In Bed with a Rogue (37 page)
Read In Bed with a Rogue Online
Authors: Samantha Grace
Or she
should
. She hated that she was a tad bit disappointed he’d been keeping his distance.
Ben hadn’t spotted her yet, since his gaze was fixed on the dance floor. Whipping her head around, she searched for a place to go.
The alcove. No, the plant!
She didn’t have time for debate. Without another thought, she dashed for a deserted corner of the ballroom and squeezed behind the potted palms and ferns.
Saints above, what if she missed her betrothal announcement because she was hiding in a corner? Or worse, what if the evening ended with her brother challenging Ben to another duel? She couldn’t hope to intervene a second time to save Ben’s life.
Damn, the rogue
. He was going to ruin her wedding again.
***
Ben made a slow circle of the brightly lit ballroom, stopping occasionally to study the couples as they sashayed past, their cheeks pink from exertion. After several moments, he was satisfied Lord Wellham wasn’t among the dancers, not that Ben was surprised. If his memory served, the earl favored gambling over gamboling.
Reaching a secluded corner near a dark alcove, he paused to check once more for his quarry before he sought out the card room.
“What are you doing here?” a voice hissed. “You are not on the guest list.”
“Pardon?” Ben spun toward the speaker and came up short. His eyebrows veered toward each other. “How do you know?” he whispered back to the mass of green palm fronds.
“Because I helped make the list.” The plant’s fronds parted, and Eve Thorne’s stern glare greeted him. What the devil was she doing?
Her frown deepened when he simply stared, at a loss for words. “Do you have a death wish, Mr. Hillary?”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Let me guess, you’ve been attacked by a man-eating plant. Are you in need of rescue, kitten?”
She growled softly and the fronds snapped back into place.
One Rogue Too Many
by Samantha Grace
From the betting book at Brooks’s gentlemen’s club: £2,000 that Lord Ellis will throw the first punch when he discovers Lord Thorne is wooing a certain duke’s sister.
All bets are off when the game is love
Lady Gabrielle is thrilled when Anthony Keaton, Earl of Ellis, asks for her hand in marriage. She’s not so pleased when he then leaves the country without a word. Clearly, the scoundrel has changed his mind and is too cowardly to tell her. There’s nothing to do but go back on the marriage mart…
When Anthony returns to town and finds his ultimate rival has set sights on Gabby, he is determined to win back the woman who holds his heart. But he’s not expecting Gabby herself to up the stakes…
“Filled with humor and witty repartee… Grace woos readers in true Regency style as two suitors vie for one woman’s commitment.” —
Publishers Weekly
For more Samantha Grace, visit:
Lady Vivian Defies a Duke
by Samantha Grace
The Naked Truth
Lady Vivian Worth knows perfectly well how to behave like a lady. But observing proper manners when there’s no one around to impress is just silly. Why shouldn’t she strip down to her chemise for a swim? When her betrothed arrives to finally meet her, Vivi will act every inch the lady—demure, polite, compliant. Everything her brother has promised the man. But until then, she’s going to enjoy her freedom…
A Revealing Discovery
Luke Forest, the newly named Duke of Foxhaven, wants nothing to do with his inheritance—or the bride who comes with it. He wants adventure and excitement, like the enchanting water nymph he’s just stumbled across. When he discovers the skinny-dipping minx is his intended, he reconsiders his plan to find Lady Vivian another husband. Because the idea of this vivacious woman in the arms of another man might be enough to drive him insane—or to the altar.
“An ideal choice for readers who relish smartly written, splendidly sensual Regency historicals.” —
Booklist
For more Samantha Grace, visit:
Miss Lavigne’s Little White Lie
by Samantha Grace
Spirited and determined to protect her young brother at any cost, Lisette Lavigne is desperate to flee New Orleans. There’s only one
ship sailing to England, though, and the rakish Captain Daniel Hillary will only allow Lisette’s family aboard for a very steep price…
Daniel prides himself on running a tight ship, and he knows a lady will be nothing but trouble on a long voyage. Yet he can’t help but break his own ironclad rules when Lisette persuades him that being gentlemanly just this once is his wisest course of action…
“Evocative… There is a charm in Grace’s prose that will delight readers.” —
RT Book Reviews
“Grace’s fabulously fun debut will dazzle readers with its endearingly outspoken heroine and devilishly rakish hero.” —
Booklist
For more Samantha Grace, visit:
Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half
by Samantha Grace
Jake broke her heart by leaving for the country after sharing a passionate kiss.
Lady Amelia broke his by marrying his best friend.
When she returns to town a widow—pursued by an infamous rake, Jake’s debauched brother, and just maybe by Jake himself—Lady Amelia will have a mess and a half on her hands.
A sparkling romp through the ton,
Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half
delivers a witty Regency romance in which misunderstandings abound, reputations are put on the line, and the only thing more exciting than a scandal is true love.
“Clever, spicy, and fresh from beginning to end.” —Amelia Grey, award-winning author of
A Gentleman Never Tells
“A delightfully witty romp seasoned with an irresistible dash of intrigue and passion. Samantha Grace is an author to watch!” —Shana Galen, award-winning author of
Lord and Lady Spy
For more Samantha Grace, visit:
Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel
by Samantha Grace
He’ll never settle for one woman…
Debonair bachelor Lord Andrew Forest lives for pleasure and offers no apologies. But he receives a dose of his own medicine when his family’s entrancing houseguest beds him, then disappears without so much as a by-your-leave. He’d like to teach the little vixen a thing or two about how to love a man… if he can find her…
And she won’t settle for heartbreak…
After the dashing man of her dreams is revealed as a lying scoundrel, heiress Lana Hillary is ready to seek a match with a respectable gentleman—if only they weren’t so dreadfully boring. Unable to rein in her bold nature for long, Lana flirts with trouble and finds herself entangled with exactly the type of man she’s vowed to avoid.
“With heart and humor, Grace delivers a rich and winning Regency debut. Clever and charming, this tale brings in everything Regency fans love…” —
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review
For more Samantha Grace, visit:
The Captive
The first installment in the Captive Hearts series
by Grace Burrowes
New York Times and USA Today bestseller
He’ll never be free…
Captured and tortured by the French, Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, survives by vowing to take revenge. Before the duke can pursue his version of justice, Gillian, Countess of Greendale, reminds him that his small daughter has suffered much in his absence, and needs her papa desperately.
Until he surrenders his heart…
Christian’s devotion to his daughter and his kindness toward Gilly give her hope that she could enjoy a future with him, for surely he of all men shares her loathing for violence in any form. Little does Gilly know, the battle for Christian’s heart is only beginning.
“Burrowes deftly builds the romantic tension amid lovely layers of domestic tranquillity and honest conversations.” —
Publishers Weekly
“This is a beautiful story of redemption and love’s power over evil that wrenches readers’ emotions, yet leaves them utterly satisfied.” —
RT Books Reviews
For more Grace Burrowes, visit:
Once Upon a Kiss
The Book Club Belles Society
by Jayne Fresina
The Perfect Hero
When handsome, mysterious Darius Wainwright strolls into town, the Book Club Belles are instantly smitten with his brooding good looks and prideful demeanor. It’s as if he walked out of the pages of their favorite new novel, a scandalous romance called Pride and Prejudice. But Justina Penny can’t understand why her fellow Belles are starry-eyed in the newcomer’s arrogant presence—surely a wicked Wickham would be infinitely more fun…
An Unlikely Leading Lady
Justina is the opposite of Darius’s ideal woman—not that he’s looking for romance. But when he discovers her stealing apples from his uncle’s orchard, he can’t resist his own thieving impulse. A stolen kiss from the mischievous Miss Penny leaves Darius wanting much, much more. If it’s a dashing villain she desires, Darius is more than willing to play the part…
Praise for
The Most Improper Miss Sophie Valentine:
“Eminently witty.” —
Publishers Weekly
“Decidedly humorous, as well as sensual…a true charmer of a read.” —
RT Book Reviews
For more Jayne Fresina, visit:
Love and Let Spy
Lord and Lady Spy Series
by Shana Galen
She cannot afford to fail…
Jane Bonde was raised to be a spy, but the
ton
knows her only as an elusive beauty. But if she can’t find and destroy the diabolical Foncé and his French spy ring, England’s defenses may fall.
However, something even more dangerous than a madman stands in her way—her fiancé.
When love conflicts with duty…
The demons of Dominic Griffyn’s past make it difficult for him to get close to anyone. When his stepfather demands he settle down and marry, Dominic hopes the mysterious Miss Bonde will help him forget his troubles. He may be right—her next mission is about to plunge them both into danger.
“Galen provides plenty of explosiveness, both literal and erotic, in a Regency-era romantic thriller packed with intrigue and lust.” —
Publishers Weekly
“A lively, fast-paced and wonderfully creative sensual romance.” —
RT Book Reviews
For more Shana Galen, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
The Truth about Leo
by Katie MacAlister
New York Times
Bestselling Author
Can Dagmar flee Denmark
Dagmar Marie Sophie is a poverty-stricken Danish princess whose annoying royal cousin is about to have her stuffed away in a convent. When she finds a wounded man unconscious in her garden, she sees a way out of her desperate situation.
By lying to Leo?
Leopold Ernst George Mortimer, seventh earl of March, and spy in the service of the king, finds himself on the wrong end of a saber and left for dead. He wakes up not remembering what happened…in the care of a beautiful woman who says she is his wife.
Back in London, Leo—with the help of his old friends, the eccentric Britton family—sets out to unravel what he’s forgotten… Is Dagmar truly the wonderful, irrepressible woman who makes his heart sing, or is she a dangerous enigma bent on his destruction?
Praise for Katie MacAlister:
“Delightful… MacAlister’s comic genius really shines!” —
RT Book Reviews
For more Katie MacAlister, visit:
About the Author
Historical romance author Samantha Grace discovered the appeal of a great love story when she was just a young girl, thanks to Disney’s
Robin
Hood
. She didn’t care that Robin Hood and Maid Marian were cartoon animals. It was her first happily-ever-after experience, and she didn’t want the warm fuzzies to end. Now that Samantha is grown, she enjoys creating her own happy endings for characters that spring from her imagination.
Publishers
Weekly
describes her stories as “fresh and romantic” with subtle humor and charm. Samantha describes romance writing as the best job ever.
Part-time hospice social worker, moonlighting author, and Pilates nut, she enjoys a happy and hectic life with her real-life hero and two kids in the Midwest. To learn more about Samantha’s books, visit her at
www.samanthagraceauthor.com
.