Ridiculously wealthy and admired by all, Lady Lucinda Grey is most intently not looking for a suitor. Dangerously handsome with a reputation to match, Lord William Randall, the Duke of Clairemont, has, in every sense of the word, contempt for the state of matrimony.
The universe chuckled, and the whole of England would never be the same again.
Thrown together when Will’s ties to an elite branch of His Majesty’s Forces assigns him the task of protecting the beautiful lady, neither could have imagined in their wildest dreams just where their association would lead.
A French assassin with a penchant for pain, three aunts known about town as The Furies, an elaborate scheme that goes awry at a deliciously decadent mid-spring masked ball, and a priceless Thoroughbred stallion are at the heart of Lucinda and Will’s adventure.
And that is only the beginning. The truly death-defying twist? Can a man who’s spent his entire life attempting to forget the existence of his heart accept the one gift that could save him? Is it possible for a woman so sure of what’s right to acknowledge all that is wrong in order to offer her love?
Take a deep breath and prepare to find out, in The Devil in Disguise.
An excerpt from The Devil in Disguise:
It was his face – more specifically, his smile – that caused Lucinda’s heart to skip a beat for the third time that evening. A young boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar, that smile said. Utterly charming and devoid of any lecherous motivation, unlike the myriad of men before him who’d faced her test. Amelia had scolded her on a multitude of occasions for shamelessly using her physical attributes in an attempt to winkle out the men looking for more than a pretty face from the men looking for… well, looking.
And, while technically he was clearly admiring her for something other than her brain, Lucinda couldn’t quite find the indignation to be offended. Perhaps it was more than his charm. Perhaps it was his fierce stare, which she’d noticed almost immediately from across the crowded ballroom. That had been, in truth, the first time Lord Clairemont had caused her heart to skip a beat. Somehow the man had called to her with that piercing, focused stare; his eyes, as she could now clearly see were a deep, intelligent hazel.
She shivered, his eyes eliciting a distinctly physical response she’d never felt before. Other men had interested her, had earned a mild curiosity about their charm. But Clairemont made the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck vibrate with nervous awareness and excitement.
And it had nothing to do with his being a powerful Duke.
He’d walked into the ballroom and she’d barely been able to concentrate on the circle of companions around her nor the comments of Lord… Lord …?
Dear Lord, she couldn’t even recall the name of the man she’d been conversing with when her skin began to tingle in primal warning. The sensation stirred at the back of her neck and continued down her shoulders and arms, to the very tips of her fingers. For a moment she’d wondered if her gloves were simply too tight. Flexing her fingers once, then again, the action had done nothing to resume the normal flow of blood. And then she’d spotted him, speaking with Fitzpatrick in what appeared to be a serious conversation.
She’d been about to interrupt Amelia’s quizzing regarding the interview with Cuthbert when, without warning, he stalked toward her. He moved like a force of nature, those in his path quickly removing themselves. Was it his size that made him command such attention, or his demeanor—his gaze never leaving hers, a determined set to his brow that could not be mistaken for anything but purpose. Lucinda had been in the midst of pondering the man’s appearance of authority when Amelia had said with a sigh, “How odd Lord Clairemont would choose to attend Lady Mansfield’s ball. Truly there must be a full moon.”
Lucinda took a deep breath then hastily drank her half cup of lemonade. She wasn’t a mere miss with little or no experience with men. She was, in fact, six-and-twenty and, if you cared to ask any of the grande dames in attendance, painfully past ready for the shelf. No, the Ton acknowledged that Lady Lucinda Grey had never, ever, been laid low by a man.
Which is why it was particularly frustrating for Lucinda when her heart missed a beat yet again. Blast, she thought to herself as the man in question stopped mere feet from her.
She couldn’t look away.
Or was it that she wouldn’t?
Either way, the man was wreaking havoc on her nerves—something she was not accustomed to, though she could not say whether this was necessarily an unwelcome sensation.
They went on like this for what felt like an eternity, he staring at her, and Lucinda fixated on his absorbing hazel eyes. Emotions appeared in those eyes and then were gone, too quickly for Lucinda to fully determine what he may be thinking. She felt the pull again and involuntarily inched closer to him. It was thrilling and worrisome at the same time. This man, whom she’d yet to be introduced to, had somehow captured her attention like no other.
“Lord Clairemont, may I introduce Lady Lucinda Grey.”
Lucinda started at the sound of Fitzpatrick’s voice, his words snapping the spell that held her.
Lord Clairemont made a polite remark and then it was Lucinda’s turn to respond. “My Lord, it is a great honor to meet the infamous ‘Iron Will.’”
She could hardly believe she’d dared use the man’s questionable sobriquet, a sentiment shared by all three of her companions if their looks of astonishment were any indication. But slowly, Clairemont’s surprised expression turned to delight, his full lips curving in an amused smile.
“I must admit,” he drawled with amusement. “I was a bit hesitant at the prospect of meeting the legendary Lady of the Lake. Clearly, I’ve been misinformed as to your extreme sense of propriety. Lady Grey, I believe I like you already.”
A surprised laugh escaped Lucinda’s lips. She considered giving him a vaguely polite response, but the twinkle of enjoyment in his eyes made her reconsider. “You are something all together different, Lord Clairemont, aren’t you?”
“You’ve no idea, Lady Lucinda. No idea,” he answered, moving ever so slightly closer.
Lucinda had to force herself to remain still, hold her ground, and not close the small space that separated her from Lord Clairemont. What was it about this man that made her act differently? Feel differently? Want differently?
Staring into his bottomless eyes, full of mischief before and now, well only Lucifer himself could say, Lucinda wondered what made her want to find out. “Is that a challenge, Lord Clairemont?” she asked with light curiosity, her tone matching his.
It was Lord Clairemont’s turn to laugh—an act Lucinda found all too enjoyable. The deep, throaty chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. And something more.
“I believe it is, Lady Grey. The question is, are you inclined to accept?”
Lucinda’s mouth went dry and her mind raced. Surely such questionable banter was beyond acceptable behavior, even for a lady of six-and-twenty.
This was Iron Will. A man with a rake’s reputation. A man polite society had deemed wild and unruly. Were it not for his title as the Duke of Clairemont, he may very well have been ostracized by society and banned from tonight’s ball. To further the acquaintance would be impossible. Unthinkable. Madness.
She threw caution to the winds.
“Let the games begin,” she answered, her mouth curving into a wicked grin before she offered her hand to Lord Clairemont.
“Indeed.”
Coming Soon
The Angel in My Arms
Injured in the line of duty, Young Corinthian Michael Roberts, the Earl of Sheffield, is forced to retire in favor of rest and respite at the familial country estate. The last thing Michael wants is time alone with his thoughts, the burden of his wife’s death still unbearable after five years. The solace proves nearly maddening until he meets Lady Sarah Tisdale, a local baroness with a love for life so wide even Michael cannot deny her. When the French infiltrate their tiny hamlet, the pair join forces to dismantle a smuggling operation that, if successful, could restore Napoleon’s reign. Experience a love like no other in The Angel in My Arms, the second installment in the Young Corinthians series.
The Sinner Who Seduced Me
The passion and power, danger and desire continue in The Sinner Who Seduced Me, the third book in the Young Corinthians series. James Marlowe, the Marques of Richmond, must play the part of traitor to insure the safety of all England. When Lady Isabelle McBride unwittingly ensnares herself in James’s dangerous game, her life will never be the same again. Can the two see their way clear to fool the French and fall in love?
The Saint Who Stole My Heart
Victoria Sainsbury has everything a sane woman could want: One dead husband, two dear sisters, a doting niece with children, and a successful horse breeding business. So when Henry Prescott, Viscount Carmichael, renews their acquaintance, she’s surprised. Their youthful infatuation from years before holds no place in her heart-or does it? When a French plot to destroy the Corinthians forces Victoria to join Henry in a lethal game of cat and mouse, the truth will be told and all revealed in The Saint Who Stole My Heart, the fourth installment in the Young Corinthians series.
