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Book Details
Ben Walkerās life shatters after one reckless night. Seduced by Maxineāa ruthless femme fataleāhe wakes to a nightmare: compromising photos, blackmail, and the threat of losing everythingāhis marriage, career, and freedom.
Faced with impossible choices, Ben pays the price. But one payment is never enough.
Dragged deeper into a deadly web of lies and manipulation, the stakes escalate, and the noose tightens. What began as a desperate bid to protect his secrets becomes a desperate fight for survival.
With his world crumbling and prison on the horizon, Ben must confront a brutal truthāhow far will he go to break free? And can anyone truly escape the sins of their past?
A gripping neo-noir thriller of betrayal, seduction, and deadly consequences.
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Orchid-Affair-Love-Intrigue-ebook/dp/B0FVYFNJWG/
Extract 2
In this extract from Chapter 3, Ben encounters Maxine for the very first time at The Windmill pub in Mayfair. He believes itās a chance meeting. Itās not. This moment marks the beginning of the seduction, deception, and dangerous entanglements that will pull him out of his safe, predictable lifeāand into Maxineās orbit, where nothing is ever quite what it seems.
āIām Maxine,ā she said, a broad smile crossing her faceāone that offered friendship.
āIām Ben, nice to meet you.ā Relief set in as Ben recovered from the initial shock and awe of her beauty.
āYou too.ā Maxine raised her glass with a small nod. āI see you appreciate red wine too.ā The two glasses sat on the table, with the bottle between them, giving the impression to an onlooker that they had shared the bottle. A sudden thought occurred to Benāhe could offer to top up her glass when she had finishedābut he quickly tried to dismiss the idea.
āIt goes well with the food here,ā he said, doing his best to keep the conversation light and hide the thoughts running through his mind. Thoughts he excused himself for, blaming the lack of a sexual relationship at homeā or a happy married life. Was that true? He wasnāt sure if it was, or if he was simply using that as a defence to make himself feel better.
āIām sure.ā In her response, Ben detected an accent, and he thought perhaps his first impression of her South American origin might be correct.
āAre you meeting someone here?ā
āI was,ā she said, a touch of anger in her tone. āBut Iāve been stood up.ā
āFriend?ā He wished heād added Girl to the start of the word, which would have given him more information. At the same time, he silently told himself to stop the thoughts he was struggling to control. She took a sip of wine before responding.
āNot exactly. I had a date.ā It was Benās turn to raise his glass to his lips and take a slow sip, hoping the silence would encourage her to expand on the situation. āAnd I was stood up.ā She gave a half-smile this time and followed up with, āCan you believe it?ā
No, Ben couldnāt believe it, and he wasnāt quite sure where to go with that. He must be mad, Ben thought.
āIt was a blind date,ā Maxine continued. āYou wouldnāt believe how difficult it is to get a date these days.ā The full smile returned to Maxineās face as if it were an invitation. Ben took another swig of his wine. āYou married?ā At those words, his eyes fell to his left hand resting on the table, his wedding ring in full view. He instinctively covered it with his right hand.
āWell spotted,ā he said, realising the foolish transparency of the move and returning his right hand to where it had been, leaving his wedding ring on display. What was he trying to do? Had he planned to discreetly remove the ring without her seeing? He battled conflicting thoughts that darted about, striking unwanted targets. Desperately, he tried to steer his mind back to the rational person he liked to think he was.
āAll of the best ones are.ā If the flirting was over on his part, Ben was convinced it wasnāt on hers. Maybe she was just playing a game, having a little fun. It was her turn to drink, and with her glass nearly empty, Ben thought about his next move. Should he offer to top up her glass? That would be an open statement, one that said, Yeah, Iām married, but Iām not a monk. Or he could top up his own glass, drink it fast, and leave. The third option would be to share the wine between them and leave. Say, Thank you very much, itās been a pleasure talking to you, and go home and spend some quality time with his right hand. That was, for sure, the bestāthe safestāoption to take.
Author Bio
Robert Whanslaw writes noir, dark crime fiction, and psychological thrillers, grounded in grit, flaws, and the messy business of being human.
He doesnāt write about perfect people. If he did, theyād be the kind youād want to throw off a fast-moving train.
Raised on the likes of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, and the raw voices of mid-century noir, Whanslaw brings a classic noir fatalism into the modern world. His stories walk the fine line between justice and survival, where everyone has a secret and most people lie.
Social Media Links ā X – @robertwhanslaw
Website: www.robertwhanslaw.com
Giveaway
Giveaway to Win 10 x Paperback Copies of Dark Orchid Affair (Open to UK / US only)
*Terms and Conditions āUK & US entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachelās Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winnersā information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachelās Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Ā Win 10 x Paperback Copies of Dark Orchid Affair (Open to UK / US only)
