Games of Pleasure

Table of Contents

 

 

 

“Exhilarating and highly sensual adventure romance . . . Ross's gift for creating masterful plots and memorable characters is at its height.”

—Romantic Times
“TOP PICK” (4½ stars)

 

“A terrific character study . . . Fans will appreciate gutsy Anne.”

 

 

 

“The Georgian period comes vividly to life here . . . I highly recommend
The Wicked Lover
to anyone seeking a romance with rich details, intriguing characters, and a fabulous conflict.”
—All About Romance

 

“Master storyteller Ross delivers a spellbinding double dose of intrigue and passion in this . . . fast-paced, sensual story brimming over with unforgettable moments and memorable characters. Exquisitely romantic, utterly captivating.”
—Romantic Times
“TOP PICK” (4½ stars)

 

 

“A sensual, sophisticated tale, mysterious, elegant, and lusty . . . The pages heat up with very sensuous passages, passionate without a taint of crudity . . . For a tantalizing novel rich in atmosphere, I highly recommend
The Wicked Lover
.”
—Romantic Reviews Today

 

“Ross's Georgian romances are never what one expects. They have a vein of eroticism, and plots and characters, traits that push the boundaries of the genre and make for not-to-be-missed reads . . . Twists and turns entwine with sensuality and suspense to make this lush romance a genuine page-turner.”
—Booklist

 

 

“An exciting story that sizzles with unbridled sensual desire. Lots of amusing twists and turns, a real keeper.”
—Rendezvous

 

“A stunning tale of intrigue and passion (with) some of the most beautiful and erotic imagery I have read in a long time . . . I feel very strongly about this book . . . The rewards are well worth it.”

 

 

 

“Ross's lush, evocative writing is the perfect counterpoint for her spellbinding tale of a wickedly refined, elegantly attired rake who is redeemed by one woman's love. Ross, whose combination of lyricism and sensuality is on par with Jo Beverley's, skillfully builds the simmering sexual chemistry between Alden and Juliet into an exquisitely sensual romance and luscious love story.”
—Booklist

 

 

“A gripping novel starring two wonderfully tainted romantic skeptics as lead protagonists.”
—Midwest Book Review

 

 

“Rich, delicious . . . Books like this are treasures . . . Put it at the top of your summer reading list.”
—The Oakland Press

 

“An extraordinary story . . . A superb example of Ms. Ross's outstanding storytelling talents and exceptional writing abilities. Intense emotions and passionate, strong characters are the complement to a complex love story, replete with such dastardly villains as Shakespeare might have crafted.”
—Historical Romance Reviews

 

 

“Magnificent . . . A wonderfully tempting tale filled with unsurpassed sensuality . . . A hot and fast-paced read . . . Completely enthralling.”

 

 

“Wit, lust, and just enough mystery . . . The characters are charming, reckless, and endearing.”
—Rendezvous

 

 

 

“Brilliant! Passionate, complex, and compelling. The best book of any genre I have read in a long, long while. Don't miss this beautifully written, intensely satisfying love story. I am in awe . . . Highly recommended.” —Mary Balogh

 

 

“I thoroughly enjoyed
My Dark Prince
. If you enjoy exciting, entertaining, wonderfully written romance, read this book.”—Jo Beverley

 

“A fantastic cast of characters . . . Julia Ross traps the reader from page one . . . outstanding . . . a breathtaking and mesmerizing historical romance. This is romance in its finest hour.”
—The Romance Journal

 

“Lovers of tortured heroes and intense stories will take this one to their hearts . . .
My Dark Prince
has a plot filled with complications and dangers—real dangers . . . I don't think I'm going to forget this one any time soon.”
—All About Romance

 

 

“A powerful story of the redemptive power of love, with one of the most tortured heroes I have come across in quite a while . . .
My Dark Prince
has loads of danger and adventure . . . the definition of a ‘keeper.'”

 

 

“With this thrilling adventure of the heart, Julia Ross establishes herself as a powerful, distinctive force in the evolution of the romance genre . . . Darkly erotic and sensually stunning, this innovative and spellbinding romance will enslave your heart and fill your dreams.”

—Romantic Times
(4½ stars)

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Copyright © 2005 by Jean Ross Ewing.

 

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

 

eISBN : 978-1-440-67458-7

1. Women—Crimes against—Fiction. 2. Courtesans—Fiction. 3. Nobility—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3618.O846G36 2005
813'.6—dc22
2005050121

RAGE IS A FUTILE ENOUGH ANTIDOTE TO REJECTED LOVE, but true love is elusive, even for the most desirable man in England.

His heart raw, Ryder drove his horse along the cliff road. Indignation surged hotly in his veins.

“I am very sorry, Lord Ryderbourne,” she had said. “I must inform you that I have just this morning agreed to marry Lord Asterley.”

She must have known that his attentions were serious. He had received every encouragement. He was a superb catch, even for an earl's daughter. Yet she had been secretly courting Asterley all along. In the end she had announced, with trembling fingers and silly little bites to her lip, that marriage to Ryder was just too alarming to contemplate, and she had accepted an amusing, penniless baron instead.

While he had delayed—secure in her shy glances and delicate blushes—Lady Belinda Carhart had played him for a fool. Apparently, even becoming the Duchess of Blackdown one day could never make up for Ryder's personal failings.

It was humiliating. Humiliating and, perhaps, a genuine hurt. There was no reason at all why any young lady should hold him in fear, especially in the face of his magnificent prospects and his sincerely expressed admiration for her.

Yet Lady Belinda had stared at him with eyes like a rabbit's. “You're so very forceful, Lord Ryderbourne. All the girls are frightened of you.”

It was, he supposed, a serious shock to his confidence.

Not to his position in the world, of course. To his faith in himself.

The sensation was both unwelcome and novel. It left him feeling oddly vulnerable, to which the best answer was righteous resentment. Any insult to the male heart fuels only anger.

Drizzle wet his face. The ground was getting slick. Just ahead, part of the road surface had fallen away, carried down with the collapsing cliffs toward the sea by a landslide the previous winter. The local people had beaten a new track across the tumbled earth and another, narrower path down through the uprooted trees to the beach, but no wagon or carriage could pass this way any longer.

He slowed his horse, then stopped to gaze out over the bay. Clouds gathered on the horizon. Jade-shadowed breakers shattered white against the broken rocks of the headland.