An Aria in Venice by KaSonndra Leigh
(A Musical Interlude #1.5)Publication date: April 22nd 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
His goal…One night with the ballerina.
Her goal…To beat the player at his game.
The outcome…Something completely unexpected.
Adriana Dostov pegged Luca Martuccio from day one: gorgeous, talented, arrogant, a man who has had difficulty committing to one woman in the past. He is known in fashion circles as the player with a scandalous history. So when the girls in her ballet troupe suggest she gives up her virginity to him, she doesn’t say no. But she’s not sure that a ‘yes’ is the right answer either. Yet, she can’t stop herself from making the offer…a one night stand in Venice.
Luca wanted fiesty little Adriana the moment they first met – and he fully intends to have her, hence why he’s agreed to accept her proposal. In the end, he’ll get what he wants. No commitment. All sex.
But, as Luca discovers, there’s more to the ballerina with the overbearing mother – and he can’t help but care about the frightened girl behind those sad eyes.
Adriana discovers Luca isn’t just walking sex on a stick – he has a wildly passionate side, a lost soul who has suffered just as much grief as her. And it could be, they’re exactly what the other one needs.
The outcome…Something completely unexpected.
Adriana Dostov pegged Luca Martuccio from day one: gorgeous, talented, arrogant, a man who has had difficulty committing to one woman in the past. He is known in fashion circles as the player with a scandalous history. So when the girls in her ballet troupe suggest she gives up her virginity to him, she doesn’t say no. But she’s not sure that a ‘yes’ is the right answer either. Yet, she can’t stop herself from making the offer…a one night stand in Venice.
Luca wanted fiesty little Adriana the moment they first met – and he fully intends to have her, hence why he’s agreed to accept her proposal. In the end, he’ll get what he wants. No commitment. All sex.
But, as Luca discovers, there’s more to the ballerina with the overbearing mother – and he can’t help but care about the frightened girl behind those sad eyes.
Adriana discovers Luca isn’t just walking sex on a stick – he has a wildly passionate side, a lost soul who has suffered just as much grief as her. And it could be, they’re exactly what the other one needs.
* * This novel is a standalone with no cliffhanger. * *
You must not
eyeball another man.
Repeat
after me.
You
must not eyeball another man.
Nikolai
is the goal, keep that in mind as you eyeball—no, that’s too nice
of a description—as you eyestrip another man’s body. Too late.
The drooling has begun. Maybe he’ll let me borrow that towel he’s
wearing around his muscular torso to wipe it away.
Oh
my God, get your mind out of the V-line ... no, I meant to say
gutter. That’s what Mother always tells Alek, but somehow I think
my brother’s mind has a permanent space inside the world of the wet
and wild, along with Nikolai, although he tries to act like he’s
the innocent one of the two. What neither of them knows is that I’ve
heard all about the underground parties they throw at Nikolai’s
place, and I don’t need to be experienced in sex to know all about
the things they do, especially when my brother makes it a point to
take Nadya along each time.
Speaking
of my handsome bodyguard, he should be here at any moment, ready to
pick me up and take me home. Always the faithful servant to Mother,
and never a minute too late or early. My paranoid, and yes, overly
protective brother wants me to be escorted everywhere these days. So
when my mother’s driver, Hagar, isn’t available, Nikolai becomes
the bodyguard. Checking out the designer guy, who has been acting
like he’s not watching me ever since he strolled through the
doorway, gives me an idea, and a grin spreads across my face. So
Nikolai wants to ignore me and treat me like I’m still a little
girl, huh? Then I’m going to give him a show he won’t soon
forget.
“Luca,
how’s it going?” I ask, reaching out my hand to him. Before
answering my question, he takes my hand, shaking it, and glances up
and down my body, a quick rake-over that kind of surprises me
considering his reputation as a player. I’m not sure what I was
expecting, but for him to quickly take my hand and then look away as
though my skin is made out of fire really confuses me. And what’s
with the flush in his face? I know he’s not blushing. I blink
several times to make sure I’m not seeing things. I mean, I know
the golden Gucci two piece I’m wearing gives J-Lo a run for her
lack of a cover up, but still, this should be just the kind of thing
he loves.
“The
girl with an ocean inside her eyes,” he finally says, and right
away, I feel like we’re back in familiar territory … one where
the puppy uses his play on words to attract the kitty cat’s natural
ability to be too curious. A flirtatious look crosses over the
cautious one I just saw on his face, and he flashes one of those
perfect smiles that highlight his dimples. Oh my! He has the hottest
dimples and he knows I’m checking him out. I can tell by the way he
not so innocently runs that tongue ring across his top lip as he
smiles at me with his eyes. Distraction time. With a man like this
one, you don’t ever let him know how much he affects you, and I’m
failing at this thing.
10 Weird Things About KaSonndra Leigh
1) I’ve always
considered myself to be a Goth girl. Do you want to see how bad my
obsession truly is? Then head over to Pinterest and
check out all of my fascinating black, white, and red pics galore.
2) I had a
crush on Frodo in LOTR. What girl didn’t? Even if they won’t
admit it. Dark hair, gorgeous blue eyes, bravery: what the heck is
there not to like? Never mind that I probably tower over him. LoL
3) I have a
cassette player in my truck. I specifically ordered it to when I
bought it. Giving up my vintage Janet Jackson collection wasn’t an
option. I still haven’t found some of her albums on mp3 yet.
**sighs**
4) I talk to my
flowers. Sometimes they answer me back. And then those answers become
great stories for you all to read. My grandmother taught me all I
needed to know about gardening. I miss her terribly.
5) I get sea
sick on ferry boats. Riding across the way to see the Statue of
Liberty with my best friend made me sick. I’m pretty sure that in a
past life I was one of the people on the Titanic. I’ve never taken
a cruise and probably won’t ever do it.
6) I chew my
cuticles and the skin around my fingers when I’m writing. It’s a
thinking process. I can’t help myself. I’ve tried everything to
stop it. I even tried using that stuff that turns bitter when you
taste it on your fingernails. Well, guess what? I started liking the
way it tasted, so I stopped using it. I know…strange.
7) I generally
tend to fall for the fictional bad boy instead of the good guy. That
bad habit has probably carried over from some of my real life
ordeals. Okay, so I love bad boys. That’s why I get so many emails
from readers telling me how they feel conflicted about my characters.
Some of them even say that they prefer the bad boy character more.
This is a good thing. I’ve done my job well when something seems so
real that people get so emotional. Better to have conflicted over
cardboard character comments any day, right?
8) Physics was
my favorite subject in high school. I didn’t care for English much
at all. Horrors!
9) I’m a
human phone book. I can remember phone numbers after seeing them once
or twice. I remember all of my childhood numbers and even some of my
friends I used to hang out with.
10) I have a
Nook instead of a Kindle. I use my Galaxy Note for everything
instead…don’t ask. LOL
An Aria In Venice Playlist:
- Wherever You Will Go by Charlene Soraia
- Die Without You by PM Dawn
- Ritorna A Me (Return to Me) by the Rome Session Singers
- Royals by Lorde
- Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake
- Remember How I Broke Your Heart by Priscilla Ahn
- Cascade by Hyper (Club Scene Song)
- Falling by the Civil Wars
- A Forest feat. Marina Celeste by Nouvelle Vague
- My Skin by Natalie Merchant
- Until the End by Norah Jones (The way Luca feels about Adriana)
- Girl With the Red Balloon by the Civil Wars
- Sour Times by the Civil Wars
- Just A Fool by Christina Aguilera
- You Lost Me by Christina Aguilera
- Never Think by Rob Pattinson
KaSonndra Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about people of all ages doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next.
She loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora's Box (good writer's block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.
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