Kimberly Lang – The Downfall of a Good Girl (страница 1)
Meet Vivi and Lorelai LeBlanc—
these debutantes are Louisiana royalty, and never far from the glare of the spotlight!
So when they meet two gorgeous men, it’s definitely front-page news…
HEIRESSES IN THE HEADLINES
Follow their sizzling journeys in
The Downfall of a Good Girl Available February 2013
&
The Taming of a Wild Child Available March 2013
Don’t miss this scorching duet by Kimberley Lang!
Vivienne couldn’t regret the decision. She might not be able to say why she’d made that choice, but something about the feel of Connor’s mouth on her neck, the caress of his hands under her jacket to the small of her back…it felt good. There was something liberating in this—more than just seizing the day. It was new and scary territory for her, but it felt right, too.
Connor loomed over her, those powerful arms bracketing her shoulders and holding him solid and steady, his eyes hot on her body and face. When he finally met her gaze she realized he was giving her one last chance to end this before it was too late.
“It’s already too late,” she whispered.
The corner of Connor’s mouth curved up. “But I’ve only just begun.”
About the Author
KIMBERLY LANG hid romance novels behind her textbooks in junior high, and even a Master’s programme in English couldn’t break her obsession with dashing heroes and happily-ever-after. A ballet dancer turned English teacher, Kimberly married an electrical engineer and turned her life into an ongoing episode of
Visit Kimberly at www.booksbykimberly.com for the latest news—and don’t forget to say hi while you’re there!
Recent titles by the same author:
REDEMPTION OF A HOLLYWOOD STARLET
THE POWER AND THE GLORY
THE PRIVILEGED AND THE DAMNED
GIRL’S GUIDE TO FLIRTING WITH DANGER
Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk
The Downfall
of a Good Girl
Kimberly Lang
This is my tenth book—a milestone that I couldn’t have hit without the continued love and support of my family: Darling Geek, Amazing Child and Wonder Mom. Y’all are the best.
But I want to extend a huge thanks to the talented and delightful Cristina Lynn, who literally put a song on Connor’s lips by allowing me to use her lyrics in this book. You can hear those songs—and a new one called ‘Sinners and Saints’, inspired by Connor and Vivi’s story!—by visiting her website at: www.CristinaLynn.com
CHAPTER ONE
VIVIENNE LABLANC waited impatiently, trying not to bump her wings against anything or move too quickly in a way that would cause her halo to slide off, as Max Hale gave his introductory speech on the other side of the curtain.
“There are many krewes, but none like the Bon Argent. Five years ago, we decided to do something—in our own hometown style—to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We were far more successful than we dreamed. Through the Saints and Sinners Festival—which grows bigger every year—we’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for dozens of local charities, and I thank all of you for your continued support.”
After a short round of polite applause, Max continued to laud their accomplishments, but Vivi listened with only half an ear. She was well aware of the great work of Bon Argent; she’d been involved with the krewe since its inception. Candy Hale was one of her oldest friends, and Max was like a second father. Her mother used to serve on the board, for goodness’ sake, so she didn’t need to be sold on the success. She did, however, need a primer on these wings.
The Saints and Sinners ball—and the whole Bon Argent krewe—bordered on silly at times, but the costumes and the parody of pomp and pageantry was what had made the Saints and Sinners fundraiser so fun, popular and immensely successful in such a short time.
And there were three hundred people out there eagerly awaiting the announcement of this year’s Saint and Sinner. Following the traditions of the traditional Mardi Gras krewes, those identities were top secret info. As far as Vivi knew, only three people were in the know this year. Max, the head of the Bon Argent charity, Paula, the head of PR, and Ms. Rene, the seamstress who’d made the costumes for the Sinner and the Saint. Even she didn’t know who would be her other half between now and Fat Tuesday.
She had a few guesses in mind.
Unlike the traditional krewes, however, who would crown a king and a queen, Bon Argent had no gender requirements to fulfill. The Saint and the Sinner were chosen for their local celebrity and reputations and could be of the same gender. Vivi had her bets on nightclub owner Marianne Foster, who’d been in the news a lot recently and would provide excellent competition before Vivi crushed her. While Marianne would be popular in the voting and bring in large amounts of money, it wasn’t an overstatement or egoism to say that she, herself, was
She stomped down the unkind thought. Thoughts were the precursors to words and actions, and she’d learned to keep her head in the right place in order to avoid saying or doing anything she might regret later.
But it was
So she was competitive. It was hardly a personality flaw. No one
Max was now introducing her Cherubim Court: ten local high school kids chosen by the charity’s board to be her team in the fundraising.
And now it was her turn. She took a deep breath, checked her dress, and waited.
“…my pleasure to introduce Saint Vivienne LaBlanc!”
The curtain opened to a strobe of flashes from the photographers gathered in front of the stage and a very heartening roar of approval and applause from the guests. Vivi heard her sister’s distinctive whistle and looked over at the table where her family sat. When she’d left the table twenty minutes ago, claiming she had an emergency phone call from the gallery, Lorelei had given her a knowing look. She waved as she watched people from the surrounding tables congratulate her parents.
Being chosen as the Saint was quite an honor, and Vivi was beyond touched by the applause that showed so many people thought her deserving of it. She’d won a lot of contests in her life, brought home quite a few crowns, but this was different. It wasn’t about being pretty or popular. The downside to her pageant career was the assumption by all that she was just a pretty little face with no real substance. She’d spent years fighting that stereotype, trying to prove that there was more to her. It had been her biggest challenge to date, and the halo on her head was proof she’d succeeded. It might be cheesy and rather silly-looking, but it suddenly meant more to her than any crown she’d ever worn.
Beating the Sinner—whoever that turned out to be—would be icing on the cake at this point, and now she wanted that trophy more than anything.
Vivi removed her halo with the proper pomp, placing it on the blue satin pillow that would hold both the Saint’s halo and the Sinner’s horns until the competition ended and the winner claimed both trophies. She then took her seat with her court and applauded politely as the Sinner’s court, the Imps, was introduced.
Max took a deep breath and looked so excited he might burst with it. “Our Sinner this year is an obvious choice, and we’re so pleased he’s made time in his schedule to reign over this important event.”
The pronoun usage told Vivi that she’d lost her bet. Damn, she’d been so sure it would be Marianne.
“…Connor Mansfield!”
Vivi’s smile froze as the crowd broke into wild applause.
Connor caught a glimpse of Vivi’s face as he stepped onto the stage and nearly laughed at the perfect mix of horror and fury against a feathery backdrop of angel wings. Not that he blamed her; his response had been very similar when he’d heard her name called, but he’d still been safely behind the curtain.