Click on image to enlarge.
|
The Marriage Dance [MultiFormat]
eBook by Jillian Dagg
| |
Regular |
|
 |
|
Club |
| List Price: |
$7.99 |
|
|
|
$6.79 |
| You Pay: |
$5.59 |
|
|
|
$4.75 |
| You Save: |
30.04% |
|
|
|
40.55% |
eBook Category: Romance
eBook Description:  Anni Ross, a vibrant intense dancer, has never felt she can share her demanding career with a man. Until she meets Steve Hunter. Steve, a rather staid divorce lawyer, has seen the rotten side of marriage in his work. He's never wanted to get married until he meets Anni. But can opposites unite into a happy marriage, especially one that seems doomed from the start?
eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: 1998
Fictionwise Release Date: October 2006
4 Reader Ratings:
|
|
|
|
| Great |
Good |
OK |
Poor |
Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: eReader (PDB) [304 KB]
, ePub (EPUB) [252 KB]
, Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [273 KB]
, Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [1.6 MB]
, Palm Doc (PDB) [309 KB]
, Microsoft Reader (LIT) [254 KB]
, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [296 KB]
, hiebook (KML) [707 KB]
, Sony Reader (LRF) [319 KB]
, iSilo (PDB) [254 KB]
, Mobipocket (PRC) [316 KB]
, Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [356 KB]
, OEBFF Format (IMP) [397 KB]
Words: 96999
Reading time: 277-387 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
 
"Jillian Dagg seduces her readers with this story and with her ability to immerse us in each characters' particular appreciation for life. The romantic way in which she presents the ability of these two characters to understand each other makes the scenes and dialogue between these two memorable. This book is a must read. 4 Cups!"--Rocio Rosado, Coffee Time Romance
"With steamy scenes, the relationship begins to heat up and Dagg takes the reader on a wild ride showing a deep understanding of the dance world mixed in with the world of a lawyer. An exciting fast paced read, this is one book destined for the keeper's shelf if it is not already there. 5 Stars and a Reviewer's Choice Award!"--Brenda Ramsbacher, Scribes World Reviews
"The provocative dance metaphor proves effective under Jillian James' pen."--Romantic Times
"A story that satisfies."--Affaire de Coeur
"Buy the book and see what happens"--Belles & Beaux of Romance
"Jillian Dagg is a great writer. I've read her work before. But I almost couldn't like Anni because she was such a free-spirit. Steve's character balanced her well--the saving grace of the story. I liked the HEAT generated in the words, the delicate sensory appreciation Anni and Steve have for each other. Jillian has a way with words that describe beautifully without becoming cumbersome. All in all, a pretty good read!"--Joyce Levane, Romance Junkies
"Both unlikely candidates for marriage Anni and Steve are sexually attracted to each other at their first meeting. She is a fiery free-spirited ballet dancer, not ready for a long term relationship that might detract from her dancing . He is a hardworking divorce lawyer who has no time for marriage. But they cannot stay away from each other. So the scene is set for the advance and retreat of The Marriage Dance. Will they, won't they make a commitment to each other? The question kept me in suspense, turning the pages of this excellent portrayal of a passionate contemporary love affair and marriage described by author Jillian Dagg in her customary clear and objective style."--Flora Kidd, novelist
"Anni Ross was a magnificent dancer. No, more than magnificent--enthralling. As the star dancer in her company, she commanded sell-out performances for every show she danced in. That made her an extremely valuable commodity to the owner of the company, and it was the reason he had locked Anni into a two-year contract. Thankfully, she had less than a year left before she could get out. And Anni was beginning to feel restless--she definitely wanted a change. Needed a change. She was almost thirty years old. Was it too late to fall in love? Get married? Have a baby? Steve Hunter took one look at Anni across the lawn at one of the dance company's parties, and he was lost. A hardened divorce attorney, Steve believed deep down that he would never get married and have a family. Until he met Anni. He couldn't put his finger on the exact moment he changed his thinking, but he knew it was for her. The law firm partnership he was guaranteed if he was married was just icing on the cake. All he wanted to do was marry Anni. In fact, it was quickly becoming something he needed for his existence more than he needed air. After a whirlwind romance, and a fairytale wedding, Anni and Steve tried to learn how to balance their careers and their life together. Somehow it just didn't fit right. Anni knew it would happen--she had told Steve that her dancing consumed her life. She just didn't have time for anyone else. And every time they thought about fixing things, the wrong words came out of their mouths. Soon they were two strangers living in the same house. Roommates almost. Except for one incredible night in Anni's dressing room that finally gave Anni the miracle she thought she'd never get--a baby. But could Steve and Anni find their way back to each other before it was too late? The Marriage Dance is a good example of how romance alone can begin a relationship, and how love can keep it. I loved the fact that Ms. Dagg kept the physical aspect out until after her main characters were married, yet the sexual tension between Anni and Steve could be clearly felt each time they were together. They absolutely sizzled! And it was interesting to find a female character that was more self-absorbed than her male counterpart. The Marriage Dance is perfect for those of you who are looking for a sweet, heartfelt, genuine romance in the truest sense of the word. Jillian Dagg has done a remarkable job bringing romance back into the twenty-first century! Three Quills!"--Tracy Atencio, Novelspot
Chapter One
Dancers flittered about like butterflies on the pink tiles surrounding the sparkling blue swimming pool, their toned, athletic bodies barely covered by brilliant swimwear. Anni Ross took another sip from her champagne glass and switched her gaze to a man standing in the midst of the colorful guests. He remained still, out of place in his dark shoes, black slacks, and a silver-striped white dress shirt. His only concession to the strangling, humid July heat was his black silk tie loosened below his shirt collar.
Anni guessed he wasn't a dancer, even if his narrow waist and taut thighs indicated he was athletic. He was also good-looking. Eyebrows, slightly darker than his golden-brown hair, drew together over a straight nose, while a sensitive, full mouth had a tendency to thin when he became fidgety, and a nerve in his clean-shaven jaw twitched.
Suddenly he looked right at Anni. She could have dropped her gaze, slipped away into the profusion of rose bushes close by, but she didn't. She had been staring at him because he was such a handsome man and she wasn't ashamed of it. She stood with the line of a dancer, her spine erect, her chest tightening with her breath as his eyes raked her willowy, supple figure in its halter-style ivory silk jumpsuit. He rested his attention on her face, then her pale blonde silvery hair. Her new hair. But he had no way of knowing she had recently chopped her waist-length hair into a shimmering shoulder-length bell.
He lifted his glass in a salute to her, then he drank, draining every drop. Turning his back on Anni, he placed the glass on a rocky wall and began to stride toward the side of the house that would take him down some steps to a gate that led to the front driveway.
Anni couldn't let him go. Feeling as if a giant hand was pushing her, she ran across the lawn. The slim heels of her backless cream leather shoes forced her to slow down on the paving stones but she managed to catch up with him at the gate. By now her fingers clasped the stem of her glass so tightly she was sure it would suddenly snap.
Anni didn't have to say a word. He sensed her behind him and turned around. His blue-gray gaze met hers and she felt a lurch inside her stomach. Mingling with the floral aromas of the hot, sultry night was the scent of sharp masculine cologne. Up close he was taller, and more than merely handsome.
She was breathless because she had been running. Breathless because his aura completely surrounded her. But she managed to say, "Hi. I've never seen you at one of Ray Gifford's parties before." All her words sounded as if they were spoken during a gust of wind.
"Possibly because I've never attended one of Ray Gifford's parties before." The man's voice was deep, authoritative, abrupt. "And I don't intend to be here much longer." He rattled his car keys. "Excuse me."
Her breathlessness didn't abate. Anni said with obvious panic now, "You're not leaving?"
One eyebrow rose ever so slightly. "No. I'm merely walking around the house for my health. Yes. I'm leaving."
"You can't leave until I know your name." This was imperative information.
He changed his stance to a more relaxed version. "It's Steve Hunter."
To Anni's surprise he tucked his keys into his pocket and then reached politely for her hand. His fingers were warm, firm and very strong. She clung longer than necessary. "I'm Anni Ross. You're not a dancer?"
He withdrew his hand first, even if it seemed with reluctance. "Lord, no. I'm Ray's lawyer."
"Which is why you're dressed like a corpse in this heat."
Steve Hunter laughed, his teeth a flash of even white. "I could prove I'm far from a corpse."
His laughter was contagious. Anni felt the rumble right inside her and smiled herself. She realized now that her presence seemed to have eased his agitation and he might yet retreat from his former bid to leave.
"How would you do that?" She matched his flirtatious manner, even if she did feel as if she were jumping into something headfirst without much thought to the consequences. Yet she had run after him to detain him; she had caused this meeting to happen. If she'd left him alone, he'd be gone by now.
Steve Hunter's blue gaze almost mirrored her own. Anni felt something deep down respond, something more spiritual than sexual. He reached for the hand that wasn't holding the glass and pressed her fingers against his chest. Beneath hard muscle his heartbeat was strong and vital.
He said in a low voice. "That's how."
Anni's breathing quickened, a warmth curled inside her. Her tongue flicked over her lips. Then she glanced away, seeing the party crowd surrounding her and Steve like a flash of bright birds in a tropical setting. And she drew her hand away from his.
"Very much alive, wouldn't you say?" Blue eyes twinkled.
"Very much."
He chuckled. "Well, then. Now we have established I'm a living, breathing human, we'll discuss something more objective. How was the tour?"
Feeling as if Steve Hunter had turned her brain to mush, Anni tried to think straight. "How did you know I'd been on tour?"
"Ray told me that was the reason for this party. The tour's over. The grand finale. The big bash."
Anni danced her fingers, the ones that had briefly touched Steve Hunter, around the rim of her glass. "Yes, that's the reason." These parties after a tour or the finish of any big show were held to unwind. She set herself on high at the start of each long performance and stayed that way until the end. If she burned out in the middle she pushed herself mercilessly. This party, for her, was the ladder down to solid ground. She realized Steve was waiting for her answer. "I was in Europe. It was great. But exhausting. Luckily it's the last tour for some time. We're beginning rehearsals for Wedding Bells in two weeks' time."
"The rock musical?"
"You know Wedding Bells?" Anni hadn't expected a lawyer to have heard of the show.
|
)
