Lovable Rogues Collection Part 1: 4 Historical Steamy Romance Short Stories: Lovable Rogues Collection, #1

By Elizabeth Reed

Lovable Rogues Collection Part 1: 4 Historical Steamy Romance Short Stories

Total word count 22,176.

Please note that each of these short stories can all be bought as a standalone single story.

The Gentleman’s Agreement
Alison is convinced she is having a continuous run of bad luck, with her cousin marrying Luke, the man to whom she had also formed a strong attachment!
Alison, feeling defeated, is just about to accept her cruel fate and head back to the lonely countryside, still a spinster, when Gregory, her good friend from childhood, makes her a tempting offer.
He asks Alison to marry him so he can collect on his inheritance, which he can only do as a married man as the terms of the will makes clear.
In return for Alison’s help, Gregory is prepared to make a gentleman’s agreement with her. He promises Alison that she will get a taste of adventure and independence if she agrees to his offer.
Ironically, it is only when she comes to find that Gregory has now grown the ability to have an unnerving effect on her senses that she actually considers the possibility of acting on his request—in an attempt to find out what it would be like to lie with Gregory as man and wife!

Her Lady’s Lesson in Passion and Love

Vanessa, as the lady of the house, does not take kindly to being ignored, especially not by Jacob, the devilishly handsome stable worker!
However, in confronting Jacob about his behaviour, Vanessa finds herself at his mercy as their joint anger and frustration turn into passion that ignites between them.  Jacob goes on to show Vanessa just who has the upper hand, as he teaches her an invaluable lesson in the art of pleasure!
It’s a lesson that Vanessa finds, to her surprise, that she very eager to learn at the expert hands of her new teacher!

The Mad Viscount
The Viscount and his maid Tara have both had their fair share of heartbreak and disappointments, with the result that they now want to guard against experiencing any more pain and vulnerability by distancing themselves from others.
And they might just have succeeded in their solemn vows, if their paths had not crossed and they were not confronted by an unexpected and powerful attraction that ignites between them.
Now they must decide whether to continue on their lone paths or give in to their passions for the other completely!

 

The Earl’s Fallen Woman
Daniel, the Earl of Chester, is having a very unusual day when he finds himself led into a brothel by his reckless friend Sam.
Even more surprisingly, once inside the whorehouse, he soon spots and becomes instantly besotted with a beautiful and mysterious lady called Lindsey.
But Lindsey is no fallen woman; she has ended up in the brothel under difficult circumstances. As such, she refuses to be bought at any price!
If Daniel is to get closer to Lindsey, he must gain her trust and break down the mental barriers she has put up to shield her emotions. For only once this is done can their strong attraction and desire for each other be acted upon!

Warning: Significant sexual content included within the story, strictly 18+ only

• Language: English
• Publisher: LB Books
• Release date: Jan 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781507025543

Elizabeth Reed

As long as I can remember I have always loved everything and anything to do with the romance genre. Enjoying writing, reading and watching a wide range of love stories. I am a true romantic at heart! So after studying for a philosophy degree and then going on to work in a corporate job in advertising, I decided to reconnect with my passion again! I now write mainly romance short stories, with the aim to share all of my ideas with others who also have an interest in romantic fiction. I write in a range of romance subgenres including erotic romance, contemporary, sweet, paranormal/fantasy fiction and historical. I hope to continue writing as long as my ideas keep flowing out from my mind. In early 2014 I experienced my own personal love story, when I married my one true love. I now live together with my husband in London.

Book preview

The Gentleman’s Agreement

Chapter 1

Alison was convinced more than ever that the old saying held true: Bad luck really did come in threes!

She reflected on the eventful news that she had just received from her cousin Maria. Her cousin was to be married; everyone in the household was in celebration on hearing the announcement, and they were to all have a special dinner party tonight to mark the happy occasion.

Alison had congratulated Maria on her future nuptials with a big smile, hoping her true feelings were not clear to see. She was relieved to take a step back, away from the noise, to gradually fade into the background as other family members surrounded Maria with delight and curiosity to hear the details of the proposal and to look with admiration at her beautiful engagement ring made up of a cluster of coloured precious stones.

Under any other circumstances, Alison would have been genuinely happy for her relative, wishing her well straight from her heart, despite any underlining tension and disagreement that had often lingered between them in the past. But she could not bring herself to feel happy for Maria, no matter how much she tried. Not when her cousin was marrying Luke, the man Alison had also formed a deep attachment to.

She left her family, who were still all loud with excitement in the living room, as she took haven in the empty library to catch her breath and try to compose herself before the dinner party ahead. She could not help but think resentfully that it should have been her; she should be the one marrying Luke!

For Luke had spotted her first, at the ball at the start of the London Season. And even when, later on, she had introduced Maria to him, in the early stages of their acquaintance Luke had still seemed to have eyes for her alone. Alison had believed he was initiating the courting process with his visits to her residence in London, when he had called upon her and sought out her good company, as he had often confessed to her openly. They had gone on several long, chaperoned walks together—not to mention his regular requests for her hand to dance at several of the parties they had both attended. She had taken all these instances as signals that there was growing feeling between them, but maybe now, on reflection, she had been mistaken at the time, and his interest in her had all been in her head!

Since then, her handsome admirer had all of a sudden lost all interest in her and changed his attentions to her cousin, who had willing accepted his flattery and advances, as Alison’s relationship with him became more lukewarm. Maria had taken her aside and asked her innocently and sweetly if it brought her too much upset that Luke was now officially courting her, with the pretence that she would stop any affection from deepening between them further and call the whole courtship off if Alison was too distressed by it. But Alison had replied that she was not hurt by any of their liaisons. She had urged Maria to follow her heart; even if her heart was pointed at Luke, telling her a blatant lie that she was happy for them both.

She wanted to rise above her disappointment, as she constantly told herself that it was not Luke’s fault that he had fallen in love with Maria in the end, and not with her. He could not fight his feelings and did not intentionally mean to hurt her. And neither did Maria, with whom she had grown up in the same household as young kids since the day Alison had come to stay with her auntie’s family. They were almost like sisters; Maria would not have taken Luke from her unless she had strong feelings for him.

But as much as she wanted to convince herself of these things, she could not help but remember her aunt’s words of caution, said out of kindness, for her to protect herself.

‘Alison, you are beautiful, to be sure. No man will be able to deny that, and neither will you initially lack for male attention. But, in London, some men desire more than pretty looks and grace; instead, they base a good match on the wealth that a woman may bring into a marriage. You will do well to remember this, and set your focus on a suitable gentleman who will look past your lack of dowry and take your hand out of love alone.’  Her aunt had said this flatly and honestly to her, not trying to hide the cold, hard truth.

Maybe she had not listened hard enough and remembered her aunt’s wise words. If she had paid more attention to her aunt, maybe she would not feel so downhearted.

But now she could not help but wonder if that had been the reason why Luke had lost interest in her so quickly. Had he found out she was penniless, a direct opposite to her cousin who had a very impressive dowry, a sum that would catch many a man’s attention?

Ironically, her lack of wealth was also the reason why she was the poor relation who lived with her aunt’s family. Her mother had married out of love to her father, a humble sailor, before giving birth to several children who all had to be clothed and fed. Her aunt, her mother’s sister, on the other hand, had caught the attention of a very affluent gentleman and been whisked away to a glamorous and extravagant life that she continued to enjoy. Luckily, her aunt had not forgotten her mother and had kindly taken Alison into her home to ease her dear sister’s burden.

Alison sighed, knowing that there was no point analysing her situation. Luke did not love her, and he was now marrying Maria. That was two parts of the bad news. And now she had to add to her woes, as a third disappointment, that she was soon due to retreat to the country where she was likely to stay for the foreseeable future, to serve as a constant full-time companion to her aunt, who claimed that good country living would be better for her flagging health.

Having had high expectations for Luke, which had not come into fruition, she had not established any lasting match with any other suitable gentlemen. The realisation was now hitting her that she might just be facing the increasing possibility of a life of spinsterhood!

Bad luck did indeed seem to come in threes! She just prayed that her fortune would eventually change for the better.

‘Come in?’ Alison said, as she heard the knocking at the door to the library, where she continued to hide.

‘My lady, there is a visitor,’ came the maid’s reply as she stepped into the room.

‘Who is it?’ Alison inquired.

‘It’s Gregory.’

‘Gregory! Oh, please, send him in.’ Alison felt slightly relieved