Bargaining with a Rake

Book excerpt: Her first mistake was striking a bargain with a notorious rogue bent on revenge. Her second was falling in love with him. A lady desperate to escape. For eleven years, Gillian Rutherford has dreamed of escaping her family’s dark secret and living a normal life. Now, faced with an unwelcome marriage that will chain her to London and the secret slowly killing her, she’s frantic to save herself and the sister she adores. Salvation comes in the form of an American shipping tycoon, and all she must do is seduce him into marrying her. But Gillian’s scheme hits a snag when she makes a bargain with a notorious rake. He’ll help her win the hand of his American friend, if she’ll assist him with exacting revenge against her unwanted fiancé. But the price of the pact, may be her heart. A rogue out for vengeance. The day tragedy strikes Alexander Trevelle’s family, he vows to obtain revenge against the man responsible. And when he discovers the man’s betrothed wishes to escape wedding him, Alex is more than happy to assist the ravishing lady in her scheme. But the more time he spends with the quick-witted bold Gillian, the less perfect the rash bargain seems. Each moment around her is sweet torture, and passion simmers between them, even igniting at times. Yet Alex is fighting it with all the strength he possesses, because to ever truly claim her as his, he’d have to offer the one thing he’s unsure he could—his heart. An arrangement better broken. When Gillian and Alex’s common enemy positions himself to outmaneuver them both and take away any chance at the unexpected gift hanging between them, the proud lady and the damaged rouge risk losing each other forever unless they expose their carefully guarded secrets and trust in each other so that they can claim the greatest victory of them all—triumphant unwavering love!