Naughty and Nice, Book 4
Claribel Wheaton never doubted she’d snare the dashing Lord Ramsbury. She even had a cunning plan to prevent his marriage. Unfortunately, her plans failed quite badly and she unwittingly spends a night in the wrong man’s bed.
Lord Justin is a man in love with the written word and a woman who wouldn’t give him the time of day. When he misplaces a cherished book of prose, and fate delivers the woman of his dreams, he’s honor bound to make it right. But can Justin convince Claribel that his love is true and that being married to a budding poet is everything her romantic heart desires?
Love me True is a Naughty and Nice standalone regency romance novella.
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Marriage of Inconvenience
Read An Excerpt
“You’re next to marry you know,” his father said suddenly.
Justin filled his glass to the brim and downed the contents in three swallows. Wonderful. With Tristan married, and well on the way to filling his nursery, Justin hadn’t considered that his parents would focus on him so soon. He wasn’t looking forward to marrying some sour-faced, well-dowered, connection-hungry young miss. All he desired was his poetry. “Is that so?” He tried very hard to sound bored with the idea, hoping his father would find another subject soon.
“Well, yes. A quick marriage is just the thing. I won’t be putting up with Tristan’s nonsense again. No chance of cold feet that way.”
Thanks to the two glasses of brandy—well, maybe two and a half—Justin didn’t panic quite as he would if completely sober. He did experience some discomfort, though, that he wouldn’t get to marry the girl of his dreams. Not when she loved another. He would forever be the man she couldn’t see. Justin reached for the decanter again.
Another drink sent the room tripping and when his father clapped him a stunning blow to his shoulder, Justin stumbled forward.
“Let’s get this over with,” his father said. “Otherwise, my duchess will come looking for us.”
Heaven help them, then. He forced a smile to his lips. “Of course.”
Justin turned unsteadily for the library door and followed in his father’s wake, entering the noisy hall. One hundred guests filled the room, most already seated and consuming his father’s fine wines. Justin threaded through the crowd until he found his assigned table. To his surprise, and considerable horror, he found himself seated beside Miss Claribel Wheaton, the haughtiest young lady he knew, and across from the stuffy Earl of Edenbray, his new sister’s estranged cousin.
And Miss Wheaton was still sniffling her grief over his brother’s marriage.
The brunette, small and well-rounded, shared more opinions than anyone he knew. Normally, she appeared the perfectly flawless debutant. But not today. Today the little woman couldn’t keep her countenance. A broken heart could render even the strongest disposition useless.
As he sat, Justin signaled for the footman to fill his glass and then he turned to his companion, resigned to another awkward conversation. “Miss Wheaton, you look lovely.”
The watering debutante’s nose wrinkled with distaste, and then she buried it in her handkerchief again. Justin shrugged, determined to ignore the snub. Really, what could one say to comfort a broken heart? In his experience, it was better to pretend the whole farce of falling in love had never happened in the first place.
Justin crooked his finger at the footman. “Bring a bottle from the lower shelf, and keep them coming.”
The footman obliged and when the other guests were amply distracted, he topped up Miss Wheaton’s glass with something containing a little more kick than that served to most in attendance.
The woman lifted her nose from her scrap of lace and eyed her now brimming glass. Her gaze skittered sideways. “Thank you.”
“Always happy to assist.” Justin admired the rich liquid. “However, this might be a tad too strong for you. Don’t feel you need to drink it all.”
As if challenged by his words, Miss Wheaton sat up straighter and took a swallow. Unfortunately, she gulped the liquid instead of sipping and sputtered into her handkerchief, no doubt because the liquid burned her throat.
“‘Tis much better to savor than to rush, sweetheart.”
Justin scowled at his own words. The reminder of his brother’s most recent taunt, that he had little skill at charming women, angered him. What he didn’t bother to explain to his smug brother was that one woman was much like the next, especially since pleasing the woman that mattered most to him remained far beyond his reach. He would please her if she gave him half a chance. However, the woman he loved barely acknowledged his existence. To find relief, he dabbled with ladies who’d rather tumble into bed than talk. But their charms were pale substitutes for the woman he’d never have.
Justin kept drinking and topping up his companion’s glass with each unending course served until Miss Wheaton disappeared from his side without a word. Haughty minx. He hoped she nursed a terrible head for the disrespect of not speaking more than two words to him.
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English Edition – Book Info
Publish Date: 11 August 2012
Digital ISBN: 9780987261922
Paperback ISBN:9781925239-62-1
Genre: Regency Historical Romance
Translations
French eBook Italian eBook Spanish eBook
Related Books
Naughty and Nice Series
1. One Wicked Night
2. In the Widow’s Bed
3. Love Me Tender
4. Love Me True
5. Wicked Mourning
6. A Husband for Mary
7. A Ramshackle Start
8. Let it Snow
9. Coming Together
10. Unforgettable