TIES OF DESTINY
CURSE OF THE CROWN, BOOK 1
CAITLIN TAYLOR
GAY FANTASY/ROMANCE
RELEASE DATE: 10.26.18
BLURB
When forces both inside and outside the palace walls threaten the life of Crown Prince Akoni, he finds himself in need of a guard. Someone who will protect not only him, but also his secrets – and he may have found the perfect man for the task.
Being a soldier is Jeffery’s life. He won’t be defined by his past, but fights for the present, not some future he will never see. Yet, his mandatory reassignment to the palace as Prince Akoni’s personal guard forces him to set aside his plans. His role places Jeffery in the presence of nobles whom he despises, and Prince Akoni is worse than most.
Can two men learn to trust each other, or will the secrets they carry bring about their own demise? Will having Jeffery close to him help Prince Akoni to become King – or cause more deaths? They need to depend on each other, for the sake of the future, because if they cannot, the past will only repeat itself and neither of them will survive.
If you like fantastical adventures, a blending of magic, sword fighting and technology then you will love this intriguing first installment by Caitlin Taylor.
Jeffrey became overly conscious of the thumping of his pulse. His anger prompted his heart to beat faster, his blood speeding through his veins, knocking against the prince’s thumb on his throat.
“The closer you are,” the prince whispered, “the stronger I feel it. The angrier you get, the more I calm down. Isn’t that the strangest thing?”
“What in Tempesta’s name is wrong with you?” Jeffrey demanded, knocking the prince’s arm away. He pressed his palms against the prince’s chest and pushed hard. A small surge of relief swept through Jeffrey, acknowledged only by the part of him that was still somewhat rational and warned him he could not be fighting against the prince like this. It was a small part, shrinking with every moment that passed, easily ignored now within the tempest raging inside him. “Have you gone mad? Or is the lack of one night’s sleep affecting you so badly you cannot even be rational?”
“Rational?” The prince laughed. “This coming from the man currently arguing with royalty? I’ve enough grounds to have you executed by now.”
“Go right ahead. Another one to add to your list. Wouldn’t even make a dent.”
“You must have a death wish. Why is that?”
“Maybe you’re the one with a death wish. I’m surprised no one has done you in yet. With inept guards around you, you would be easy pickings. The world would be better off—”
“Quiet!” the prince snapped. “You’re going too far now.”
“I haven’t gone far enough yet. Things are hardly good now, but I could not possibly see things improving with you as king. I hope you—”
“Shut up!” The prince drew his sword.
A momentary flicker of instinct told Jeffrey to draw his own sword. It took everything he had to suppress it. Stepping close, the prince held the blade edge against Jeffrey’s throat, his free hand on Jeffrey’s chest, pinning him to the wall.
“You have a real talent for making me angry. Every time I try to talk to you, to be friendly, to just chat, you say something irrational. I do not want to be fighting with you,” the prince insisted, his blue eyes locked on Jeffrey’s, a pleading look in them.
Jeffrey’s vision blurred. The only thing he saw sharply were pleading blue eyes. The panther reigned free, but he had to get him back into its chains. He clenched his fists at his sides. He had to regain control, for the only man who had been able to make Jeffrey want to be different, to be better.
It had been a long time ago. He’d not thought of him in ages. He did now; his voice, strong and confident, could make Jeffrey want to stand to attention and obey, and his hands had been so gentle and yet so demanding, his blue eyes, deep as the oceans, filled with kindness and desire.
Memories washed through Jeffrey, like rushing waves crashing against rocks. The first time he’d seen Aidan, both of them had been low-ranked soldiers, the attraction instantaneous. Fighting side by side, the elation of victory, the celebrations afterwards in bed together. The day of Aidan’s promotion—more celebrations.
The day he’d ignored Aidan’s command, the punishment handed out to both of them. The welts on Aidan’s back—Jeffrey’s fault. He’d sworn never to let it happen again.
He had to get control. For Aidan.
His breathing was too shallow, and his heart still beating too fast, every beat a hammer pounding an anvil in his chest. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly, trying to calm himself. “I’m sorry, sir. I will do as told,” he said quietly, his head bowed.
Caitlin Taylor is the author of the Curse of the Crown series.
She lives in the west of Ireland – that is, until the rain stops being a good enough excuse to stay indoors with a good book and mug of hot cocoa! She has lived in Germany as well as Canada, loves travelling and exploring foreign places and meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Reading has always been a beautiful escape for her and she has been creating fantastical worlds in her head for as long as she can remember. Ties of Destiny is her debut novel.
With a focus on LGBT and specifically m/m romances, expect fantastical worlds to get lost in with a side of sexy men, (probably kinky) sex, sword fighting, magic and more…
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCJTaylor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCJTaylor
Website: https://caitlintaylorbooks.com/
