He took in the silky mass of hair piled on top of her head, her grey-green hazel eyes, large and fringed with long dark lashes. Her pert little nose accentuated by a flush of pink cheeks and those lips so…lush and full they made a man ache.
His dreams hadn’t done her justice.
Charlie, as her brother called her, was the sort of woman who shined wherever she went. Droves of people seemed to follow her about just to bask in her glow. He wasn’t one of them.
“I came,” he drawled, “because I was hosting a party and the majority of my guest list failed to attend.”
Her brows arched as she cocked her head to the side, stepping down off the final step. Which brought his gaze sliding down her body. Petite, certainly, but still lush. Her hips swayed as she walked, practically hypnotizing him.
“A party? And I wasn’t invited?” She stuck out her bottom lip even as a teasing smile played about her lips.
She slid closer and he straightened, preparing for the onslaught of her nearness. He’d been this close to her once before as he’d held her tiny waist in his hand.
She’d made him feel…well, the sort of feelings he’d thought long dead. “It’s not a party for the likes of you.”
She stopped, one of her shoulders rising. “Not a party for me? I like all sorts of parties.”
Raithe narrowed his gaze. He should have known that Charlie might be here. He’d attempted to lure several lords out to his country estate with the promise of delightful debauchery.
It wasn’t the best plan. First because that wasn’t the actual reason he’d wanted them to attend, and second they’d had some change of plans and failed to arrive. Which was why he’d come to collect them. “Not this sort.”
“Is it a hunting party?” she asked, once again moving closer. He caught her scent, lilac and sage. Without meaning to, he drew in a deep breath.
“No,” he answered. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should find the master of the house and request an audience.”
She shook her head. “In a moment.”
Raithe looked up at the ceiling. So used to getting her way. “Lady Charlotte,” he started, leaning closer, his voice dropping low. “It’s the sort of party where men do things they don’t want respectable ladies to see. Which is why you are most definitely not invited.”
One of her brows rose. “You don’t like respectable ladies?”
“Not particularly,” he answered. Which was partially the truth. He had once been married, after all, so he’d liked at least one respectable woman, loved her in fact. But that was a situation he hoped never to find himself in again.
Her lips parted as she assessed him, and his breeches tightened. Did she realize what sort of invitation that was? She likely did. Charlie was a practiced flirt. That much had been clear from their one dance together. He’d watched her on several other occasions, which had only confirmed his suspicions.
What had been surprising was how much he longed to let her practice the art on him.
“Is that why you never asked me to dance again?” She shifted closer, the warmth of her body radiating through his jacket.
“Precisely,” he answered, resisting the urge to step away. Fighting an even stronger urge to pull her against his body.
She lifted her hand, the one not holding champagne, and brushed it along the lapel of his jacket. A light touch that danced over his skin, making his skin tighten. “But I’m really quite lovely. Everyone thinks so.”
“I am not everyone,” he pushed out through gritted teeth. The truth was, he was everyone. At least in this regard. He’d fallen instantly under her spell.
She gave him a knowing smile. “No, you’re not. I’ve heard it said that girls like me should stay far away from men like you.”
He gave his head a small shake as he reached for her hand resting on the lapel of his coat and carefully removed it.
The problem was that her hand was now in his and he could see how much smaller her gloved hand was compared with his. He found himself holding onto the fingers. “They’re right.”
“What makes you bad?” she asked, her voice dropping to a tempting whisper. As though they were lovers sharing a secret.
He needed to end this, and he needed to do so quickly. Charlie felt too nice this close, hand in his, and she’d haunt his dreams for certain tonight. And likely tomorrow too. The day after and the day after that. “Well, for starters…” He dropped his head low, just inches from hers. He could see the specks of green in her hazel eyes, smell the champagne on her breath. “I pay lots of women to share my bed.”
He knew it was the exact sort of thing that would scandalize her, and his words hit their mark. She gasped in a breath as she took a step back and then another, one hand covering her mouth. Her fingers dropped a fraction of an inch. “Beast,” she accused, her eyes crinkling in hurt or accusation. He couldn’t be certain.
“My parties aren’t for you. I am not for you,” he said, crossing his arms again. “Stay away from me, Lady Charlotte.”
Want to keep reading? Who Wants a Brawling Baron
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Who wants a Brawling Baron
When to Dare a Dishonorable Duke
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About the Author
Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of eighteen, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.
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Read Tammy Andresen’s other books:
Seeds of Love: Prequel to the Lily in Bloom series
Lily in Bloom
Midnight Magic
Other Titles by Tammy
Lords of Scandal
Duke of Daring
Marquess of Malice
Earl of Exile
Viscount of Vice
Baron of Bad
Earl of Sin
The Wicked Wallflowers
Earl of Dryden
Too Wicked to Woo
Too Wicked to Wed
Too Wicked to Want
How to Reform a Rake
Don’t Tell a Duke You Love Him
Meddle in a Marquess’s Affairs
Never Trust an Errant Earl
Never Kiss an Earl at Midnight
Make a Viscount Beg
Wicked Lords of London
Earl of Sussex
My Duke’s Seduction
My Duke’s Deception
My Earl’s Entrapment
My Duke’s Desire
My Wicked Earl
Brethren of Stone
The Duke’s Scottish Lass
Scottish Devil
Wicked Laird
Kilted Sin
Rogue Scot
The Fate of a Highland Rake
A Laird to Love
Christmastide with my Captain
My Enemy, My Earl
Heart of a Highlander
A Scot’s Surrender
A Laird’s Seduction
; Taming the Duke’s Heart
Taming a Duke’s Reckless Heart
Taming a Duke’s Wild Rose
Taming a Laird’s Wild Lady
Taming a Rake into a Lord
Taming a Savage Gentleman
Taming a Rogue Earl
Fairfield Fairy Tales
Stealing a Lady’s Heart
Hunting for a Lady’s Heart
Entrapping a Lord’s Love: Coming in February of 2018
American Historical Romance
Lily in Bloom
Midnight Magic
The Golden Rules of Love
Boxsets!!
Taming the Duke’s Heart Books 1-3
American Brides
A Laird to Love
Wicked Lords of London
What a Vulgar Viscount Needs: Romancing the Rake Book 5 Page 11
