The Wicked Wallflowers

by Tammy Andresen

  It was as though cold water had been dumped over his head. His finger was still inside her and he started to pull it out but then pushed deeper. “I disagree.”

  She gasped and writhed against him, her body undulating to his movements. “It’s not that I don’t love you,” she said as he pulled out and then slowly pushed his finger back inside.

  “You’re mine, sweetheart. We belong together.” Then he pulled at the front of his breeches, likely tearing several buttons but he didn’t care. “Do you really want all of me?”

  “Yes.” She turned back to him, her lips clinging to his in a long kiss.

  He removed his fingers and pushed her skirts even further up her waist. “Then you get all of me, Em. You get the parts where I inherited a failing earldom. The parts where I wasn’t welcome in any drawing room. The part where I was near broken by another woman. Where I scraped and scrimped and saved and worked to put my holdings back together.” He leaned down and kissed her as the head of his manhood pressed against her folds. He shook as he kept himself from pushing inside. “You get the part where I started a gaming hall to make enough money just to participate in a season so that I might meet you.”

  She gasped and pushed against the tip as he sank inside her a bit. She dug her fingers into his shoulders. “That’s what that place was? For men to gamble?”

  “Yes.” He gritted his teeth. “And I stayed as long as I did after I asked you to marry me, because I want to renovate a home for you to live in. The house you deserve. We’ll have to live on my lands after that but I’ve grown the profits and I think we can do it. So tell me. Emily. Do you want all of me or not?”

  She looked up into his eyes, her hazel gaze filled with a light he’d never seen before. “Yes, I want all of you.”

  “Even the not-so-pretty parts?” His jaw was clenched in agony.

  “All of it.” She pushed again and he slid inside her part way, her channel so tight that every muscle in his body shook with effort to maintain control. She felt better than anything he’d known before.

  “As my wife?” He swirled his hips, pulling out of her and she whimpered, reaching to hold him close.

  “Yes, as your wife.”

  He couldn’t take another second and he thrust inside her, feeling her maidenhead tear. She gave a cry of pain and he cupped her cheek, finding her lips. “I swear to you, Emily. I’ll never keep another secret again.”

  She kissed him back, their bodies locked together. “I believe you.”

  Slowly he slid out of her and then back in, giving her body time to adjust as he kissed her again and again. They said no more words as their bodies moved together. When she tightened around him, crying out, he exploded inside her, their breath panting together.

  Emily was his forever.

  Chapter Four

  Back at the Den of Sins…

  Daring sat staring at his friends. The women who were supposed to be the evening’s entertainment had finally arrived minutes after the proper ladies had left. He’d sent the professionals away. He needed to keep his wits about him, not lose himself in a harlot. Besides, after the encounter he’d just had, the women of the trade had lost their appeal.

  They were willing and eager, almost nauseatingly so, wanting the deed over as quickly as possible. He realized that what he actually craved was a…challenge. A woman who would not give in easily, a woman who would test him at every turn a woman…like Minnie.

  Bloody hell, was that her actual name? Couldn’t be.

  “Gentlemen, we have a problem,” he said, flipping one of the coins that sat in front of him. “The question is, what are we going to do about it?”

  Exile sat up in his chair, his neck giving a menacing crack. “I’ll tell you what we’re not doing. We’re not hurting those women. Any man who is thinking that will have to go through me.”

  “No one is hurting them,” Malice answered. His own fist clenched. “We rarely stand together on anything, Exile, but in this I am with you. You’ll have to go through both of us and I’m going to be honest. You three would have a tough time accomplishing the deed.”

  Daring sat back, surprised. Not at Exile. The man was a gentle giant, but Malice treated most of life like a game that he always won. He rarely took anything seriously. “No one has proposed we should.”

  Bad thrummed his fingers on the table. “What we need is a bit of assurance that those ladies keep our secret. They could leak details about who we are or the club without implicating themselves.”

  “And then we could out them for having been here.” Vice added. “Whichever one said it was right…they’ve more to lose than we do.”

  Daring shook his head. “That one standing toe-to-toe with me, I don’t trust her not to share out of sheer spite. She might be smart enough to out us without entangling herself.” He scrubbed his cheek. “But perhaps if we each saw fit to talk to the ladies personally. Make sure they understand the consequences of telling, then we might rest easier.”

  Bad’s fingers ceased their movement. “Each of us pick one woman to talk with. I like the idea. It has merit.”

  Vice kicked his feet up onto the table. “We could also use our private conversation to collect additional ammunition or just observe them and make certain they’re not the sort of addled-brained females that gossip without thinking through the consequences.”

  Exile’s neck cracked again. “What does that mean? Additional ammunition?”

  Vice held up his hands. “I just mean that we collect a bit of information on them. If they seem as though they might share our hidden occupation, we figure out a way to make sure they don’t. Nothing that would actually hurt them, but we’d have just enough to keep them quiet.”

  Exile drew in a deep breath. “We could marry them.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Daring nearly choked on his own spit. Partially because the idea was unexpected. He’d thought the idea of marriage would be revolting but instead, he found the notion rather pleasant. “Marry that viper?”

  Exile cocked a brow. “I didn’t name a specific woman. Which viper are you referring to Your Grace?”

  Damn, he’d stepped into that one.

  But before he could answer, Malice stepped in. “The idea of marriage does have some merit.”

  “Did Jack infect you?” Bad stared at Malice as though the man belonged in the asylum.

  Malice rolled his eyes. “I didn’t fall in love with a single glance, you egit. We’ll all have to marry eventually. It’s part of the title. And they already know our secret so that saves us from the sticky situation Jack is in. As far as I’m concerned, perhaps I could marry that little country mouse who felt rather nice. I’ll tuck her into my country estate and visit a few times a year to ensure I have an heir.”

  “Delightful.” Vice curled his lip. “You’ve managed to sully the most Godly pursuit we’re likely to engage in…marriage.”

  “That does beg the question,” Daring interrupted. “Malice clearly has a Chase girl (I don’t know what this means – “Chase girl”, chosen?) in mind. Which woman does each of us address?”

  Malice spoke first. “I want Cordelia.”

  “You want Cordelia? That’s your country mouse? Are you certain?” Bad asked, cracking his knuckles.

  Malice gave him a look of death. “Who’s your choice?”

  “That pretty blonde I walked out. I don’t remember her name. She was quiet though, which I like.” Bad gave them a wink. “I’ll not only observe her but woo her and then she’ll keep our secret because she wants to, she’ll be so enamored with me.”

  Vice gave a short bark of laughter. “Bloody fool.” Then he cleared his throat. “I like the redhead. I’ll hunt her for sport.”

  Daring felt possessive jealousy prickle down his spine. “The redhead is the girl I intend to bring to heel.”

  “Not the one with the bright red hair, you can have that minx. I want the quieter one with the auburn coloring. Reminds me of sunrise.”

  Daring’s
mouth hung slightly ajar. Was Vice waxing poetic? What the bloody hell was happening? “That leaves Exile with the dark-haired loudmouth, Diana.” Daring eyed Exile over the table.

  His friend gave a nod of ascent. “Fine with me.”

  “It’s settled then. We each have a chat with our chosen girl, collect some sort of guarantee that she keeps our secret and then go about our business.” Whatever each man decided that business was.

  The men around him nodded their assent but no one looked confident or happy. Daring understood. Deep in his gut he had the feeling that he’d never be the same again.

  Want to find out if Daring ruins Minnie or if Minnie tames the gnarly duke? Can Cordelia soothe the beast in Malice and will Diana prove too much for Exile? Just how bad is Bad and will he ruin Grace? And what will sweet Ada do when the Viscount of Vice hunts her down? Find out in the new series: “Lords of Scandal!”

  Duke of Daring now available for pre-order!

  Duke of Daring

  He’s known as the Duke of Daring…but is he brave enough to take on one feisty spinster?

  The Duke of Darlington is on a mission. He needs to protect his secret gaming hell from a group of debutantes who’ve stumbled upon his covert business. The problem… Miss Minerva Chase is not the average lady. From the moment his compatriots assign Daring to keep watch over the fiery redhead, she begins stirring trouble. Not only is her tongue sharper than any sword he’s faced but her lips are achingly soft while she tosses barb after barb in his direction. He’d like to throttle her, or kiss her, or perhaps protect the very spirit that drives him mad.

  Minnie knows a pompous, arrogant, infuriating man when she meets one and she will not be intimidated. So what if he’s a duke with a secret? She won’t bend, not even when she realizes that he pushes her away because he’s been hurt before; a hurt she’s experienced herself. And she will not give in to his will, even when his kiss lights her body to flame. But when he needs her help… well, that’s a little more difficult for a girl to refuse.

  The problem is that once she’s seen his softer side, she’s in jeopardy of succumbing to the Duke of Daring. When it comes to love, is she brave enough to give away her heart?

  Order your copy today! Duke of Daring

  Check out the rest of the series as well…

  Marquess of Malice

  Earl of Exile

  Viscount of Vice

  Baron of Bad

  Earl of Sin

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  www.tammyandresen.com

  Hugs!

  About the Author

  Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of eighteen, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.

  Find out more about Tammy:

  http://www.tammyandresen.com/

  https://www.facebook.com/authortammyandresen

  https://twitter.com/TammyAndresen

  https://www.pinterest.com/tammy_andresen/

  https://plus.google.com/+TammyAndresen/

  Read Tammy Andresen’s other books:

  Seeds of Love: Prequel to the Lily in Bloom series

  Lily in Bloom

  Midnight Magic

  Other Titles by Tammy

  How to Reform a Rake

  Don’t Tell a Duke You Love Him

  Meddle in a Marquess’s Affairs

  Never Trust an Errant Earl

  Never Kiss an Earl at Midnight

  Make a Viscount Beg

  Wicked Lords of London

  Earl of Sussex

  My Duke’s Seduction

  My Duke’s Deception

  My Earl’s Entrapment

  My Duke’s Desire

  My Wicked Earl

  Brethren of Stone

  The Duke’s Scottish Lass

  Scottish Devil

  Wicked Laird

  Kilted Sin

  Rogue Scot

  The Fate of a Highland Rake

  A Laird to Love

  Christmastide with my Captain

  My Enemy, My Earl

  Heart of a Highlander

  A Scot’s Surrender

  A Laird’s Seduction

  Taming the Duke’s Heart

  Taming a Duke’s Reckless Heart

  Taming a Duke’s Wild Rose

  Taming a Laird’s Wild Lady

  Taming a Rake into a Lord

  Taming a Savage Gentleman

  Taming a Rogue Earl

  Fairfield Fairy Tales

  Stealing a Lady’s Heart

  Hunting for a Lady’s Heart

  Entrapping a Lord’s Love: Coming in February of 2018

  American Historical Romance

  Lily in Bloom

  Midnight Magic

  The Golden Rules of Love

  Boxsets!!

  Taming the Duke’s Heart Books 1-3

  American Brides

  A Laird to Love

  Wicked Lords of London

  About the Author

  Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of eighteen, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.

  Find out more about Tammy:

  http://www.tammyandresen.com/

  https://www.facebook.com/authortammyandresen

  https://twitter.com/TammyAndresen

  https://www.pinterest.com/tammy_andresen/

  https://plus.google.com/+TammyAndresen/

  Read Tammy Andresen’s other books:

  Seeds of Love: Prequel to the Lily in Bloom series

  Lily in Bloom

  Midnight Magic

  Other Titles by Tammy Andresen

  Boxed sets!!

  Taming the Duke’s Heart Books 1-3

  Taming the Duke’s Heart Books 4-6

  A Laird to Love Books 1-3

  A Laird to Love Books 4-6

  Wicked Lords of London Books 1-3

  Wicked Lords of London Books 4-6

  Wicked Lords of London

  Earl of Sussex

  My Duke’s Seduction

  My Duke’s Deception

  My Earl’s Entrapment

  My Duke’s Desire

  My Wicked Earl

  New: Taming the Duke’s Heart

  Taming a Defiant Duke

  Taming a Wicked Rake

  Taming an Unrepentant Earl

  Taming my Christmas (Coming in November of 2019)

  How to Reform a Rake

  How to Reform a Rake

  Don’t Tell a Duke You Love Him

  Meddle in a Marquess’s Affairs

  Never Trust an Errant Earl

  Never Kiss an Earl at Midnight

  Make a Viscount Beg

  Brethren of Stone

  The Duke’s Scottish Lass

  Scottish Devil

  Wicked Laird

  Kilted Sin

  Rogue Scot

  The Fate of a Highland Rake

  A Laird to Love

  Christmastide with my Captain (FREE!!!)

  My Enemy, My Earl

  Heart of a Highlander

  A Scot’s Surrender

  My Laird’s Seduction


  The Earl’s Forsaken Bride

  Taming the Duke’s Heart

  Taming a Duke’s Reckless Heart (FREE!! Check it out today!)

  Taming a Duke’s Wild Rose

  Taming a Laird’s Wild Lady

  Taming a Rake into a Lord

  Taming a Savage Gentleman

  Taming a Rogue Earl