she asked.
“Well…ah…the money Isobel was paying me to wed you.”
So that was it. Mrs. Mountbank had bribed him to have her so Mrs. Mountbank could be rid of her. On confessing the secret bargain, he had the decency to look abashed.
Theo smirked. “Whatever amount she offered, I wasn’t worth it.”
Finally, Lord Wood shook himself out of his stupor. “Stop him, Bernard! You’re her fiancé. For God’s sake, don’t let him make off with her.”
“Honestly, Lord Wood,” Bernard said, “it appears as if she really is excessively loose. She’s not even dressed.”
“Stop her!” her father repeated.
“I’d rather not,” Bernard replied. “I don’t think she’s a safe bet.”
Soloman rushed out and down the steps.
“Write me, Theo!” Susan called from the crowd. “Keep me informed of where you end up!”
Theo waved a hand in acknowledgment, but almost lost her blanket. She frantically grabbed for it and pulled it closer.
Soloman walked out to the street. A carriage was waiting for them, a servant holding the door. Soloman tossed her in, then followed her. He settled himself on the seat and snuggled her on his lap.
“It’s me or nothing, Theo. Will you marry me? What’s your answer?”
“After that exit, do I have a choice?”
“No, you never did.” He kissed her soundly. “Now say you love me. Say it, you exasperating wench.”
“I love you, Soloman.”
“I love you too, Theo.”
“Where are we going?”
“I told you. We’re sailing for Egypt at the next high tide.”
“Can we at least buy me some clothes first?”
“I suppose—although I must admit I like you like this.”
“My father always claimed I was insane, but it’s you who’s deranged.”
“Just since I met you. Before that, I was as sane as the day is long.”
“You better wed me this time, Soloman. You better mean it.”
“I do.”
“I believe I might have burned all my bridges.”
“I believe you might have too.”
He stared at her, and she stared back, then they began to laugh.
“Theodosia Postlewaite,” he said. “Only you could drive me mad.”
“Soloman Grey, only you could make me so happy.”
“It’s only you for me.”
“And only you for me,” she agreed.
“Only you forever,” he vowed.
“Forever sounds perfect.”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHERYL HOLT is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon “Top 100” bestselling author of over forty novels.
She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.
Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She has been hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance” as well as “The International Queen of Villains.” She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.
She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at
www.cherylholt.com.
Praise for New York Times
Bestselling Author Cheryl Holt
“Best storyteller of the year...”
Romantic Times Magazine
“A master writer…”
Fallen Angel Reviews
“The Queen of Erotic Romance…”
Book Cover Reviews
“Cheryl Holt is magnificent…”
Reader to Reader Reviews
“From cover to cover, I was spellbound. Truly outstanding…”
Romance Junkies
“A classic love story with hot, fiery passion dripping from every page. There’s nothing better than curling up with a great book and this one totally qualifies.”
Fresh Fiction
“This is a masterpiece of storytelling. A sensual delight scattered with rose petals that are divinely arousing. Oh my, yes indeedy!"
Reader to Reader Reviews
Praise for Cheryl Holt’s “Lord Trent” trilogy
“A true guilty pleasure!”
Novels Alive TV
“LOVE'S PROMISE can't take the number one spot as my favorite by Ms. Holt—that belongs to her book NICHOLAS—but it's currently running a close second."
Manic Readers
“The book was brilliant...can't wait for Book #2.”
Harlie’s Book Reviews
“I guarantee you won't want to put this one down. Holt's fast-paced dialogue, paired with the emotional turmoil, will keep you turning the pages all the way to the end.”
Susana’s Parlour
“...A great love story populated with many flawed characters. Highly recommend it.”
Bookworm 2 Bookworm Reviews
BOOKS BY CHERYL HOLT
ONLY YOU
HEART’S DEBT
SCOUNDREL
HEART’S DEMAND
HEART’S DESIRE
HEART’S DELIGHT
WONDERFUL
WANTON
WICKED
SEDUCING THE GROOM
LOVE’S PERIL
LOVE’S PRICE
LOVE’S PROMISE
SWEET SURRENDER
THE WEDDING
MUD CREEK
MARRY ME
LOVE ME
KISS ME
SEDUCE ME
KNIGHT OF SEDUCTION
NICHOLAS
DREAMS OF DESIRE
TASTE OF TEMPTATION
PROMISE OF PLEASURE
SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL
DOUBLE FANTASY
FORBIDDEN FANTASY
SECRET FANTASY
TOO WICKED TO WED
TOO TEMPTING TO TOUCH
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
FURTHER THAN PASSION
DEEPER THAN DESIRE
MORE THAN SEDUCTION
COMPLETE ABANDON
ABSOLUTE PLEASURE
TOTAL SURRENDER
LOVE LESSONS
MOUNTAIN DREAMS
MY TRUE LOVE
MY ONLY LOVE
MEG’S SECRET ADMIRER
THE WAY OF THE HEART
ISBN: 978-1-945176-03-6 (E-version)
ISBN: 978-1-533306-95-1 (Print version)
Copyright 2016 by Cheryl Holt
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
By payment of required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferrable right to access and read the text of this book. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, stored in, or introduced into any information storage and r
etrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or invented in the future, without the express written permission or the copyright holder.
Please Note
The reverse engineering, uploading, and/or distributing of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions, and do not participate in or encourage the piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
Thank you.
Cover Design Angela Waters
Interior e-format by Dayna Linton at Day Agency
Table of Contents
ONLY YOU
AUTHOR’S NOTE
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BOOKS BY CHERYL HOLT
COPYRIGHT
