Reid: A Regency Rockstars Book

by Cottman, Sasha

  “Georgina! Where the fuck is he? You had better not be naked in bed with him or I shall run him through!”

  Georgina’s face turned ashen white, and her lips opened on a small O as Owen’s worst nightmare roared to life. The sound of an axe being taken to the locked bedroom door echoed throughout the room.

  “I thought you said he was out of town,” hissed Owen.

  “He must have returned early. You have to go. He swore that the next time I brought a lover home he would do bloody murder,” she whispered.

  A frantic Owen looked around the room. There was only one door and Georgina’s madman of a husband stood on the other side of it. He was not going to risk trying to negotiate with a man holding an axe.

  They were on the second floor of the townhouse so jumping was not an option. He would have to try and climb down to ground level. Not an easy task in the dark.

  A second loud thwack came from the other side of the door. Owen jumped at the sound of wood splintering.

  “How solid is that door?” he asked.

  Georgina shrugged. “No idea, but I wouldn’t be standing there waiting to find out. You are going to have to climb out the window; there is nothing else you can do. And you have to go now.”

  She raced to the window and threw it open. Then, hurrying back to where Owen’s clothes and boots lay on the chair, she scooped them up and before he could stop her, Georgina had crossed back to the window and tossed them out.

  He looked at her, aghast. “How the devil am I going to climb down a stone wall in my birthday suit?”

  He could just imagine how news of his death would be reported in the newspaper if he didn’t make it out of the house alive.

  The naked body of Lord Owen Morrison was discovered this morning in the grounds of Lord and Lady Yardley’s mansion . . .

  Oh, fuck. If the fall didn’t kill him, the shame certainly would.

  When the axe fell a third time on the door and he heard the lock crack, Owen knew he was out of time.

  “I’m so sorry, Owen darling. Mind how you go,” said Georgina.

  Owen couldn’t muster a reply to her inane comment; his brain was already trying to numb itself from the pain it knew was coming when he inevitably fell.

  Poking his head out the window, he felt his bowels loosen. It was a long way down to the ground—a really long way. If he didn’t pee himself, or worse, it would be a miracle. And if he did survive the fall but had to be rescued, his father would likely kill him. His evening was quickly descending into farce.

  I knew I should have left the first party with Reid.

  He put one leg out the window and sat on the window ledge. As his family jewels dragged over the rough timberwork, he pondered all those years when he could have been out securing the Morrison family line instead of wasting them on wicked liaisons. He sent a silent apology to his forebears for having failed them.

  With his fingers clutching to the side of the brickwork, Owen climbed out. The freezing night air grabbed a sharp hold of his naked arse and he shivered. When his balls disappeared up inside him, he wondered if he would ever see them again.

  He lowered himself down from the window a mere second before it was slammed shut and locked. There was no going back. The muffled sound of a heated argument could be heard from overheard.

  “Shit,” he muttered.

  He had made it only an inch or two farther down the wall, before the familiar click of the lock sounded again. Any second now the window would be opened once more, and he would be discovered.

  Please don’t have a fucking pistol.

  At the sound of the window being lifted, Owen dropped to the ground. Right into the waiting arms of a prickly rose bush.

  Pain screamed through his brain as he landed.

  I’m alive! And God, it hurts!

  He lay in the dark, his lips clenched between his teeth, desperate not to cry out and reveal his location.

  Overhead, Georgina pleaded her case. “See? There is no one there. You are just being a jealous fool. Now come to bed, darling, and let me show you how much I love you.

  Owen held his breath, only finally letting it out when the sound of the window being slammed shut echoed in the night. The bedroom curtains were drawn, and he was left alone.

  It took quite some effort on his part to extricate himself from the rose bush. Everywhere he placed his hands, a sharp thorn stabbed him.

  “Bloody English roses,” he muttered.

  After scrambling around, he eventually managed to retrieve all his clothes. His fine woolen evening jacket and linen shirt both ripped as he fought to free them from the rose bush. He dreaded to think what his valet would make of the state of his wardrobe come the morning.

  Stealing into the dark safety of the stables at the back of the house, he made ready to dress himself once more. Darting to one side of the open doorway, his bare foot landed in the middle of a hot, wet pile of horse manure. It squelched between his toes.

  “Horse shit, fabulous. Just what I need,” he murmured.

  In great pain, Owen dressed as fast as he could. His whole body was a mess of bloody cuts and abrasions. He knew that tomorrow there would also be many bruises to go alongside those injuries. He could only hope that he made it home without meeting anyone of his acquaintance on the way. But first, he had to make good his escape.

  He limped barefoot out into the rear laneway, careful not to make any noise, then slowly, painfully headed back to Lowe House, avoiding as many people as he could.

  After the night he had just endured, the last thing Owen needed was for the rest of London to be laughing at his misfortune. Even rakes had reputations to maintain.

  Every step on the way home was sheer agony, but he had survived the fall. He was still alive. He grabbed at this crotch. “And my balls are still intact.”

  The long line of the Morrison family may yet continue.

  Get your copy of Owen here!

  Callum

  Bad Boy Rockstars meets Historical Romance

  Sir Callum Sharp is the life and soul of the party. If there are hijinks to be started, Callum will be both the fuse and the flame.

  No one can resist his charms, least of all Lady Eliza Follett the sister of his fellow Noble Lord, Reid. She has held a place in her heart for Callum since they were children.

  In June 1815, Reid, Owen, Callum and Kendal leave London to go and fight the final battle against Napoleon. On the eve of their departure for Belgium, Eliza and Callum make a secret promise to one another.

  After the victory at Waterloo, the Noble Lords return safely to England, but Eliza is dismayed to discover that war has changed Callum. The man she thought she knew, is gone. Callum throws himself into a life of hard drinking and partying and refuses to follow through on his promise to her.

  His fellow Noble Lord, Reid Follett is more than happy for Callum to remain apart from Eliza, fearing that his beloved sister will only suffer heartbreak if she continues to love the damaged rogue.

  The only things Callum still takes seriously are his music and his daily meeting with his father, Baron Sharp. But his life is rocked when he discovers that he is soon to lose his beloved sire.

  He turns to the bottle to numb himself from the pain. His life and his music spiral out of control.

  The rest of the Noble Lords, unaware of the tragedy unfolding, give Callum an ultimatum, dry out or be kicked out of the group. A steadfast Eliza does all she can to stand by her man.

  But Reid is determined that his sister will not throw waste her life on a man who does not deserve her love.

  Callum now faces the bitter choice between his brothers in music and Eliza. Either way he loses.

  Deep divisions within the group split wide open and Callum and Reid face off against one another, each knowing that this may well spell the end of the Noble Lords.

  Can the resolute heart of one woman save England’s hottest musical group from tearing itself apart?

  The Regency Rockstars series is a ne
w twist on Historical and Rock Star romance. Outrageous egos, wicked women, and scandalous behavior. And somewhere in the middle is the music.

  Stories of war-scarred English lords who are bad boy musicians and the women who dare to love them.

  Callum is a standalone book in the Regency Rockstars series.

  Get your copy of Callum here!

  Kendal

  Bad Boy Rockstars meets Historical Romance

  Lord Kendal Grant is a self-centered egotistical nightmare. He is also a solid gold genius when it comes to his music.

  But his muse has fled, and he is left fending off fools who would have him compose music just like Mozart. Kendal hates Mozart with the passion of a thousand fiery suns.

  Mercy Wood has no time for bad boy egos, she simply needs to make enough money to pay the rent. Kendal Grant is just another wealthy musician with money to burn. If he wants his piano tuned every day, she will gladly take his coin.

  But when Kendal tries to stiff her with his payment, he quickly discovers he has met his match. She is Mercy in name only. She demands an extra payment. Her price a single kiss.

  A kiss which when claimed, is scorching and takes them both by surprise. Kendal’s muse is awakened at the touch of a woman far beneath his social status.

  With Mercy’s inspiration, Kendal begins to create music which will set him on the path to being one of the greatest composers of all time.

  Her love also makes him question everything else in his life. But his wish to make her his wife becomes a near impossibility when a tragic loss places him directly in line to become the next Duke of Banfield. A piano tuner’s daughter could never be a duchess.

  Mercy is confronted by Kendal’s family and she finally, reluctantly agrees to let him go. With Mercy gone, Kendal loses all love for his music. His fingers feel leaden when he touches the piano keys, his playing reflects his empty heart.

  Mercy makes a fateful decision; and returns to her former lover who offers her marriage and a secure future for the child she carries. A child Kendal will never know is his.

  His brothers in the Noble Lords rally and convince Kendal that a life without the woman he loves is a life not worth living. Following the shock revelation that Mercy is carrying his child, Kendal dashes across London to find her and stop the wedding.

  As he flies up the steps of the church, he hears the closing strains of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. Will his musical nemesis be the harbinger of his ultimate heartbreak?

  The Regency Rockstars series is a new twist on Historical and Rock Star romance. Stories of war-scarred English lords who are bad boy musicians and the women who dare to love them.

  Kendal is a standalone book in the Regency Rockstars series.

  Get your copy of Kendal here!

  The Ice Queen

  Chapter One

  London 1817

  “Please, Caroline. Just take someone’s name off your dance card and replace it with mine.”

  “No. How many times do I have to say it?” came the sharp reply.

  Julian Palmer, Earl Newhall, stopped in his tracks at the harsh words. He had been hoping to find a quiet spot away from the other guests at the ball in which to finish his brandy, but from the sound of the argument, he was in no such luck.

  “I am not taking anyone’s name off my dance card. I don’t wish to dance with you this evening, Timothy Walters, and that is that.”

  Julian waited, in two minds as to what he should do. Some men would turn on their heel and head toward the safety of the crowded ballroom, but Julian’s protective instincts could not allow him to ignore the edge of panic in Caroline’s voice. He stepped forward and turned the corner.

  In front of him was a young couple. The man, whom he assumed was Timothy, had his back to Julian and was standing with his head bowed. As Julian approached, he turned. His face was flush with obvious frustration; beads of sweat sat on his temple. In his hand he held a dance card. It was still attached to Caroline’s wrist by means of a pale cream ribbon.

  Caroline met Julian’s gaze. She looked him up and down, showing scant regard for his presence, then looked away.

  Julian knew that look only too well. His mother was the supreme mistress of the disdainful glare. Pity the man who fell on the wrong side of her favor.

  “What is the problem? Perhaps I may be of assistance,” he said.

  “Everything is the problem. She is determined to vex me this evening. What is a chap to do when his lady will not save a place for him on her dance card?”

  Caroline harrumphed. “Timothy, I have told you, I am not your lady and shall dance with whomever I please.

  Julian had dealt with enough negotiations during his time as a diplomat in post-Napoleonic Paris to know when parties were at an impasse.

  “Can I do anything to help resolve the situation? Help the two of you to find a happy medium,” he bravely offered.

  Caroline snatched the dance card from out of Timothy’s grasp and marched toward Julian. She stopped in front of him. Her emerald-green eyes glistened with rage. “What you can do sir, is mind your own bloody business.”

  With a whirl of skirts, she brushed past Julian and disappeared around the corner. Timothy quickly followed.

  Julian closed his eyes for an instant as long-buried memories of his childhood resurfaced. How many times had his parents played out that scene? And every time his father would scurry after his wife and do her bidding. All in order to remain in her good graces.

  “Don’t do it, my good fellow. That path only leads to misery and pain,” he muttered.

  He downed the last of his brandy and went in search of another drink.

  Get your copy of The Ice Queen here!

  An Italian Count for Christmas

  Count Nico de Luca has been blessed with wealth, power, and a seductive Italian body. Though women lust after him, the one thing Nico has never been able to possess is the love of a woman.

  After his intended bride jilts him to marry another, Nico decides that he will stick to matters of business and leave love to other fools.

  Arriving in London to inspect his investments, he is invited to stay for Christmas as the guest of one of his tenants, a poor young widow, Isabelle Collins.

  In Isabelle, Nico discovers a rare beauty, and as much as he fights temptation, he soon loses his heart to her.

  Left in reduced circumstances by her blackguard of a late husband, Isabelle is in no hurry to hand her heart over to yet another self-assured male, especially one who has no intention of remaining in England.

  But Nico is persuasive and nights of passion spent in his arms soon have Isabelle questioning the sort of future she wants. Can she risk giving up her country and home on the chance of finding love again?

  When Nico discovers the shocking truth of how Isabelle’s husband died, he realizes that he will have to risk everything he has to win Isabelle’s heart and finally break his love curse.

  Get your copy of

  An Italian Count for Christmas here!

  About the Author

  Born in England, but raised in Australia, Sasha has a love for travel, which at last count was to over 55 countries. A travel guide is always on her pile of new books to read.

  Sasha’s novels are set around the Regency period in England, Scotland, and Europe. Her books are centred on the themes of love, honour, and family. Please visit her website at www.sashacottman.com

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