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The Shadow and the Night: Glenncailty Castle, Book 3 Page 22


  Enjoy the following excerpt for Talking Sense:

  By this time they’d made their way through half the box of chocolates he’d been thoughtful enough to buy. He’d slid down the pillows until he was practically lying down, and she’d moved closer so they were only a foot apart.

  It was late, they’d drunk a bottle and a half of wine between them, and his eyelids had slid to half-mast. He looked relaxed and content and sexy, and she finally plucked up the courage to make a suggestion.

  “Want to play strip whist?”

  He stared at her. Gradually, he smiled. “You’re only saying that because you know I’m rubbish at it.”

  “Yep.”

  He grinned. “Okay.”

  Her heart pounded as she dealt out seven cards. Her inhibitions were rapidly fading and naughtiness surged through her. “Right, so every time you win a trick, you can ask a sexy question of the other person, as well as making them remove an item of clothing.”

  “Sure.” He fanned out his cards and began to put them in order. “I like the way you got me drunk before you suggested this so I’d be even more useless at it.”

  “You’re drunk after three glasses of wine? Jeez. Way to hold your liquor, dude.”

  “I’m a cheap date.” He turned over the top card on the pack. “Hearts are trumps.” He played the ace of diamonds and grinned at her.

  Cool as a chilled cucumber, she laid down the two of hearts.

  He stared at it. “You have to lay a diamond if you have one.”

  “I don’t have one.”

  He huffed a sigh and plonked his cards face down on the bed. “Shit. Okay. Go on then.”

  “Clothing first.”

  He took off a sock and threw it on the floor. “Fire away.”

  She studied him thoughtfully. “Favourite sexual position.”

  “Woman on top.” He picked up his cards, unfazed. “Too easy. Your turn.”

  She blinked. “Do you want time to think about it?”

  “No need.”

  “What do you like about the woman being on top?”

  He fanned out his cards again. “I get a good view. Plus she can control things at her own pace.”

  His lack of embarrassment and matter-of-factness made her shiver with desire, but she played it down. “It’s a bit passive. Some would say lazy.”

  He grinned at that. “You worried I’m not macho enough for you?”

  “Are you? I can be quite demanding.”

  “We’ll see.” He smirked and indicated her cards. “Your turn.”

  The Shadow and the Night

  Lila Dubois

  Sins and secrets aren’t the only skeletons in the closet…

  Glenncailty Castle, Book 3

  London forensic anthropologist Melissa Heavey isn’t anything like the characters in her grandmother’s beloved television crime dramas. Especially since an accident left her crippled and weary. While in Dublin to rest and recuperate, she’s asked to help the local Garda Síochána identify bones found in a rural luxury hotel.

  Curiosity-seeking bone gawkers were not the clients Tristan Fontaine anticipated when he took over the Glenncailty Castle restaurant. And a scientist taking over part of his kitchen for her lab? He’s having none of it. Yet she’s not backing down…and his pulse won’t stop speeding up when she’s near.

  As their attraction flares, Melissa soon discovers why Tristan is so dismissive of the bones—he’s been talking to the ghosts themselves. But the bones aren’t Glenncailty’s only secret, and Tristan is hiding a tragedy in his past more frightening than what’s lurking inside the castle walls.

  Warning: Contains a sexy French chef whose gifts aren’t limited to his hands, and a dry-witted scientist with intellect as sharp as scalpels. Delicious doesn’t even begin to cover it.

  eBooks are not transferable.

  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B

  Cincinnati OH 45249

  The Shadow and the Night

  Copyright © 2014 by Lila Dubois

  ISBN: 978-1-61921-765-2

  Edited by Amy Sherwood

  Cover by Valerie Tibbs

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2014

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  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

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Look for these titles by Lila Dubois

  Also Available from Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  Back Cover Copy

  Copyright Page