Humble tenant May Sheffers meets none of these, so why does his heart beat madly at the sight of her?

    She had come upon it not long after her marriage to Edgar, and it had offered her the only peace she was to know for a long time. It was dangerous to share the only thing that belonged to one. Yet the thought of spending an afternoon with the earl in her most treasured place, sharing a leisurely meal, beckoned her. She glanced shyly over her shoulder to see if he still followed.Lord Ashworth rode only a few yards behind her horse, and he grinned when their eyes met. He had a lazy, sensual smile and, when he looked at her like that, she felt an odd breathless catch in her throat. She wondered how it would feel if he were to place those warm lips to hers instead of the back of her hand. Oh dear! There went that catch again.Within moments they entered a clearing. Catherine dismounted without waiting for the earl’s assistance and swung her arms wide as she turned in a circle about the shaded copse.“What do you think?” she asked.The earl, still astride, cast his gaze slowly around the tiny glen as he studied the scenery. He then turned his attention to Catherine but did not speak. A suggestive grin broke the calm of his expression as he continued to watch her.“More beautiful than I could have imagined,” he murmured.Simple statement that, but it held a wealth of meaning. Catherine dropped her arms while staring back in fascination. Her mouth fell open and her breathing quickened. The air vibrated with unspoken words as they shared a moment of absolute understanding. The specter of desire had been brought into the open and was acknowledged.Experience IN THE GARDEN OF TEMPTATION today. Meet characters you'll visit again in the other books in this series.Now Available on Amazon:IN THE GARDEN OF SEDUCTION, Book 2 of The Garden Series.IN THE GARDEN OF DISGRACE, Book 3 of The Garden Series.IN THE GARDEN OF DECEIT, Book 4 of The Garden Series.Just Released: THIEF OF SOULSDark and sensual, Thief of Souls is one man's battle with evil for the fate of his humanity. It is a modern vampire-esque romance, gothic in tone, with a twist on the "Beauty and the Beast" theme, for the beast's ugliness resides on the inside rather than the outside, and his hope for redemption comes not from being loved by another but from discovering his own ability to love.

    She has her studies and her duties, what need does she have of a husband? With five sisters married she knows the reality does not live up to the promise, and does not need to personally experiment with the state to know she would be ill-suited to it. However, she finds herself envious of at least one aspect of marriage. But to experience the physical side of marriage, one doesn't need a husband, all one needs is the right man...Nathaniel Jenkins knows his duty. Marry a young girl from a respectable family and father an heir, no matter how cold the endless parade of suitable girls leaves him. But a shocking proposal from a scholarly spinster leaves him wondering if unsuitable is just what he's looking for. Can he convince his spinster that marriage is the greatest experiment of all?

    Where it not for the gentle guidance of her best friend, Abby doubts she would have survived the Beau Monde's disapproval for even a week - and especially not the critical gaze of the Earl of Gloucester. The man is insufferable, arrogant, and everything that Abby hates about the Ton - except those rare moments when he laughs, and Abby's heart starts to beat in a most uncomfortable rhythm. George, Earl of Gloucester, is horrified at the scrapes his sister's best friend keeps falling into. True not all of them are her fault, but that doesn't change the fact that her actions reflect poorly on his family. Since Mrs Merriweather doesn't have any intentions of leaving London before the Season's end, there's nothing for it but for George to step in and help her navigate the treacherous waters of the Ton. She's impulsive, tempestuous, headstrong and willful; in short, everything that he claims to dislike in a woman... except after spending time with Abigail Merriweather, he's starting to wonder whether her faults are what make her so endearing. Abby and George may be developing a strange sort of friendship, but they come from different worlds that are not entirely compatible. The real question is whether they can get past their own prejudices - and the interference of their friends and family - to find out whether an arrogant Earl and a dashing young widow can fall in love without creating a scandal.

    He can follow the dictates of his heart and pursue Angeline and the sensual promise implicit in her eyes, or adhere to the strict moral code he was born to uphold and deny them both. Made to flee England after the murder of his fiancée, Adrian builds an empire in America. When his past and present combine in the form of Angeline Ashley, it’s time to prove his innocence and reclaim what is rightfully his. To do this, he must return to England and prove the guilt of his long-time nemesis, Charles Malcolm.At the death of her father and step-mother, Angeline is given a letter telling her to ‘seek the truth’ and hints at a mystery surrounding her mother and Angeline’s own birth. But when Charles Malcolm, one of England’s most notorious rakes, produces a note against a large gambling debt, Angeline is given two choices; marriage to Charles, or see her father’s name besmirched and her young brother’s future ruined. But Angeline will have neither of those choices. Instead, she chooses to accompany her brother to America and seeks shelter with his guardian, a man she has adored since childhood.When Charles appears in Texas, it becomes obvious that there is more behind his obsession with Angeline than just lust for a beautiful woman.

    He has few requirements of his new wife; demands he should have insisted with his former betrothed—namely, honesty, loyalty, and resources.Lady Rossalyn Gordon will do anything to be rid of her tyrant father, even if that means deceiving the man who offers her an escape. If revealed, those secrets will either bring her mercy, or thrust her back into the hands of the devil who sired her.When Rossalyn’s bastard of a father arrives at Sutherland Keep, going back on his word and ordering her return, Malcolm must decide if he can forgive his wife enough to listen to his heart and have a family for Christmas.HIS BY CHRISTMASCHRISTMAS IN THE HIGHLANDS, BOOK TWOFiona Sutherland longs for love with the man she has pined after since she was a lass. When he weds another she is devastated, and questions why the man she pledged her heart to has forsaken a vow made in their youth. Could loving her be so hard?Cameron Munro adores Fiona from afar, knowing her heart has been set on another. She is everything he desires—strong, loyal, and fiery in spirit.Determined, he pledges to prove his love to her and win Fiona’s heart by Christmas.

    She is in love with her family's country neighbor, the perennial bachelor, Lord David Rutledge, the Earl of Weatherby. Friends since their youth, Amelia is convinced that there is no possible way that David returns her love, no matter how much she might wish it or if he even remembers the night when her feelings for him changed.As the renowned Earl of Weatherby, David Rutledge is used to women falling at his feet. All except for the one he most desires, of course - Lady Amelia. The house party he has planned for Twelfth Night has done little to help his cause with Amelia, much to his chagrin. With title-grasping women chasing after him, can he find a way to seduce the woman he loves and make her understand that his love is real and not just some fleeting Christmas infatuation? Or will fear keep them apart and drive him into the arms of another?This 24,400-word novel is written in the modern, Regency romance style for a slightly hotter and sexier read. It may not be appropriate for younger audiences.Original cover edition: ASIN B00R67MD3CThis is the new cover edition approved by the author in October 2016.

    But before she can embark on her new life, May must complete her dealings with the local smugglers, men who have kept a roof over her family’s head during frugal times. One last Christmas at home and her life would change forever. So when William Scott, the Earl of Grandison arrives and crumbles her perfectly planned future to rubble, May is less than pleased. William, Lord Grandison works for the Crown, and is determined to catch the nuisance Englishmen who dare smuggle along the Cornwall coast. William has never veered from his pursuit of these men working against the law, that was until he meets May Stanford, the maddening daughter of his host for Christmas. May drives him to distraction and forces him to admit to feelings he has never felt before. But when May and William discover the crippling truth of each other, their secrets will threaten to tear them apart.

    But when first her mother and then her father die, she finds herself alone, grief stricken and….. not of age. Her appointed guardian, an American uncle, has ordered her travel to his plantation where she must remain for at least two years when she will come of age. With the help of Lady Grace and Lady Sarah, Lady Amelia gets her uncle to agree to give her four weeks to settle her affairs and unbeknownst to him…find an English lord to marry so she can remain in her beloved England. Despite her mourning period she endeavors to trap one of London’s eligible bachelors in matrimony. Lord Goldstone, Lady Grace’s nephew is devilishly handsome, but a Scottish Duke and so entirely unacceptable as a possible husband. After all Scotland is not her beloved London and environs. He also has a nasty habit of showing up at all the wrong moments and thwarting her carefully laid plans to ensnare a suitable husband. Sparks fly as the pair find themselves at odds with each other and drawn to each other at the same time. Can they find a way to stop arguing long enough to explore their growing passion? Is it strong enough to make Lady Amelia give up her English home after all? Or will Lady Amelia find a suitable English lord and avoid social exile in America? Time is running out.

    Feeling deceived and betrayed into a loveless marriage, Lord Reese Harrington wants nothing to do with his new wife. Trapped in a marriage with no escape, the beautiful young bride must battle the demons of her husband's past and hope that she can weather the storm his brutish behavior unleashes.This is a medieval romance novella.Adult-content rating:This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.First published as part of the anthology Blushing Brides in 1998