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THE DUKE'S TEMPTATION
Men of Circumstance #1
Addie Jo Ryleigh
Released Oct 14th, 2015
Soul Mate Publishing
A Duke. A Runner. An Earl.
Three men, each born into different circumstances.
Each fighting to overcome their own adversity.
All striving to change their past.
Three men, each born into different circumstances.
Each fighting to overcome their own adversity.
All striving to change their past.
Gabriel St. James, Duke of Wesbrook, desires any birthright other than being the son of a hideous man. Unfortunately, Gabe knows the exact moment he became like his father—a night that has haunted him for seven years. Resigned to his future, he is unprepared when his illegitimate—and more importantly unbeknown—young daughter appears on his London doorstep. With no one to care for her but him.
Lady Elizabeth Blakely has loved only one man—her brother’s longtime friend, Gabe St. James. Not even his rakish and, oftentimes, wicked behavior dissuades her. Yet it all seems hopeless as he continues to overlook the woman she has become.
When Elizabeth learns Gabe is in need of assistance with his daughter, she seizes the opportunity. Gabe, less than thrilled with the situation—mostly due to his fierce desire for his best friend’s sister—has no option but to concede.
Besides, a more sinister threat lurks; someone is blackmailing Gabe with his darkest secret. Through it all, Gabe vows to resist Elizabeth, no matter how tempting.
Besides, a more sinister threat lurks; someone is blackmailing Gabe with his darkest secret. Through it all, Gabe vows to resist Elizabeth, no matter how tempting.
Sometimes it's better to surrender . . .
He’d already been subjected to a
sleepless night battling the possibility she could be carrying his
babe. Part of him leapt with joy thinking of her slender frame,
rounded from increasing.
Mostly, he felt worry. And fear,
that his future son would, despite Gabe’s best efforts, grow to be
like him and all the previous Wesbrook scoundrels.
Afraid or not, if it came to pass,
he would do the right thing and marry her. In no way would he leave
her vulnerable to the vicious ton.
Besides, if things were
different—if he were different—he would whisk her to Gretna Green
right now and attach her to him for the rest of their lives.
Instead, he would love her the only
way he was capable of—from afar. And someday hope he found the
strength to break from the person his past had made him.
If only he knew how to inform
Elizabeth they could no longer be together intimately. She would
fight him on it. Of that he was damned sure.
Thinking of how her face brightened,
and her eyes flashed with light when she became so determined, sent
shivers of enjoyment through him.
Absorbed with all the wicked ways
he’d like to turn the light in Elizabeth’s eyes to burning
embers, he didn’t notice the door opening until it clicked shut.
When he realized who’d entered,
uncharacteristic heat rose in his cheeks. His only excuse for the
boyish flush was that being caught in the middle of erotic thoughts
by his three-year-old daughter wasn’t an everyday occurrence. Thank
God.
A bit unclear as to how to interact
with the half-sized person before him, Gabe chose to remain silent
and let her make the first move. It might not be very manly, but it
was by far the wisest decision he knew of.
He remained seated as her blue eyes
scanned the room before she finally spotted him sitting at the desk.
It was so bloody adorable the way she set her tiny chin in a
determined angle and headed straight toward him—a small doll
clasped in each arm—that he almost circled his desk to greet her.
Addie Jo Ryleigh writes historical regency romances that feature rakish heroes and strong feisty heroines.
Addie Jo lives in the same cold winter and hot summer area of Minnesota where she was born and raised. And frankly, wouldn’t live anywhere else. Sharing in the raising of her three extremely rambunctious boys is her very understanding husband that so graciously enabled her to fulfill her dream of writing. Keeping Addie Jo company while she writes (besides her wonderfully loud children) is her yorkipoo, Bella, who is never far from Addie Jo’s side.
Addie Jo has always had a love and passion for romance books and became engrossed in historical romance (particularly Regency) soon after graduating from Lurlene McDaniel’s young adult books. Currently, Addie Jo reads any genre that has a great emotional story that keeps her reading into the
early hours of the morning.
early hours of the morning.
Addie Jo has a bachelor degree in accounting and is a financial coordinator when not driving her children around central Minnesota, cuddled up with a good book, or writing her next story.
