The Earl is Mine (37 page)

Yet with one quick motion, the groom tugged her free, and she fell into his arms, like a fly into a spider’s web.

Isobel screamed just as he kicked the door shut and set Janice on the ground. “You’re good,” he said in an approving tone while holding her pinned tightly against his chest. “Not many know the dowager is in residence.”

“Unhand me,” Janice said, low. “I’m the daughter of a marquess.”

“That’s what they all say,” he said with relish, and captured her arm behind her back. “I must warn you. If you expect anything worthwhile from that excuse for a duke you’re after, you’ll be disappointed.” He paused long enough to rake her from head to toe with an appreciative glance—she put every ounce of scorn in her possession into the haughty expression she shot back at him—and then he kissed her, a bawdy, lush kiss that demanded immediate compliance.

It was a miracle how quickly he redefined kissing for her, a marvel how well her lips fit with his in the brief second before she gathered her wits and her old life came rushing back to her with vivid clarity. When she was young, she’d seen men paw Mama. She knew what to do, but it was a pity her cloak was such heavy wool. When she attempted to knee the blackguard in the groin, she caught him on his thigh instead.

“What the devil?” He drew back and stared at her, not releasing her arm, which he still held vicelike behind her back.

Snow fell between them, and Janice had the uncanny feeling she was in a dream.
It’s he
, her heart said—her foolish, foolish heart—even as her lips stung, her throat tightened with white-hot anger, and her brain immediately pegged him as no good.

The man like no other.

The one that Mama had told her she’d find someday, that Marcia had also assured her would come her way despite the fact that her experience with Finn Lattimore had shaken her to the core and made her distrust men entirely.

But Luke Callahan—this groom—couldn’t be he. He wasn’t a gentleman, not by half. Perhaps he wasn’t as bad as Finn—not that Janice could be certain. But of one thing she was sure: If Daddy had been here to see him drag her out of the carriage, he’d have knocked Mr. Callahan out with a one-two punch and then called him out when he woke up. Her older brothers Gregory and Peter would have done the same.

Or they’d have tried. Luke Callahan would give them a good fight back, she had no doubt.

Meanwhile, he wasn’t worth despising. That would mean he’d some sort of power over her. But she could despise herself for noticing depths in his taunting eyes. For imagining a flash of wonder there that reflected back her own.

He bent down and kissed her again.

Oh, God, what was she
doing
?

But he was good … oh, so good. If a man could be called
good
the way she called a warm fire good, or a cup of steaming chocolate, or a … a mouth that spoke to her without speaking, the way his was.

You’re made for love.

You tantalize me.

I want you.

Messages that made her entire body wake up in a way it never had before. She was quivery, like a newborn lamb. Her eyes were closed, but the world unfolded like a bright spring meadow.

His lips brushed soft yet insistent against her own, but hardness was what she was thinking of, the solid weight of him—of his chest, and his belly, and the security of his thighs against hers.

Mr. Callahan’s thighs.

Three words she never knew she’d say. She’d never even heard of the middle one,
Callahan
. But in that moment, they were the three most important words she’d ever put together.

Life was full of surprises.

Also by KIERAN KRAMER

T
HE
H
OUSE OF
B
RADY

Loving Lady Marcia

T
HE
I
MPOSSIBLE
B
ACHELORS

When Harry Met Molly

Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right

Cloudy with a Chance of Marriage

If You Give a Girl a Viscount

Praise for
Loving Lady Marcia

“Kramer’s unique take on the TV series
The Brady Bunch
is a delight: funny, sweet, sexy, smart, and more charming than the show. With Kramer’s enchanting sense of humor, the blonde, lovely Brady girls and their irascible brothers, loving parents, and housekeeper Alice are off on a romp that rivals Shakespeare for a comedy of errors. Readers will be up all night before drifting off to dream of a love story like this.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Kramer scores with the inaugural House of Brady imbroglio … Though [she] includes her characteristic lighthearted touches, she’s smart and confident enough to take her characters and their situations seriously, turning what could have been a one-line joke into a deep and appealing story.”

—Publishers Weekly

“The Impossible Bachelors feature[s] delightfully witty and vibrant prose to match the books’ unforgettable titles … Kramer’s clever and engaging style is now employed in the service of finding the perfect mate for each of the six Brady siblings. Libraries should buy a bunch.”

—Library Journal

“An emotional story that will leave readers loving Lady Marcia.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“[An] entertaining homage to [the] television series.”

—Night Owl Reviews

“Fans of the TV sitcom
The Brady Bunch
will be amazed at how cleverly and unexpectedly Kramer improvises on the show in her latest incandescently witty, completely captivating Regency historical.”

—Booklist

About the Author

USA Today
bestselling author
Kieran Kramer
is a former CIA employee, journalist, and English teacher who lives in the Lowcountry of South Carolina with her family. Game show veteran, karaoke enthusiast, and general adventurer, her motto is, “Life rewards action.” Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at
www.kierankramerbooks.com
. Or stay connected to Kieran on-the-go with her FREE mobile app available for iPhone and Android devices!

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

THE EARL IS MINE

Copyright © 2013 by Kieran Kramer.

Excerpt from
Say Yes to the Duke
copyright © 2013 by Kieran Kramer.

All rights reserved.

For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

www.stmartins.com

eISBN: 9781466805521

St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / March 2013

St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.