Cupid’s Playground Hop

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the Cupid’s Playground Hop!

I am Dana Littlejohn, author of sensual/erotic romance. Today I will be telling you about Lord Charles DeWitt, the Duke of Arlington.

When we meet Charles DeWitt in Charles’ Goddess (book 3 of the Erotes series)  he is an eligable bachelor. Though he had no noble blood, his parents were well to do. They had land, prestige and money to leave him and he was educated with the most influential people in England.

When his mother dies, Charles finds his linage isn’t as he thought. He is the son of the king. Confroonting the king gave him his title, more land and backing that he never had. His life had changed overnight. A year later the crowned prince took the throne and charged Charles with taking a wife. Content with his bed hopping life style, Charles balked at the idea, but his king had made a request of him and he was duty bound to obey. He had a way to have the perfect wife brought to him, but when she arrived she was not what he expected.

Charles DeWitt is one of my favorite characters because even though his destined mate worked his last never, pushed all his buttons and dismissed him like a servant when they first met, he believed they were meant to be together and would whatever it took to make her his. The strength and vulnerability inside her called to him. He was determined to knock down the walls around her heart and convince her that she is his. He sets out to be her friend and when the time was right, he then seduced her mind and body together.

I love that! Who doesn’t want a man like that! I think you will enjoy Charles as much as I do. Here is a look into his story.

What do you do when your can mo longer be a goddess? You turn her into a duchess!
 
 Goddess Herophile is set for punishment by Zeus for misusing the powers given to her from her father, Poseidon, causing precious humans harm and distress. Aphrodite, her mother, and the Erotes, her brothers, only have one chance to save Herophile from further harm once Zeus carries out his sentence. Will it be enough time to enhance Aphrodite’s dormant gifts and make Herophile’s future better than her present?

EXCERPT:

“You wake with the grace of a flower opening to the morning sun. I have never seen anything like it.”

Angel jumped back into bed at the unexpected sound of the masculine voice. She gasped and turned wide eyes toward it. Roguish good looks and a dazzling smile greeted her as a man peered over his closed fist at her. He sat in a chair across from the foot of the bed. He gazed with a look of surprise at first but then it morphed quickly to apparent joy.

“You are by far the loveliest, most alluring woman I have ever seen,” he expressed in an amazed tone. He scoffed then shook his head as he left his seat to pace the floor. “I confess I did not know what to expect. For many years I have sated my lust on beautiful females, never limiting myself to a particular type, per se. Thus, I had no idea of the attributes the woman sent to me would have.”

Angel watched the man curiously as he moved back and forth babbling, mostly to himself rather than to her.

“Then,” he said, thrusting his finger into the air. “On wisdom not my own, I left it to the gods to choose who was best for me.” He stopped then turned an appreciative eye to her. “And, bless my soul, I am truly pleased with their choice,” he concluded with a triumphant smile.

The man stood at the foot of the bed looking at her as if waiting for her to comment. Angel stared at him, her head tilted and eyes narrowed in confusion.

“Who are you? And what are you doing in my chamber?”

Obvious confusion twisted his features. “Excuse me? I beg to differ, Madam, but you are in my bedroom.”

Angel’s eyes widened at his accusation. She looked around taking in her surroundings for the first time and realized she was, indeed, in a male oriented bedroom. Simple but elegant design decorated in soft browns and dark green colors. The bed was large with four intricately detailed posts. No curtains hung from the overhead connecting poles. The only other furniture in the room was a side chest of drawers, a table holding one glass and a decanter of dark liquor sitting before a huge fire place and a comfortable chair at the foot of the bed.

He was right! This wasn’t a dream at all. She no longer resided under the sea and her powers were banished

“Where am I?” she finally asked.

“You are at Arlington Hall.”

Her brows furrowed. “How did I get here?”

“My groomers found you in the barn last night. They didn’t know what to do so they consulted my valet. William instructed them to bring you here. Don’t you remember any of this?”

Angel didn’t answer his question. She searched her mind for any memories of the occasion before the one he spoke of. To her dismay she realized she had been unceremoniously dropped off to make her way as an Earthly being with no idea what to do. She needed time to think.

“What’s your name?” the man asked breaking into her thoughts. “I am Lord Charles DeWitt,” he offered, giving her a slight bow.

“My name is Angel,” she answered, bringing her gaze back to him.

Charles smiled at her. “Indeed you are. I’m very pleased to meet you, Angel.”

“Thank you. You may go now.”

Charles blinked blankly. “I beg your pardon.”

“I said you can leave.”

Charles shifted from one foot to the other and held onto one of the bed’s posts. “I’m sorry, are you suggesting that I leave my own bedroom?” he asked with a partial laugh.

“That's exactly what I'm saying.”

“Why would I do that? You were brought here because you are my match,” he told her.

“You are the perfect woman for me.”

Angel stared at him.

“At first I didn’t think it would happen either,” he continued, “but the fact that you’re here, especially under such unorthodox circumstances, cannot be denied.”

Angel noticed the lustful look in Charles’s eyes as he stared at her. She had seen the look before in a mortal man. Over the years Angel dallied with countless amounts of sailors taking them down to her cave, keeping them for days—sometimes weeks—before releasing them.

Many times she went onto land looking for men to play her sexual games. Mostly she appeared in their rooms at night and pretended to be a dream so she could have her way with them, but there were times when she changed herself into a mermaid to lure them into the water as well.

When Angel visited Mount Olympus with her mother they discussed their individual experiences with men over food and drink.

Although Angel enjoyed every encounter she shared with a human being, not once had she considered taking one as a life mate. Being with one of the gods in that manner was a far better occurrence. She enjoyed Adonis’s physical attentions most and wanted to take him as a lover when she finished with having fun. A pit formed in her stomach as her mind grasped the life she once knew was now over.

Angel turned her gaze to the man at the foot of the bed. He watched her expectantly. His masculine features were unmarred by hair with high cheek bones and sensually curved lips. His expressive very appealing brown eyes focused on her.

Angel closed her eyes to them and turned away. Zeus intended for her to find her own way as a mortal. She did not know this Lord Charles DeWitt. Her mother mentioned how close Zeus was to his humans. Angel did not wish to get caught up in something she had no business doing.

She had no intentions on disobeying Zeus again.

“I am not the woman you seek. My being here is merely a coincidence.”

“I was told that your beauty will never fade in my eyes. Looking at you I have no doubt it will be like that for me.” He paused. His rich brown eyes warmed her with sincerity as he searched her face. “There is something else… Something about you…calls to me. I know it’s you,” he added.

His long legs brought him to her in just two strides. He gripped her shoulders and pulled her up into his embrace. The scent of him hung around her, a soft spicy smell teasing her senses. He pressed his lips to hers in an abrupt kiss. The connection electrified her, intense and extremely pleasurable. Her body begged to indulge in it more, but her mind yelled for caution.

“Are you one of those men that like to take advantage of women?” she asked when he let her go.

The duke was taken aback. “What? No! Of course not,” he huffed.

Releasing her arms he took a step back. The space allowed her to concentrate without the distraction of his sensual aura surrounding her.

“I would never—”

“Then what gave you the impression that I had any interest in kissing you?”

He visibly took a long controlled breath. “Madame, you have me all wrong. I thought that—”

Angel opened the space between them more. “That what? I would be one of those women who would fall at your feet just like that?” she challenged, wrapping her arms around her chest.

“You’re very handsome, Lord Charles DeWitt. I’m sure you have plenty of women who do that, but be assured I am not one of them. I have other business to attend to that does not include dallying with you.”

Angel walked away leaving the duke befuddled and his jaw agape. His face turned so red, when she swung the door open she thought he would explode. Angel half expected him to grab her and shake her until she was too dizzy to stand. He walked by staring at her with narrowed eyes, but didn’t say a word. She shut the door behind him leaning on it as the tears she had been fighting finally fell.

See how Charles gets his woman in Charles' Goddess at Muse it Hot Publishing