Victim of Deception
Publisher: Lynn LaFleur
Release Date: October 6, 2019 (ebook)
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal MF
Length: Short Novel
Cover Design by: Lynn LaFleur
The death of her great-aunt leaves Karessa Austin with an old, Victorian-style house on the outskirts of Fort Worth, Texas. She’s always loved the charming house, so decides to remodel it and bring it back to its original beauty.

She has no idea the ghosts of her great-great-grandparents have lived there for almost a century because of a witch’s spell.

Maxwell Hennessey is a treasure hunter. At thirty-six, he’s made a fortune from sunken ships, hidden piles of gold and silver, and unclaimed stocks and bearer bonds. His latest research takes him to Fort Worth, where he believes he’ll find a bearer bond worth millions. He wants the money to help build a wing on the children’s hospital in Seattle.

Karessa now lives in the Victorian where the bond is supposedly hidden. She’s also the woman whose heart he’d broken five years ago. Knowing she’ll never believe he’s no longer led by greed leads him to join the construction crew remodeling the house. He’ll have the access he needs to find the bond without having to be around Karessa.

Karessa’s great-great-grandparents have other ideas. Mary and Aaron do everything they can to bring Karessa and Max together, believing their love will help the ghosts break the spell, and finally heal their great-great-granddaughter’s broken heart..

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Excerpt:

Karessa closed her eyes and tilted back her head. The warm wind ruffled her hair, making her smile. What a perfect day. Comfortable temperature, gentle breeze, and the man she loved. A woman couldn’t ask for much more.

She opened her eyes and gazed at Max on the blanket. He lay propped on one elbow, chewing on a toothpick, looking at her. A crooked grin touched his lips. “Did you like the picnic?”

“Very much. It was a nice surprise.” She touched her stomach. “I ate way too much.”

“You’re supposed to eat too much on a picnic. It’s a rule.”

“A rule?”

“Yeah. Just like it’s a rule for the picnickee to pay the picnicker with a kiss.”

Karessa struggled not to laugh. “‘Picnickee’?’

He shrugged and grinned. “You get the idea.”

“Yes, I do.” Karessa moved toward him on her knees. “I think it’s an excellent idea.” She took the toothpick from his mouth and tossed it to the ground. “You do realize I probably won’t stop with only one kiss.”

His grin widened. “I certainly hope not.”

Leaning forward, she softly kissed him. He tasted of the wine they’d drunk with their meal. Tilting her head, she slowly moved her lips over his. He cradled the back of her head in his hand and returned her kiss. The tip of his tongue touched her lips, seeking entrance into her mouth. Karessa parted her lips ever so slightly, giving him only a tiny sample of her.

Max growled deep in his throat. “Open your mouth, Karessa.”

“You can be such an impatient man.”

“I am when it comes to you. Let me taste you.”

Their mouths were but an inch apart. Each word he spoke puffed air across her skin. The sensation made her nipples pucker. With a soft moan, she parted her lips for his tongue.

Karessa could count the number of her lovers on one hand. She’d had one guy who barely knew what he was doing, and two guys who were very good lovers. Not even the very good ones could compare to Max. He made her body sing every time they made love.

He slid his hand down her back to her buttock and squeezed it. His tongue stroked over her lips and teeth before beginning a duel with hers. She whimpered. His kisses touched not only her mouth, but every part of her body. She’d always scoffed at the term “his kisses made her melt.” She no longer scoffed. Max’s kisses did, indeed, make her melt.