The Sea of Love

Wrongfully accused of murder, Aidanna O’Flaherty’s only ally against her evil brother-in-law Donal is the dashing English-bred aristocrat Declan Burke. Saving him from certain death, Aidanna and Declan hide away on her secluded private island, where the passion between them grows until it can no longer be denied.

But the world beyond their magical cove is spinning out of control as the aging King Henry VIII seeks to cling to his power even as death approaches. Declan’s powerful patron The Duke of Norfolk is impatient for his own chance to rule, and involves Declan in a monstrous conspiracy.

Declan soon finds himself in the Tower condemned to death. Aidanna must undertake an epic struggle to not only save Declan, but expose her true enemies if she is ever to save her clan from the ambitious English lords who want to carve up all of Ireland for themselves, and the Continental powers who see the old king dying and want to bring about a new Catholic world order.

Aidanna and Declan must race against time to prevent all they love from being swept aside in a thunderous tide of foreign invasion.

An excerpt from the novel The Sea of Love:
Declan continued more firmly, “There can be no future for us. I would be even worse than I already am if I continued to take advantage of your warmth and generosity by pretending I had no doubts or reservations, or if I allowed you to believe that I was free, or that my feelings for you could go beyond the respect and admiration I've held for you ever since we met.”
“I understand,” Aidanna said, fighting back the tears. The one man who had ever truly treated her as an equal didn’t care for her, while all those who claimed friendship were only after her bed and body, and all her castles and ships. But all the castles and ships couldn’t match the incredible wealth of the Duke of Norfolk, Aidanna acknowledged bitterly.
“So it was farewell all along, wasn’t it, Declan? In spite of all the discussions we’ve had, between the two of us and with Ruairi and Diarmuid, you’ve always known you had to go back to do your duty, fulfil your destiny as a great courtier in Henry’s household.
“Well, I must compliment you, sir, on your devotion to duty, your levelheaded attention to business, and the fact that you can resist succumbing to your base desires by avoiding a liaison with a woman who would only drag you into disrepute.”
“Aidanna!”
“No, Declan, I understand exactly what you’ve said. If you dislike hearing the truth, just think how I feel. Spare me the absurd protestations, and catch some fish.”
Her glowering silence made it quite clear to Declan that Aidanna did not forgive him, but nor was she the type to cause a scene by attempting to change his mind.
Declan longed to kiss her senseless, if only to hear her whisper his name with longing, and he felt a telltale tightening in his loins which he knew he would not be able to subdue forever.
They sat for a time in silence, until it became so oppressive, Aidanna turned the coracle around and headed back to the cave.
She was just about to re-enter when Declan reached to help her, cupping her elbow very near her breast. brushed up against her. The warmth of each other’s flesh burned like a hot brand...

====
The Sea Of Love
Sorcha MacMurrough
Word Count: 80,000, approx. 250 8.5 x 11″ pages
Setting: Tudor Ireland, 1547
Rating: Quite sensual, multiple love scenes.
===