Lessons in Desire - coming soon
Dec. 3rd, 2008 03:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
charlie_cochraneLessons in Desire, the second book in the Cambridge Fellows Mystery Series
is coming soon from Linden Bay Romance and can be found here
With the recent series of college murders behind him, Cambridge Fellow Jonty Stewart is in desperate need of a break. A holiday on the beautiful Channel Island of Jersey seems ideal, if only he can persuade Orlando Coppersmith to leave the security of the college and come with him.
Orlando is a quiet man who prefers academic life to venturing out into the world. Within the confines of their rooms at the university, it’s easy to hide the fact that he and Jonty are far more than friends. But the desire to spend more time alone with the man he loves is an impossible lure to resist.
When a brutal murder occurs at the hotel where they’re staying, the two young men are once more drawn into the investigation. The race to catch the killer gets complicated by the victim’s son, Ainslie, a man who seems to find Orlando too attractive to resist. Can Stewart and Coppersmith keep Ainslie at bay, keep their affair clandestine, and solve the crime?
What a little excerpt?
They basked like lizards in the sunshine, the water dripping from their costumes giving them a reptilian sheen. It was perfect, until Jonty spoke out of the corner of his mouth. "I know that when someone says don't look, the very first thing that people do is to turn around to try and see what they're being warned about, but if you could restrain yourself from looking up onto the cliffs, I’d be very much obliged."
Coppersmith did restrain himself, despite the fact that he was itching to know what was going on. "What is it, Jonty? Inspector Wilson, or worse still, Matthew Ainslie?" He was itching to know.
"It's the worst case. We’ve been discovered by ‘The Misses’. They’re up on the path and I'm fairly certain that they’re deliberately observing us."
"What are we to do?" It seemed so unfair. This was their special place, where they could be happy alone. Three times they’d visited and this was the first time Coppersmith had seen another soul.
"Ignore them. I'm fairly certain they can't descend to the beach. It’s a fair old scramble down that path which I think they'd baulk at. The problem will be if they hang around until we need to return to The Beaulieu. We'll be too wet to just put our jackets and trousers back on."
Orlando felt sick. "Those bushes give plenty of cover from the front, but from above there’s very little, apart from the trees we lay under last time. A beady eye could probably penetrate them."
"Do you think that they’d want to see us dishabille, then?" Jonty chuckled.
"I shudder to think, truly. I wouldn't put anything past them."
Stewart crinkled his nose in thought. "I've got an idea, Orlando, a very bold one, but then my father has always said that cowardliness never won a man anything. He should know. He must have been pretty brave to propose to my mother, as she’d boxed the ears of three other men who’d tried it. I don't mean it figuratively, either—she laid one of them out cold."
"And this audacious plan is?"
"I daren't tell you, Orlando as you probably won’t let me do it if you knew." He stood up, making absolutely sure that he didn’t look at the ladies who still remained, enjoying the view. "You just keep them in sight out of the corner of your eye. If there’s no immediate effect you’d better let me know." He started to undo the buttons on the front of his costume.
"Jonty, are you mad? What on earth do you think you're up to? Stop it at once." Orlando made to grab at his friend’s hands, but he flapped them away.
"I told you it would make you cross. Just leave me to it and play your part as a scout, I need all my wits about me." When all the buttons were undone, he proceeded to peel the garment off his shoulders. "Any movement yet?"
"There seems to be a distinct fluttering going on up there. How far do you intend to go?"
"As far as it takes, Orlando, with a quick dive into the briny if it goes too far." He removed his arms from the costume then let it fall to fully expose his muscular chest. "Still there?"
"They seem a bit agitated although they’re still hovering. You're not..."
"Might have to." Jonty inserted his thumbs into his waistband. "Here goes, Orlando. We need to frighten them off once and for all with no chance of returning, so if it takes the ultimate sacrifice, so be it." He started to edge the material down.
"Stop! They're on the move." Orlando risked a direct look. "I had no idea they could run so quickly." He began to laugh. "Just in time to preserve your modesty. Put that costume back on now before it gives me ideas."
Stewart obliged, rebuttoning it until he was the model of propriety. "Close call there. Very near thing." He joined in the giggling. "Did I really nearly expose myself?"
"You did. Promise you’ll never do it again, except in the privacy of our own rooms."
"Promise." Jonty sighed. "Now back to the shore, Orlando. I’ve an appointment with the police."
"It was nearly an appointment to discuss indecent exposure."
is coming soon from Linden Bay Romance and can be found here
With the recent series of college murders behind him, Cambridge Fellow Jonty Stewart is in desperate need of a break. A holiday on the beautiful Channel Island of Jersey seems ideal, if only he can persuade Orlando Coppersmith to leave the security of the college and come with him.
Orlando is a quiet man who prefers academic life to venturing out into the world. Within the confines of their rooms at the university, it’s easy to hide the fact that he and Jonty are far more than friends. But the desire to spend more time alone with the man he loves is an impossible lure to resist.
When a brutal murder occurs at the hotel where they’re staying, the two young men are once more drawn into the investigation. The race to catch the killer gets complicated by the victim’s son, Ainslie, a man who seems to find Orlando too attractive to resist. Can Stewart and Coppersmith keep Ainslie at bay, keep their affair clandestine, and solve the crime?
What a little excerpt?
They basked like lizards in the sunshine, the water dripping from their costumes giving them a reptilian sheen. It was perfect, until Jonty spoke out of the corner of his mouth. "I know that when someone says don't look, the very first thing that people do is to turn around to try and see what they're being warned about, but if you could restrain yourself from looking up onto the cliffs, I’d be very much obliged."
Coppersmith did restrain himself, despite the fact that he was itching to know what was going on. "What is it, Jonty? Inspector Wilson, or worse still, Matthew Ainslie?" He was itching to know.
"It's the worst case. We’ve been discovered by ‘The Misses’. They’re up on the path and I'm fairly certain that they’re deliberately observing us."
"What are we to do?" It seemed so unfair. This was their special place, where they could be happy alone. Three times they’d visited and this was the first time Coppersmith had seen another soul.
"Ignore them. I'm fairly certain they can't descend to the beach. It’s a fair old scramble down that path which I think they'd baulk at. The problem will be if they hang around until we need to return to The Beaulieu. We'll be too wet to just put our jackets and trousers back on."
Orlando felt sick. "Those bushes give plenty of cover from the front, but from above there’s very little, apart from the trees we lay under last time. A beady eye could probably penetrate them."
"Do you think that they’d want to see us dishabille, then?" Jonty chuckled.
"I shudder to think, truly. I wouldn't put anything past them."
Stewart crinkled his nose in thought. "I've got an idea, Orlando, a very bold one, but then my father has always said that cowardliness never won a man anything. He should know. He must have been pretty brave to propose to my mother, as she’d boxed the ears of three other men who’d tried it. I don't mean it figuratively, either—she laid one of them out cold."
"And this audacious plan is?"
"I daren't tell you, Orlando as you probably won’t let me do it if you knew." He stood up, making absolutely sure that he didn’t look at the ladies who still remained, enjoying the view. "You just keep them in sight out of the corner of your eye. If there’s no immediate effect you’d better let me know." He started to undo the buttons on the front of his costume.
"Jonty, are you mad? What on earth do you think you're up to? Stop it at once." Orlando made to grab at his friend’s hands, but he flapped them away.
"I told you it would make you cross. Just leave me to it and play your part as a scout, I need all my wits about me." When all the buttons were undone, he proceeded to peel the garment off his shoulders. "Any movement yet?"
"There seems to be a distinct fluttering going on up there. How far do you intend to go?"
"As far as it takes, Orlando, with a quick dive into the briny if it goes too far." He removed his arms from the costume then let it fall to fully expose his muscular chest. "Still there?"
"They seem a bit agitated although they’re still hovering. You're not..."
"Might have to." Jonty inserted his thumbs into his waistband. "Here goes, Orlando. We need to frighten them off once and for all with no chance of returning, so if it takes the ultimate sacrifice, so be it." He started to edge the material down.
"Stop! They're on the move." Orlando risked a direct look. "I had no idea they could run so quickly." He began to laugh. "Just in time to preserve your modesty. Put that costume back on now before it gives me ideas."
Stewart obliged, rebuttoning it until he was the model of propriety. "Close call there. Very near thing." He joined in the giggling. "Did I really nearly expose myself?"
"You did. Promise you’ll never do it again, except in the privacy of our own rooms."
"Promise." Jonty sighed. "Now back to the shore, Orlando. I’ve an appointment with the police."
"It was nearly an appointment to discuss indecent exposure."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-03 03:41 pm (UTC)*glomps*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-03 09:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-04 02:29 am (UTC)I don't know what I'm on, honest...
ETA: A 'glomp' is a very enthusiastic hug. Almost a pounce-hug.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-04 12:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-04 02:39 pm (UTC)Yes, glomps can be considered loving tackles, too. *wink*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-03 08:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-03 09:55 pm (UTC)Thanks.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-04 04:34 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-04 12:50 pm (UTC)