His mouth never left hers as he lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bed like a marauding pirate claiming his treasure. She would later wonder how he managed to remove his shoes and trousers without her noticing. All she knew was that as he lowered himself over her seconds later, she was able to feel every part of him—his warmth and his strength surrounding her in a rich combination of male virility that drove her own desire to new and wondrous heights.
His caresses were careful and gentle, his mouth hot against her skin as he slid his hands over her. “Gabriella.” He whispered her name across her belly on a breath of air that made her sigh with pleasure.
“Yes,” she gasped as he kissed his way upward with slow deliberation, her fingers crawling across his back as he moved in closer, their bodies touching in just the right places—her softness against his hard masculinity.
“How do you feel?” he asked as he nestled between her thighs and gazed into her eyes.
Her arms wound their way around his neck. “Incredible.”
“And now?” He nudged his hips forward, carefully testing.
She could only sigh, her mind numb with exquisite pleasure. More so when he brought his mouth down over hers in a kiss that shattered her senses. Closing the last bit of distance between them, he bit her lip as their bodies joined, distracting her from any discomfort by sending a hot dart of pleasure straight to her core. And as he kissed her with increased depth, his body moving against hers in a timeless rhythm of shared desire, she followed his lead—touching, tasting, feeling—a beautiful exploration that lifted her up and carried her higher.
“Raphe.” His name fell from her lips on a rush of breath as heat spiraled through her. It rushed along her nerves, pushing at her senses until it suddenly burst in a bright crescendo of dazzling light. Clinging to him just as he clung to her Gabriella felt their hearts align as they rode the waves of fulfillment together.
She loved this man—this most unlikely duke—and as he whispered affectionate words in her ear, she placed a smiling kiss on his cheek.
“My love.”
He turned on his side and pulled her against him, his arms loosely cradling her body as his lips grazed her temple with soothing tenderness.
“My everything.”
Chapter 35
Huntley House, approximately one month later
Balancing on a narrow stub, Amelia reached up into the tree she’d climbed and tried not to look down.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Juliette called from below.
Deciding not to answer, lest she lose her footing in the process, Amelia braced her body against the trunk and carefully maneuvered the nest she held toward a spot where a cluster of branches would provide support. It must have fallen out of the tree overnight, for the wind had been so strong that it had rattled the windows of Amelia’s bedchamber, accompanied by the drumming of rain. Miraculously, all the chicks appeared to be safe, their desperate chirping alerting Amelia to their presence the moment she’d walked out onto the terrace for some fresh morning air. After years in St. Giles, she savored having a garden to step out into, and could always be found there before breakfast, as long as the weather allowed.
“Careful!”
Amelia flinched. “Be quiet,” she told her sister. She was almost there . . . just a little bit further . . . the nest came to rest upon the spot that Amelia had selected. Hopefully, the parents would return soon to feed their chicks. She’d seen them flying back and forth between the hedge and the nest earlier, but they’d fled as soon as she’d approached.
Removing her hand, Amelia eased back and began climbing back down, her foot seeking the branch below. One step, then another, and—the branch she’d grabbed hold of snapped, her foot slipped, and before she could manage to regain her balance, Amelia skidded down the length of the trunk, her hands scraping against the bark as she struggled to stop her descent. But before she could do so, she hit the ground, the momentum knocking her back so forcefully that she landed right on her bottom, hands splayed out behind her in the soggy grass. “Oomph!”
“Oh my goodness,” Juliette exclaimed.
Initially, Amelia thought Juliette had spoken with sympathy, but then she turned her head toward the spot where her sister stood, and immediately froze. Because there, on the terrace, impeccably dressed as always, stood the one man capable of making Amelia’s heart flutter: the Duke of Coventry. And she, Amelia Matthews, bumbling fool that she was, had yet again proven that she would never make him a suitable duchess, no matter how much she longed to do so.
Author’s Note
Dear Reader,
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this first installment of my new Diamonds In The Rough series. It has certainly been a joy to write.
Developing Raphe’s character was particularly interesting since it took me to the nineteenth-century London slums and also introduced me to the world of Regency boxing. Boxania, which is briefly mentioned, was a real periodical at the time, and parts of Raphe’s final fight against the Bull were inspired by a fight described therein. Another historical fact of some importance is the way in which Raphe becomes the Duke of Huntley in the first place. The conditions surrounding his inheritance were inspired by William Courtney, the eldest son of the Bishop of Exeter, who inherited his second cousin’s title and became the 10th Earl of Devon in 1835.
My intention and hope for this series is to explore class differences during the Regency period by getting the very rich and the very poor to mix and mingle. Right now, I’m writing Amelia’s story. She’s having a bit of trouble adapting to the many rules of Society, but in spite of her fears, she might just prove to be the perfect match for the Duke of Coventry. We already know that he’s bored with aristocratic monotony and that he seeks a change of pace, but I’m not entirely sure that he was planning anything as extreme as being led into St. Giles by a willful hoyden.
I’m having fun with it, and look forward to sharing this new romance with you soon.
Acknowledgments
It takes more than an author to grasp an idea and transform it into a book. My name might be on the cover, but there’s a whole team of spectacular people behind me, each with their own incredible skills and experience. Their faith in me and in my stories is invaluable, and since they do deserve to be recognized for their work, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their constant help and support.
To my editor extraordinaire, Erika Tsang, and her wonderful assistant, Elle Keck: your edits and advice have helped this story shine. Thank you so much for your insight and for believing in my ability to pull this off.
To my copyeditor, Ellen Leach; publicists Katie Steinberg, Emily Homonoff, Caroline Perny, Pam Spengler-Jaffee, and Jessie Edwards; and senior director of marketing, Shawn Nicholls, thank you so much for all that you do and for offering guidance and support whenever it was needed.
I would also like to thank the amazing artist who created this book’s stunning cover. Chris Cocozza has truly succeeded in capturing the mood of A Most Unlikely Duke and the way in which I envisioned both Raphe and Gabriella looking—such a beautiful job!
To my fabulous beta readers, Rhonda Jones and Marla Golladay, whose insight has been tremendously helpful in strengthening the story, thank you so much!
Another big thank-you goes to Nancy Mayer for her assistance. Whenever I’m faced with a question regarding the Regency era that I can’t answer on my own, I turn to Nancy for advice. Her help is invaluable.
My family and friends deserve my thanks as well, especially for reminding me to take a break occasionally, to step away from the computer and just unwind—I would be lost without you.
And to you, dear reader—thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. Your support is, as always, hugely appreciated!
About the Author
Born in Denmark, SOPHIE BARNES spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She’s lived in five different countries,
on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish, and Romanian. But, most impressive of all, she’s been married to the same man three times—in three different countries and in three different dresses. When she’s not busy dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading.
Visit Sophie Barnes at www.sophiebarnes.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter @BarnesSophie.
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By Sophie Barnes
Novels
A Most Unlikely Duke
His Scandalous Kiss
The Earl’s Complete Surrender
Lady Sarah’s Sinful Desires
The Danger in Tempting an Earl
The Scandal in Kissing an Heir
The Trouble with Being a Duke
The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda
There’s Something About Lady Mary
Lady Alexandra’s Excellent Adventure
How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back
Coming Soon
The Duke of Her Desire
Novellas
Mistletoe Magic (from Five Golden Rings: A Christmas Collection)
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
a most unlikely duke. Copyright © 2017 by Sophie Barnes. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
EPub Edition JULY 2017 ISBN: 978-0-06-256681-2
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-256678-2
Avon, Avon & Avon logo, and Avon Books & Avon Books logo are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
HarperCollins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
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