Ripe for Pleasure (37 page)

Damnation. The reality was so much better… and infinitely worse. The cord swung free of the last hole, and she ripped her
stays away from her body, flinging them to the ground as though she despised them as much as she did her abductor.

Her head was bent forward, exposing the nape of her neck, the visible trail of her spine leading down into her shift. He traced
it with his finger, stopping only when he reached the tie that held her petticoats in place.

Gareth stared at her back, at the sheer linen clinging damply to her skin, at the ties to her petticoats, laying quiescent
beneath his fingertips.

Heaven help him.

Dear Reader,

I was a late bloomer.

There, I’ve said it. That single fact defined my adolescence.

When I entered high school at thirteen-going-on-fourteen, I looked like a sixth grader. Was it the braces? The glasses? The
flat chest? The short stature? Red hair and freckles did not lend sophistication to this deadly combination. I have a vivid
memory of one of my mother’s friends looking at me that summer before high school and blurting out, “What a funny-looking
kid.”

To my
enormous
relief, I entered tenth grade with breasts, contact lenses, and no braces. Boys looked at me differently, girls quit ridiculing
me, and adults ceased to speak to me as if I were eleven. And older guys—who had utterly failed to notice my “inner beauty”
before—appeared out of nowhere

Although it took my self-esteem years to recover, suffering is never wasted on a writer. With THE GUARDIAN, I wanted to write
a story with a heroine who goes through this awkward stage—along with several dangerous adventures—and eventually comes out
the other side as a
confident, mature woman who feels loved and valued for her beauty inside and out.

Of course, I had to give Sìleas, my ugly-duckling heroine, a hero to die for. Ian MacDonald is the handsome young Highlander
she has adored since she could walk.

Sìleas is an awkward, funny-looking thirteen-year-old when Ian rescues her from her latest round of trouble. Ian is not exactly
pleased when, as a result of his good deed, he is forced to wed her. Although Sìleas lives in the Scottish Highlands in the
year 1513, I know exactly how she felt when she overheard Ian shouting at his father, “Have ye taken a good look at her, da?”

When Ian returns years later, Sìleas is so beautiful she knocks his socks off. Not surprisingly, Ian finds that he is now
willing to consummate the marriage. But as Sìleas’s self-confidence grows, she knows she deserves a man who loves and respects
her.

Our handsome hero has his hands full trying to win his bride while also saving his clan. Eventually, Ian realizes he wants
Sìleas’s heart as much as he wants her in his bed. I admit that I found it most gratifying to make this handsome Highland
warrior suffer until he proves himself worthy of Sìleas. But I had faith in Ian. He always did have a hero’s heart.

I hope you enjoy Ian and Sìleas’s love story. THE GUARDIAN is the first book in my Return of the Highlanders series about
four warriors who return home from fighting in France to find their clan in danger. Each brave warrior must
do his part to save the clan in the troubled times ahead—and to win the Highland lass who captures his heart.

Happy Reading!

www.margaretmallory.com

Dear Reader,

Character notes? Character notes! Where did I put my character notes for Vivi Angelino? Oh, that’s right. I never had any.
She wrote herself.

I have never subscribed to the theory that “a character tells their own story,” despite the number of times I’ve heard writers
discuss that phenomenon. Sure, certain characters are vivid in the writer’s head and have personality traits that, for whatever
reason, make them standouts on the page. They’re fun people to write, but letting them take over the book? Come on! Who is
the boss here? Whose fingertips are on the keyboard? Whose imagination is at work? A good author should be able to control
their character.

And then along came Vivina Angelino. From the first book in the Guardian Angelinos series, Vivi was not only vivid and three-dimensional
to me, she seemed to liven up every scene. (Make that “take over” every scene.) When I could finally give her free rein as
the heroine of FACE OF DANGER, I did what any writer would do. I buckled up and hung on for the ride. There were daily surprises
with Vivi, including her back story, which she revealed to me as slowly and carefully as she does to the reader, and the hero.

The interesting thing about Vivi is that she is one of those people—or appears to be on the surface—who knows exactly who
she is and doesn’t give a flying saucer what other people think. I think we all kind of envy that bone-deep confidence. I
know I do! She scoots around Boston on a skateboard (and, yes, this is possible, because this is precisely how my stepson
transports himself from home to work in downtown Boston), wears her hair short and spiky, and has a tiny diamond in her nose…
not because she’s making a statement, but because she likes it. She’s a woman, but she’s not particularly feminine and she
has little regard for fashion, makeup, and the “girlier” things in life. I wanted to know why.

About five years ago, long before I “met” Vivi, I read an article about a woman who looked so much like Demi Moore that she
worked as a “celebrity lookalike” at trade shows and special events. Of course, the suspense writer in me instantly asked
the “what if” question that is at the heart of every book. What if that lookalike was
truly mistaken for the actress by someone with nefarious intentions? What if the lookalike was brave enough to take the job
to
intentionally
attract and trap that threatening person?

I held on to that thread of a story, waiting for the right character. I wanted a heroine who is so comfortable in her own
skin that assuming someone else’s identity would be a little excruciating. Kind of like kicking off sneakers and sliding into
stilettos—fun until you try to walk, and near impossible when you have to run for your life. When Vivi Angelino showed up
on the scene, I knew I had my girl.

No surprise, Vivi told this story her way. Of course, she chafed at the hair extensions and false eyelashes, but that was
only on the surface. Wearing another woman’s identity forced this character to understand herself better and to do that, she
had to face her past. More importantly, to find the love she so richly deserves, she had to shed the skin she clung to so
steadfastly, and discover why she was uncomfortable with the feminine things in life. When she did, well, like everything
about Vivi, she surprised me.

She pulled it off though, and now she’s FBI Agent Colton Lang’s problem. I hope he can control her better than I could.

Enjoy!

www.roxannestclaire.com

Dear Reader,

Do you ever wonder what happens to all the mistresses who are given up by noble heroes so they can have their monogamous happily-ever-after
with their virginal brides? Or how all those “spares” get on after they’ve been made redundant when their elder brother produces
an heir? I most certainly do!

In fact, I’ve always been intrigued by people who take charge, go out on a limb, and make lemonade when the universe keeps
handing them lemons. So it comes as little surprise that my series—The League of Second Sons—is about younger sons of the
nobility, the untraditional women they fall in love with, and what it takes for two people who aren’t going to inherit everything
to make a life for themselves.

The League of Second Sons is a secret club for younger sons who’ve banded together to help one another seize whatever life
offers them and make the most of it. These are the men who actually run England. They’re elected to the House of Commons,
they run their family estates, they’re the traditional family sacrifice to the military (the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson
were both younger sons). They work—in a gentlemanly manner—for what they’ve got and what they want. They’re hungry, in a way
that an eldest son, destined for fortune and title, never can be.

Leonidas Vaughn, the hero of the first book, RIPE FOR PLEASURE, is just such a younger son. His father may be a duke, but
he’s not going to inherit much beyond the small estate his grandfather bequeathed him.

My heroine, Viola Whedon, took a chance on young love that worked out very badly indeed. Since then, she’s been level-headed
and practical. A rough life in the workhouse or a posh life as a mistress was an easy decision, and keeping her heart out
of it was never a problem… until now. Brash seduction at the hands of a handsome man who promises to put her desires first
sweeps her off her feet and off her guard.

I hope you’ll enjoy letting Leo show you what it means to be RIPE FOR PLEASURE.