Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

A life-long romance reader, Sarah MacLean wrote her first romance novel on a dare, and never looked back. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romances translated into more than twenty languages, a romance columnist, and the co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, Fated Mates. A graduate of Smith College and Harvard University, she lives in New York City.

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A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love . . .

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Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

By Sarah MacLean

Avon

Copyright © 2010 Sarah MacLean
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780061852053

Chapter One

London, England
April 1823
The incessant pounding woke him.
He ignored it at first, sleep clouding the source of
the irritating noise.
There was a long pause and a thick silence fell over the
bedchamber.
Gabriel St. John, Marquess of Ralston, took in the early
morning light washing over the decadently appointed room.
For a moment, he remained still, registering the rich hues of
the chamber, adorned with silk wall coverings and gilded
edges, a garish haven of sensual pleasure.
Reaching for the lush female beside him, a half smile
played over his lips as she curved her willing, naked body
into his?the combination of the early hour and her heated
flesh returning him to the edge of slumber.
He lay still, eyes closed, trailing his fingertips idly across
his bedmate?s bare shoulder as one lithe, feminine hand
stroked down the rigid planes of his torso, the direction of
the caress a dark erotic promise.
Her touch became stronger, firmer, and he rewarded her
skill with a low growl of pleasure.
And the pounding began again?loud and constant on the
heavy oak door.
?Cease!? Ralston surged from his mistress?s bed, entirely
prepared to terrify his intruder into leaving him in peace
for the rest of the morning. He had barely pulled on his silk
dressing gown before he tore the door open with a wicked
curse.
On the threshold stood his twin brother, impeccably
dressed and perfectly manicured, as though it were entirely
normal to call upon one?s brother, at the home of his mistress,
at the crack of dawn. Behind Nicholas St. John stood
a sputtering servant, ?My lord, I did my best to keep him
from??
An icy look from Ralston stopped the words in the man?s
throat. ?Leave us.?
Nick watched as the footman scurried away, one brow
arched in amusement. ?I had forgotten how charming you
are in the morning, Gabriel.?
?What in God?s name brings you here at this hour??
?I went to Ralston House first,? Nick said, ?When you
weren?t there, this seemed the most likely place to find you.?
He let his gaze slide past his twin to land on the woman seated
in the center of the enormous bed. With a lazy grin, Nick
gave a nod of acknowledgment in the direction of his brother?s
mistress. ?Nastasia. My apologies for the intrusion.?
The Greek beauty stretched like a cat, sensual and sybaritic,
allowing the sheet she held in feigned modesty to slip,
revealing one luscious breast. A teasing smile played across
her lips as she said, ?Lord Nicholas. I assure you, I am not
the least bit put out. Perhaps you would like to join us . . .?
She paused suggestively. ?For breakfast??
Nick smiled appreciatively. ?A tempting offer.?
Ignoring the interaction, Ralston prodded. ?Nick, if you
are in such need of female companionship, I am certain we
could have found you a destination that did not so summarily
disturb my rest.?
Nick leaned against the doorframe, allowing his gaze to
linger on Nastasia before returning his attention to Ralston.
?Resting, were you, brother??
Ralston stalked away from the door, toward a basin in the
corner of the room, hissing as he splashed bracing water on
his face. ?You are enjoying yourself, aren?t you??
?Immensely.?
?You have mere seconds to tell me why you are here,
Nick, before I grow weary of having a younger sibling and
toss you out.?
?Intriguing that you would select such a relevant turn of
phrase,? Nick said casually. ?As it happens, your position as
eldest sibling is why I am here.?
Ralston lifted his head to meet his brother?s gaze as droplets
of water coursed down his face.
?You see, Gabriel, it appears that we have a sister.?
?A half sister.?
Ralston spoke flatly, staring down his solicitor, waiting
for the bespectacled man to overcome his nerves and
explain the circumstances of this surprise announcement.
Ralston had perfected the intimidation tactic in gambling hells
across London and expected that it would work quickly to
get the little man talking.
He was correct.
?I?that is, my lord??
Ralston cut him off, stalking across the study to pour himself
a drink. ?Spit it out, man. I haven?t got all day.?
?Your mother??
?My mother, if one may use such a word for the unloving
creature who bore us, departed England for the Continent
more than twenty-five years ago.? He swirled the amber
liquid in his glass, affecting a look of boredom, ?How are
we to believe this girl is our sister and not some charlatan
eager to capitalize on our goodwill??
?Her father is a Venetian merchant with plenty of money,
all of which he left to her.? The solicitor paused, adjusting
his spectacles, warily eyeing Ralston. ?My lord, he had no
reason to lie about her birth. Indeed, by all accounts, it
appears that he would prefer not to have alerted you to her
existence.?
?Then why do so??
?She has no other family to speak of although I am told
that friends were willing to take her in. According to the
documents that were sent to my offices, however, this is
your mother?s doing. She requested that her??he paused,
uncertain??husband . . . send your . . . sister . . . here in
the event of his death. Your mother felt certain that you
would . . .? He cleared his throat. ?Do right by your family.?
Ralston?s smile held no humor. ?Ironic, is it not, that our
mother has called upon our sense of familial obligation??
The solicitor did not pretend to misunderstand the comment.
?Indeed, my lord. But, if I may, the girl is here and
very sweet. I?m not certain what to do with her.? He spoke
no more, but his meaning was understood. I?m not certain I
should leave her in your hands.
?Of course, she must stay here,? Nick finally spoke, drawing
the grateful attention of the solicitor and an irritated look
from his brother. ?We shall take her in. She must be rather in
shock, I?d imagine.?
?Indeed, my lord.? The solicitor readily agreed, latching
onto the kindness in Nick?s eyes.
?I had not realized that you were able to make such decisions
in this house, brother,? Ralston drawled, his gaze not
wavering from the solicitor.
?I?m simply shortening Wingate?s agony,? Nick replied,
with a nod to the lawyer. ?You won?t turn away blood.?
Nick was, of course, correct. Gabriel St. John, seventh
Marquess of Ralston would not deny his sister, regardless of
his deep-seated desire to do so. Raking a hand through his
black hair, Ralston wondered at the anger that still flared at
the thought of his mother, whom he hadn?t seen in decades.
She had been married at a young age?barely sixteen?
and had borne twin sons within a year. She was gone a
decade later, escaped to the Continent, leaving her sons
and their father in despair. For any other woman, Gabriel
would have felt sympathy, would have understood her fear
and forgiven her desertion. But he had witnessed his father?s
sorrow, felt the pain that the loss of a mother had caused.
And he had replaced sadness with anger. It had been years
before he was able to speak of her without a knot of fury
rising in...