Love is the one risk he doesn’t have the heart to dare.
THE DUKE OF DARING
The Untouchables #2
Darcy Burke
Releasing July 5th, 2016
Miss
Lucinda Parnell is out of money. A dismal failure at the Marriage Mart, she’d
just as soon leave Society far behind. Desperate to earn funds to retire with
her grandmother to the country, Lucy disguises herself as a man to gamble in
London’s hells. But the Earl of Dartford, an Untouchable she never imagined
speaking to let alone spending time with, is onto her in a trice. When he
insists on acting as her protector, Lucy fears her chance to remain an
independent woman is destined to go up in flames.
After
losing his entire family, Andrew Wentworth, Earl of Dartford built a wall
to keep attachments at bay. He believed he could keep Miss Parnell safe without
compromising his defenses, but she’s exciting and irresistible. Their deepening
relationship makes him even more determined to push her away. Nothing will stop
him from trying to avoid reliving the anguish of loss. Love is the one risk he
doesn’t have the heart to dare.
BUY NOW
Andrew took a deep
breath and dashed across the street, intercepting her at the corner. “Good
evening, Miss Parnell. Where are we off to this evening?”
She stopped upon seeing
him and now glared up at him, her jaw clenched. “You were waiting for me.”
“I was. Couldn’t let you
venture out alone again. I’m sure you understand.”
“I understand you’re a
nuisance.”
He straightened his
coat. “So you like to say, but I prefer to think of myself as an assistant. Or
maybe even a guide.”
She opened her mouth,
then snapped it shut again. Then she turned but didn’t move away. She spun back
around, her gaze a glorious blaze of outraged affront. “How did you find out
who I am?”
He’d felt beholden to
learn her identity and to do whatever he could to prevent her from behaving
recklessly. “I watched where you went last night, ascertained who lived at that
address, and the rest was quite simple.”
“Well, good for you, but
that changes nothing.” Her gaze turned wary. “Unless you plan to expose me.”
“I do not. I’m the Duke
of Daring, not the Duke of Gossip.” He decided he liked the nickname she’d
given him.
She frowned. It seemed
she still didn’t trust him.
“Does your grandmother
know what you’re about?” he asked.
For the first time, she
looked worried. “No, and you mustn’t tell her.” She glanced away. “I don’t wish
to concern her. She has enough weighing on her mind.”
He moved closer and
spoke softly. “I won’t tell her, but you must agree to my terms.”
She went back to glaring
at him, and he realized he’d tensed at her reaction to his question about her
grandmother. It was much easier to deal with her anger than her distress. “I
should’ve known you meant to extort me, but I still don’t understand why.”
“I’m a gentleman, Miss
Parnell, and a gentleman does not allow a lady to continue as you are. I would
never forgive myself. Daring exploits are fine and good for me, but not for
you.”
Her eyes widened, and
her lips curled into a snarl. “Is that what you think this is? Some sort of
escapade I’ve undertaken for a bit of excitement? How nice it must be to live
for such nonsense.”
He ignored her insults,
realizing he’d hit another nerve—like the comment she’d made about being
unmarried the night before. He’d learned very little about her today, just that
her grandmother was the widow of a baronet and that Miss Parnell was as good as
on the shelf. He might not be the Duke of Gossip, but he knew how to obtain
information when he needed it.
He crossed his arms over
his chest, undaunted. “Then tell me why you’re forced to do this. I truly wish
to help. Is my solicitude that shocking?”
She stared at him,
clearly disbelieving. “Yes, actually. No one pays me any mind. Or at least,
they never have.” She glanced down at herself. “I suppose it took me dressing
up as a man.” When she looked at him again, she seemed resigned. “You’re
incredibly pompous.”
“Call me the Duke of
Arrogance, then. I’ve been called worse.” He uncrossed his arms. “You have two
choices. You can tell me what you’re about and allow me to help you, or you can
go home, where we will inform your grandmother of your transgression.”
“This is not a transgression.
It’s a necessity. I merely need funds, you half-wit.” Her cheeks flushed a
pretty pink, and she’d never looked less like a man. He longed to see her
without her costume. He thought she must be quite lovely.
He didn’t bother tamping
down his exasperation. “I ascertained that all on my own, thank you. But then
any half-witwould, since you’ve been gambling. Why do
you need money?” He held up his hand. “And before you think to evade me again,
let me remind you that it’s only a matter of time until you find trouble with
this scheme.” He hadn’t expected her to be this stubborn. He decided it was
time for a new tack. “Let me prove that you can trust me. I will take you to
some hells this evening. You can gamble to your heart’s content, and I will
ensure your safety.”
She gave him a mutinous
glower. “I do not gamble to content my heart.”
“There’s no need to be
defensive. Do we have an accord?”
She tipped her head to
the side, and it was somehow a feminine action.
“Don’t do that,” he
said. “You look too much like a woman.”
She instantly
straightened.
“See how helpful I am?”
Darcy Burke is the USA Today bestselling author of hot,
action-packed historical and sexy, emotional contemporary romance. Darcy wrote
her first book at age 11, a happily-ever-after about a swan addicted to magic
and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations.
A native
Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming
husband, their two hilarious kids-who each seem to have inherited the writing
gene in some form-and two Bengal cats. In her "spare" time Darcy is a
serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say
"no," but she keeps having to start over. Her happy places are
Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge.
Thank you so much for featuring THE DUKE OF DARING!
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