by Coleen Kwan
For the first time Minerva found herself sorry for the man. At first he’d repelled her with his hectoring manner and menacing appearance, but now she saw he was no more than yet another poor dupe of her mother’s. Moments later Schick took his leave, his manner far more subdued than when he’d arrived.
“Poor man,” Minerva said to Asher when they were alone. “He will wait in vain for my mother to return.”
Asher didn’t appear too concerned. “He won’t miss her when he returns to his first love—mathematics.”
“Spoken like a true scientist.” She linked her arm through his and gave him a teasing look.
“No, spoken like a true romantic.” He spun her into his embrace, his lightness returning. “A true romantic who finally has his first love.”
Arm-in-arm they wandered through the back garden, marveling at the damage left behind by the windstorm. A large elm in a neighboring garden had toppled over. Trees and shrubs were stripped bare, tiles and chimney pots had come crashing down, debris lay strewn everywhere. Inside the workshop they examined the crushed remains of the chronometrical conveyance and heaved a sigh in unison, relieved that this greatest of inventions was no more.
There, in the privacy of the workshop, Asher gathered Minerva into his arms once more and kissed her thoroughly. He whispered endearments in her ears, and she stood there in bliss, eager to soak up every detail of the moment. But though his words were sweet and thrilling, and every one made her melt with love, at the back of her mind she found herself yearning for that one endearment that never rose to his lips. That single utterance that remained dormant in the recesses of her memory, a forgotten expression of ardor which would come only in her dreams, fleeting and infrequent, down the many years of her life.
Sweetling.
* * * * *
Go back to the beginning of Asher’s adventures with author Coleen Kwan.
Five years ago, Asher Quigley broke his engagement to Minerva Lambkin, believing she was an accomplice in a scheme to steal his prototype for a wondrous device. Now, sheer desperation has driven Minerva to Asher’s door. Her father has been kidnapped by investors furious that he’s never been able to make the machine work. Despite their troubled past, Asher agrees to help Minerva. He still harbors his suspicions about her, but their reunion stirs emotions and desires they both thought were buried forever. Can they rebuild their fragile relationship in time to save her father and their future together?
Asher’s Invention
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About the Author
Coleen Kwan has been a bookworm all her life. At school English was her favorite subject, but for some reason she decided on a career in IT. After many years of programming, she wondered what else there was in life—and discovered writing. She loves writing contemporary romance, whether it’s sweet or sensual, and has recently discovered a whole new genre in steampunk romance.
Coleen lives in Sydney, Australia, with her partner and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys avoiding housework, eating chocolate and watching The Office.
Contact Coleen at her website, www.coleenkwan.com.
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ISBN: 978-14268-9488-6
Copyright © 2013 by Coleen Kwan
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
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