Hero: Devin Aincourt, Earl of Ravenscar. A womanizer. A drinker. A gambler. Is being hounded by his family to marry and marry soon before he loses everything.

Heroine: Miranda Upshaw. American heiress. Has more then enough money to save Devin’s estate…but does she have the courage to save his heart?

Miranda has lead Devin to believe their marriage will be in name only. However, what she really wants in Devin to love her completely and leave his evil clingy mistress for good.

She would have moved away then, but Devin was standing in front of her. He braced his hand on the door behind her, blocking off that direction, too, and leaned closer to her.

“I have been thinking the last two weeks. I’ve had a great deal of time to do so, you know. And it seems absurd for this to be a sham marriage.”

“It is no sham, my lord. I regard it as something quite real. It is just not…romantic.”

“There is no need for that, either,” he responded.  “I am attracted to you. And you cannot deny that you are attracted to me. I have felt the desire in you. So why deny what we both feel?”

His face loomed closer. Miranda found it difficult to breathe—or even think coherently. His lips brushed across hers gently, sending a delightful tingle all through her.

“We have a connecting door,” he murmured. “It seems to me that we might as well make use of it.”

For an instant his mouth hovered over hers. She could feel his breath against her face, the warmth of his body. Her skin prickled. All she could think of, all she wanted, was his kiss.

Just before his lips touched hers, she jumped to the side. Her heart was racing so hard it was a wonder he couldn’t hear it, she thought, and her hands were trembling. But she managed to put on a calm face as she said, “I think not, my lord. It would seem foolish to introduce emotions into our arrangement. It will work so perfectly as it is.”

She gave him a perfunctory smile and reached back with one hand to turn the lock of the connecting door. “There. This room will do find.”

 

I reread this trilogy often, particularly this title, which deals with a trio of siblings and their marriages.  These historical romances are both steamy and funny as the couples featured fall in love one argument at a time.

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