Time for another tantalising treat thanks to Teaser Tuesday, the series where I share snippets from my novels, old, new and in progress, and occasionally invite author buddies in to play.

This week I’m sharing paragraphs from one of my favourite books, The French Prize. This was my first romantic adventure and a book I had a ball writing. Some of you might be wondering when my next adventure will be out. I’m working on it I promise, but my rural romances have to take priority at the moment. We’ll get there though!

In the meantime, if you haven’t tasted the fun that is The French Prize, here’s a little sample from when the hero, sexy French army officer Raimund Blancard, offers the heroine Olivia Walker the opportunity to visit the Blancard family archives. But what will it cost her?

Another key was drawn from his pocket, this one made of shiny brass, its lustre betraying its importance. He paused, the key slotted but unturned in the lock.

Olivia held her breath and waited but Raimund made no move.

‘You are about to behold something that no one, bar a Blancard, has seen before.’ His espresso eyes held hers, intense and fathomless. Eyes that trapped, seduced, and yet revealed nothing in return but loyalty to an ancient family. ‘I need to know I can trust you, Olivia.’

She swallowed, the fervency of his gaze filling her with awe, electrifying her, making her mind come alive with possibilities. Behind that door, if what he had told her was true, a treasure-trove of inestimable importance awaited. Records that stretched back to Guy of Narbonne, possibly further. A collection that would leave her head spinning, her heart soaring, and her fingers itching with the urge to touch, to feel history come alive beneath their tips.

And then the reality of his words hit home.

‘You’re joking, surely? You, the person who’s done nothing but lie to me from the very start, are asking me if I can be trusted?’ She rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief of his nerve. ‘Give me a break.’

The fervour in Raimund’s expression didn’t change. If anything, it intensified.

‘I’m serious, Olivia. My family has kept these records for over a thousand years. No one but a Blancard has been permitted access. You are the first. But you must promise to never reveal their whereabouts or even their existence. I must have your word.’

Olivia sobered. He was right. His decision to show her the archives must have been momentous. It did not deserve derision. But to never reveal their existence, to allow such a treasure to languish unexamined, unresearched, unknown to the world? That went against everything she stood for, everything she was, the principles she valued and defended.

‘Your word, Olivia.’

Her heartbeat became a dense pound. ‘I can’t.’

©Cathryn Hein

The French Prize is available in paperback and ebook from Booktopia, Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Google Play or your favourite retailer. You’ll also find lots of photos and more information on the origins of The French Prize on its ‘The Story Behind’ page.