An Unsuitable Entanglement

By Melissa Johnson

Romance is not on the agenda for Alison Gray. The take-charge Guardian found her confidence shaken by the role she played to restore her beloved Order of time-traveling Guardians to its former honor. Now, armed with a list of names she paid a high price to obtain, all she cares about is finding the Guardians who have been unfairly banished and bring them home. For this she needs help...preferably from a trained Guardian. Instead, she gets Lord Percifield, a 19th century English peer who doesn't seem to have a serious bone in his admittedly splendid body.

Percy has worked hard to build a reputation as a gentleman without a care in the world. It suits his purpose to have the world think him a fool. But his cover may soon be blown to bits when he teams up on an adventure with a beautiful woman whose superior attitude tests his pride. It can only be described as an entirely unsuitable entanglement!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melissa Johnson
• Release date: Jan 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311006929

Melissa Johnson

My favorite things in romance are often ghosts, time travel, historical settings, plots with amnesia, eccentric secondary characters, humor, and romantic suspense. These characteristics describe what I love to read and I'm drawn to include them in my own stories. (So far, not quite all have been in one story, but it's close!) I also put my love of writing and history to use in my blog and I have written The Historical Research Companion to Everything of Interest to a Romance Writer, a research/reference book. I worked as a legal secretary in Washington, DC for many years before moving back to my small hometown in Northern Minnesota. In recent years, in addition to my writing and my role as a mom to one, I returned to college for a degree in Biology, with an emphasis in Ecology.

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An Unsuitable Entanglement

Guardian Angel Series, Book 2

By Melissa Johnson

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2016 Melissa Johnson

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Text Copyright © 2016 Melissa Johnson

All Rights Reserved

Table of Contents

Places, People and Things to Know

Chapter1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Sneak Peek, Worth the Risk

About the Author

Places, People and Things to Know

The Order of Guardians – Time travelers who assist those in need.

Dragon’s Keep – The original home world of the Order of Guardians.

The Castle – Built as a school for the Guardians, it was separated from Dragon’s Keep for twenty years by the Barrier. The Guardians who grew up at the Castle believed this was their home world.

The Barrier – A magical force field between Dragon’s Keep and the Castle.

The High Council – Immortal leaders of Dragon’s Keep. Two of these immortals, the twin brothers Eric and Thaddeus -- one good, one evil -- find themselves on opposite sides of the Barrier.

The Lockets – Talismans that allowed the Guardian children to find their way back home when they were first learning to teleport. The lockets were destroyed by Thaddeus to create the Barrier…all but one, that is.

Banishment – Thaddeus’ preferred method of punishment at the Castle. The banished did not have powers.

Subjects – People assigned to the Guardians.

Image Enhancers – Screens that allowed the Guardians to view and track their Subjects.

Order of Events

The Castle – Prequel to the Guardian Angel Series

At the Grand Opening of the Castle, Thaddeus carries out his plan to separate the Castle from Dragon’s Keep. The Barrier is created, leaving the Dragon’s Keep side a magical wasteland. Their only hope is Heather, Eric’s wife, who has the sole surviving locket that will allow her to cross the Barrier. Heather attempts to destroy the Barrier, but aborts her magic spell when Thaddeus begins to age before her eyes, and she knows Eric will die if the Barrier is destroyed. Heather finds herself banished, and Eric doesn’t know they have a child, a daughter Ariana. Four years later, Thaddeus reappears in Heather’s new life in England to take Ariana and bring her to the Castle.

If I Stay, Book 1

Twenty years after the Barrier went up between the Castle and Dragon’s Keep, Eric and Heather’s daughter is all grown up. She’s a devoted Guardian, but she’s been raised to believe the Castle is home and Dragon’s Keep is a place of exile. She and her Guardian colleagues have been taught new Rules that they are not to question. But they do! Thaddeus tries to keep everyone in line with the threat of banishment, but things begin to go awry at about the same time. The Barrier begins to weaken and his niece starts to break the Rules to be with a certain troublesome Subject the Duke of Claymore, Justin Montrose. She’s busy falling in love! The truth about her past is pieced together, and it falls on Ariana to either help her uncle strengthen the Barrier or complete the task her mother couldn’t finish by destroying it. A third option, reversing the Barrier, surprises everyone. Now it’s the Castle that is the magical wasteland. It is also the place of Thaddeus’ exile.

An Unsuitable Entanglement, Book 2

Where we’re at now…

The Castle Guardians and the Dragon’s Keep Guardians have been reunited. Families who were separated twenty years ago are getting reacquainted. But not everyone came back, and former Castle Guardian Alison Gray vows she will locate the banished Guardians and see them reunited with their loved ones. Only, so far, not a one has been found. What Alison needs is some help on her mission, and she finds it from Lord Percifield Winthorpe, Earl of Strathmore.

Chapter 1

March, 1816 - Bramleigh Park, England

You want examples of the man's incompetence? Alison had plenty. Where do I begin? I will start with the most important. You seem to have forgotten he can’t even teleport without getting sick.

Ariana shrugged off her valid point with an unconcerned lift of a slim shoulder. It is hardly fair to use that incident against him. It happened one time. Once does not make a pattern. Perhaps he won’t be laid low by the experience the next time.

Alison gave an inelegant snort. I will pass on being present if there is a next time, thank you very much.

Was Ariana even listening to her? She smiled across the candlelit ballroom, her besotted focus, Alison knew, on her husband, the duke. Although how she found him in a sea of gentlemen all attired in black and white she didn't know. To her, they seemed like life-size puppets who’d had their movements choreographed in advance --bow to the ladies dressed in their colorful finery and sparkling jewels, elegantly offer them an arm to lay a gloved hand upon, and lead them gracefully onto the dance floor. It was slightly hypnotic to witness.

She heaved a gusty sigh. It had been a mistake to come. She'd managed to corner Ariana to talk, but this ball, a belated wedding reception for them, was not the place to talk shop. Perhaps, if she had not approached Ariana while she was so firmly entrenched in her role as a duchess, she wouldn’t have voiced the notion her husband’s best friend, Lord Percifield Winthorpe, Earl of Strathmore, could possibly be considered a candidate for recruitment in guardian affairs. Granted, she had a grudging respect for Justin’s proven ability to adapt, but that respect did not extend to Lord Percifield.

Her gaze swept the ballroom. Where was he anyway? He should be easy to spot. She'd already made the observation earlier in the evening that black and white would not do for Lord Strathmore! Oh, no. Everything about the man was golden, from his hair to his coat of gold brocade. He'd noticed her noticing him and he'd raised his glass in acknowledgement. She'd scowled. The man liked to be noticed entirely too much. Not finding him now, she got back to the business of listing his faults. He’s an idiot.

Ariana turned her head, giving Alison her full attention. Why do you dislike him so?

My opinion has nothing to do with like or dislike. I have simply assessed his skills and found them lacking. He is entirely unsuitable. For one thing, he is too beautiful by far. He's like a Greek god.

Ariana’s eyes sparkled with laughter. Since when is that a fault?

With a face and body like his, how could he possibly blend into the background? He probably gets distracted by his own image in every mirror. Speaking of distracted, the recurring malady had apparently struck again. Ariana's gaze fixated over her shoulder and Alison assumed the duke had relocated. She resisted the temptation to snap her fingers in front of Ariana's face. Shall I go on?

Ariana bit her lip. You might not want to do that.

Why stop now? I'm just getting started. She paused to take a breath to continue, but found she’d lost her train of thought. Where was she on the unsuitability list of Lord Strathmore? Before she could begin, a deep voice inserted itself somewhere above her left ear.

What, may I ask, has my face and body disqualified me from?

Percy. How had he managed to appear behind her unnoticed? Not about to credit him with some unwarranted skill of stealth, she blamed the chatter and bustle of the crowded ballroom for allowing him to sneak up on her.

Nothing to concern yourself with, Lord Strathmore. She turned to face him, irked that he could tower over her. It made it difficult to look down her nose at him, but she hoped the disdain in her voice made up for the unfamiliar loss of her height advantage. "Your talents are not required."

He arched an eyebrow. None of them? Are you sure you don't want to find out what they might be first?

His husky voice suggested wicked talents. Alison cursed the flush she felt warm her head to toe. Quite certain.

His dimples flashed. Why Alison Gray, I do believe you need some fresh air to cool your cheeks. He held out his arm. May I escort you onto the terrace where we can continue talking about our favorite subject?

He meant himself, of course. I'd rather be covered in honey and thrown on an ant hill.

Lucky ants.

This had to stop. Ari, make him... She turned, but Ariana was gone. Where did she...?

Percy shrugged. She left a while ago. He blinked with deceptive innocence. Didn't you notice?

She had not, as he knew very well. No doubt he took her lack of observation as a sign of enthrallment with his company.

Dance with me.

He was persistent, she had to give him that. I don’t believe you are on my dance card.

It was a flimsy excuse. No one else had claimed a slot either. Several men had approached her, but she refused to be a participant in the first step of their foolish ritual. She'd told them exactly that.

Percy took the card from her hand before she could hide it. She stiffened, annoyed at the sudden, unexpected wish for her card to be filled to capacity. She expected a smart remark, perhaps even a pitying glance, but all he did was scribble his name on the first slot.

I appear to be next. Again he offered his arm. Shall we?

A lively Scottish reel had just ended and the dancers were already paired for a waltz. They were getting curious stares from the guests. With each passing second, she created a mini-scandal simply by doing nothing.

Oh, very well, she said ungraciously. At least she should be able to manage the simpler dance steps of a sedate stroll around the dance floor.

He swept her into the slow, measured restrains of the waltz begun by a sole violin. She could handle this.

Now back to me and my talents.

A groan escaped her at the recommencement of his special brand of torture. Must we?

His deep chuckle told her she hadn't hurt his feelings in the slightest. Did you know that I can recite the names and rank of the peerage from memory?

She removed a gloved hand resting on his upper arm to cover an exaggerated yawn. Scintillating.

He caught her hand, his grip firm. Startled, she locked eyes with him. The music had slowed to almost a stop, and in the moment of suspended animation she heard a giggle from a young woman nearby. Alison noticed she wasn't the only one. The ballroom seemed to swell with twitters of anticipation. Of what? Percy slowly smiled. He seemed to