He chuckled. “Ah, so, you wish to play hard to get, Miss Mossant? Make you feel more like a lady?” He spun her in his arms and shoved her off the path, behind one of the tall hedges.
And then his mouth landed on hers.
Stunned, Rhoda pushed against his chest and twisted her head. The taste of whiskey and cigars evoking a wave of nausea.
“Don’t play games with me.” He was stronger than he looked. One arm held her in place and the other hitched her skirt higher.
How had this happened? In the matter of a few seconds, she went from casually strolling through the Countess of Crabtree’s garden to fighting off a vicious attack! She kicked out at him, but as her slippers encountered his boots, she realized the futility of such a strategy.
“Stop it, my lord!” She tried imploring him. Perhaps she had been too passive, allowing him to touch her as he had throughout the dance. Had he thought she wanted him to do this? “My lord, stop! Please! I don’t want—”
But his mouth smothered her pleas.
Real panic set in. The man’s hand was now clutching at her bare leg. “Ah, yes, you like a little fight, eh?” He ground their teeth together. Rhoda didn’t know if the blood she tasted was his or her own.
“The lady has asked you to stop, Kensington. I suggest you honor her request.”
Thank heavens! The voice of her rescuer sounded vaguely familiar.
Pausing his assault, Kensington lifted his mouth from hers and tensed. “Walk away, White. You know nothing of these matters.”
Mr. White! “Stop My Lord! Let me go!” Rhoda took advantage of Flavion’s momentary distraction and pushed at him with all her might. Surprised at what was poking into her stomach, she drew back her knee and then shot it forward in as swift a motion as she could make.
Flavion released her instantly and bent over forward. “You bitch!” he bit out.
But Rhoda wasn’t going to wait around to listen to insults. And neither, it seemed, was Mr. White. For he’d taken hold of her arm and practically dragged her toward the manor. Once safely on the terrace, he slowed their pace and tucked her hand upon his arm. “Such a lovely night for a stroll.” His voice sounded surprisingly calm and matter of fact.
He’d realized, of course, that they were no longer alone. She hoped she didn’t look as distraught as she felt. There were other couples present who had been drawn outside by the fresh air. Lady Smyth and Lord Harris nodded in their direction as they strolled by. He touched his thumb to her lip, as though she were a child, and then patted her arm reassuringly.
“Remind me never to anger you, Miss Mossant.” He spoke softly.
Preview End
Hell of a Lady releases December 2018! If you would like to be emailed as soon as it’s available at a special discounted pre-order price, click here to be added to the list. You’ll also be entered to win special pre-order giveaways and prizes just for being on the list! Thank you for reading my books and supporting me! You, dear reader, are who I write for.
More by Annabelle Anders
Historical Regency Romance (Novels)
Hell Hath No Fury (The Devil’s Debutantes, Book 1)
Cecily Nottingham has made a huge mistake! She married an earl who, climbing out of her bed the next morning, admitted to only wanting her dowry. The rat loves another woman but won’t set Cecily free. To keep the money, he must keep her.
Raised by a ruthless businessman, Cecily refuses to accept the hand she’s been dealt and vows to free herself from her marriage. She is nobody’s milksop and at this point has nothing to lose! Hoping to goad the earl into divorcing her, she sets out to seduce his older cousin, Stephen Nottingham. And heaven help her, Stephen is everything her husband is not: Honorable, loyal, trustworthy…
Stephen Nottingham has returned to England to save his cousin’s estate from financial ruin but finds himself trying to save his cousin’s life instead. For the bounder betrayed his new countess something fierce and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned… Torn between strangling his cousin, and kissing his cousin’s wife, Stephen’s honor is in for one heck of a beating.
Amid snakes, duels and a good catfight, Cecily realizes the game she’s playing has high stakes indeed. There are only a few ways to end a marriage in Regency England and none of them come without a high price. Is she willing to pay it? Is Stephen? A ‘Happily Ever After’ hangs in the balance, because, yes, love can conquer all, but sometimes it needs a little bit of help.
Hell In A Hand Basket (The Devil’s Debutantes, Book 2)
“Thus reads the Banns of marriage between Lord Harold Brooks and Miss Sophia Babineaux.
If any of you know cause why these two should not be joined in Holy matrimony, ye are to declare it.”
Would anybody declare it?
Please?
THE BRIDE wants to declare it. The heat Sophia feels for another man has given her a bad case of cold feet! She’d never even been kissed, how was she to know the importance of sizzle? By the time she realizes her mistake it may be too late…
THE GROOM never wanted to marry Sophia in the first place. His interests (ahem) lie elsewhere. Unfortunately, with a duke for a father, Lord Harold’s opinion makes no difference at all.
So it’s up to war hero and rake, Captain Devlin Brooks to set matters right. He’s returned from war and ready to settle down, unfortunately the girl he’s wants is, well, ah… unavailable.
But he has a plan.
Once set in motion, one lie turns into a spiral of deceit and guilt. Was one shot at heaven worth a lifetime of hell?
Because love endures but the heart has it’s limits.
Or does it?
Nobody’s Lady
DUKES DON’T NEED HELP, OR DO THEY?
Michael Redmond, the Duke of Cortland, needs to be in London—most expeditiously—but a band of highway robbers have thwarted his plans. Purse-pinched, coachless, and mired in mud, he stumbles on Lilly Beauchamp, the woman who betrayed him years ago.
LADIES CAN’T BE HEROES, OR CAN THEY?
Michael was her first love, her first lover, but he abandoned her when she needed him most. She’d trusted him, and then he failed to meet with her father as promised. A widowed stepmother now, Lilly loves her country and will do her part for the Good of England—even if that means aiding this hobbled and pathetic duke.
THEY LOST THEIR CHANCE AT LOVE, OR DID THEY?
A betrothal, a scandal, and a kidnapping stand between them now. Can honor emerge from the ashes of their love?
A Lady’s Prerogative
HE WANTS TO BE GOOD BUT SHE WANTS TO BE BAD
It’s not fair!
Titled rakes can practically get away with murder but one tiny little misstep and a debutante is sent away to the country. Which is where Lady Natalie Spencer is stuck after jilting her betrothed.
Frustrated with her banishment, she’s finished being a good girl and ready to be a little naughty. Luckily, she has brothers, one of whom as brought home his delightfully gorgeous friend.
After recently inheriting an earldom, Garrett Castleton is determined to turn over a new leaf and shed the roguish lifestyle he adopted years ago. His friend’s sister, no matter how enticing, is off limits. He has a run-down estate to manage and tenants to save from destitution.
Can love find a compromise between the two, or will their stubborn natures get them both into even more trouble?
About the Author
Married to the same man for over 25 years, I am a mother to three children and two Miniature Wiener dogs After owning a business and experiencing considerable success, my husband and I got caught in the financial crisis and lost everything; our business, our home, even our car.
At this point, I put my B.A. in Poly Sci to use and took work as a waitress and bartender. Unwilling to give up on a professional life, I simultaneously went back to college and obtained a degree in Energy Management. And then the energy market dropped off.
And then my dog died. I can only be grateful for t
his series of unfortunate events, for, with nothing to lose and completely demoralized, I sat down and began to write the romance novels which had until then, existed only my imagination. I am happy to have found my place in life. Finally.
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Hell's Belle Page 29