Title: Imperfect Affections
Series: Beauty in Imperfection Duology #2
A Diamond Magnate Duology
Author: Charmaine Pauls
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: June 21, 2022
BLURB
Love is for people who don’t mind getting hurt. I vowed to never fall into that trap. I entered into war with my beautiful, corrupted, and dangerous husband. He warned me he always won. He told me I’d lose, but I didn’t want to believe him because there was too much at stake. What he didn’t tell me was that the battlefield is messy and bloody, and that no one walks away without scars.
Note: Imperfect Affections is the second book in the Beauty in Imperfection duology and concludes Violet and Leon’s story.
Beauty in Imperfection is part of the Diamond Magnate Collection. You don’t have to read the other books to follow this story. Other books in the collection include:
Beauty in the Broken (A standalone novel)
Diamonds are Forever (A trilogy)
Beauty in the Stolen (A trilogy)
PURCHASE LINKS
EXCERPT
The women’s reply is lost on me as I step outside and close the door. All I can focus on is the blue Aston Martin that comes to a stop behind the truck. I stand rooted to the spot, watching Leon with growing dread as he gets out of the car and makes his way over with long but unhurried strides.
He’s wearing dark jeans, a faded T-shirt, and a leather jacket—his signature work attire. Only, he’s not at the office where Elliot must be moving his precious Johannesburg Country Club mug and coaster to his new desk. He’s here, pinning me with a stare cold enough to freeze the sun. It’s a violent kind of cold, the kind that only dangerous men possess. They don’t make threats or raise their voices. They pull the trigger calmly and quietly. They’re efficiently deadly.
He stops two steps away from me, measuring me with that cool gaze. “Violet.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. “Leon.”
“The moving company employee said there’s a confusion.”
Lifting my chin, I try to look confident instead of scared. “Yes.” I wave a hand at the truck. “What’s the meaning of this?”
He looks over his shoulder at the vehicle, studying it for a second before turning back to me. “You’re moving in with me.” His words are flat, toneless. “We’re getting married.”
The word pops out of its own accord. “No.”
He raises a brow, an unfriendly smile playing on his sensual lips. “No?”
My mouth is so dry it feels as if my lips are glued together. I have to wet them before I can speak. “That’s what I said.”
He advances on me, closing the small distance between us and putting our bodies flush together. “Once again, you’re mistakenly assuming I’m asking.”
I back up, my heel hitting the step behind me. “Gus won’t force me.”
His smile turns mocking. “Because I’m not his new partner after all?”
Not sure how to answer that without provoking his anger, I remain quiet.
He cups my head, his fingers gentle on my scalp while his gaze bores into mine. What I see in his eyes makes me shudder. In contrast to his light touch, he looks at me like he wants to crack me open and break me apart.
“Here’s the thing you don’t understand, Violet. It doesn’t really matter what Gus says. Tonight, you’ll be sleeping in my bed. Tomorrow, you’ll wake up in my bed. And the next day, and the next.”
A shiver runs through me.
He searches my eyes, but he’s not looking for emotions. He’s not interested in my feelings. He’s evaluating them like an artist studying a subject to assess the color. “Tomorrow, my darling, you will say I do.”
ALSO AVAILABLE
AUTHOR BIO
Charmaine Pauls was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She obtained a degree in Communication at the University of Potchefstroom and followed a diverse career path in journalism, public relations, advertising, communication, and brand marketing. Her writing has always been an integral part of her professions.
When she moved to Chile with her French husband, she started writing full-time. She has been publishing novels and short stories since 2011. Charmaine currently lives in Montpellier, France with her family. Their household is a lively mix of Afrikaans, English, French, and Spanish.
AUTHOR LINKS
No comments:
Post a Comment