Temptation Incarnate (No Rules for Rogues Book 3) Read online

  Gabriel’s smile widened. Beautiful, well read, and witty? What were the odds? ‘And for this sin there is no remedy—much like the wound you’ve done me, my fair Daphne.’

  Her brows drew together as she considered him, the winged shape flattening. She crossed her arms, breasts rising another degree like an incoming tide. She really did look familiar. Why couldn’t he remember? How could he have forgotten such a woman?

  Gabriel took one small step to the right, placing himself between her and the courtyard’s only exit. Her gaze left his, darted over his shoulder and back again. His strategy hadn’t escaped her notice. Her moment of panic had dissipated, leaving her calm, and—he grinned again—condescending in a queenly way.

  She stared him down, batting her eyes at him the way his cousin did when she thought him deliberately obtuse. ‘Tis a sin to flatter, sir, and you’d do well to remember your Greek; Apollo lost his nymph.’

  Gabriel gave a bark of laughter, startling the thrushes in the hedge into flight. They escaped in a loud, chattering swarm, spiraling upwards and away.

  ‘The sun god must have been a bit slow, but we were quoting Shakespeare, not the classics, let us return to whence we came…’ He smiled his most beguiling smile, the one he used to set young ladies fluttering, to scandalize dowagers. The one that always made his cousin rap him with her fan. He took a deliberate step towards the lady in the monstrous hat. She held her ground, merely raking her glance up and down him appraisingly. ‘Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.’

  ‘Man-like it is to fall into sin, Fiend-like to dwell therein.’

  ‘That’s not Shakespeare.’ His smile widened. It was beyond his control. He was going to have to kiss her. There was simply no help for it. ‘You’re wandering afield again.’

  ‘It’s from a German poet, but apt all the same.’

  ‘Now, now. Let’s stick to our parameters…’ He took another step towards her, getting within arms-length. ‘Repent you, fair one, of the sin you carry.’

  ‘The sin I carry?’ One arched brow rose. ‘I thought we were speaking of your sin, sir?’

  ‘My sin? Love is my sin.’

  She snorted.

  There was no other word for it. It wasn’t a giggle; couldn’t even vaguely be construed a titter. It was a snort, and a rather derisive one at that. Gabriel closed the last step between them, casting his hat aside as he did so. His hands closed on crisply glazed cotton, and for the second time that day, he pulled her into his arms.

  He leaned in, ducking his head beneath the brim of her hat, so close her curls tickled his face, fine hairs catching in the slight burr of his cheek. ‘Shall we continue in this sin?’

  ‘Now who’s wandering?’ One side of her mouth crinkled upwards. A dimple winked in her cheek, un-abashed and unintimidated. ‘Unless I’m mistaken, that’s biblical. Better to have said, but sin had his reward.’

  Mirth flooded through him, warming him from the inside out, making him want to taste her even more. He tipped back her hat. ‘Shall I wander further? To sin in secret is no sin at all.’

  He lowered his head and captured her lips with his own. He kissed her softly, teasingly. Testing the waters. Giving her every chance to pull away, to slap him…to kiss him back.

  She did none of them. She just stood there, cool and stiff as the laurel tree Apollo’s nymph had become.

  After a moment she sighed, ennui oozing from every pore, hands trapped limply against his chest. If only he could pretend such disaffection. She was soft and rounded in all the right places. High breasts full above a small waist, what he was sure would prove to be a perfectly heart-shaped bottom hidden beneath layers of petticoats held out by pads. She smelt ever so faintly of soap and rose water. Not the musky ambergris that opera dancers and paphians always seemed to be drenched in, but something that spoke of sunlight, of practicality…of virtue.

  He ran the tip of his tongue along her lower lip, trying to provoke a response. No lady had a right to look as she did and smell of virtue. She pressed closer, sliding her arms around his neck, her body softening against his in unmistakable capitulation. He chuckled and adjusted his grip, sliding one hand down to press her hips against his.

  With a deceptive twist of her body she stomped down on his instep, hard enough to make his eyes water.

  He yelped and let go of her. She stepped back, her gaze scathing, her lips curled into a mocking little smile. She raised her chin another notch, and looking altogether pleased with herself, swept past him as composed as a dowager at court.

  She didn’t even have the decency to hurry.

  Praise for Isobel’s Books

  ‘That trifecta of historical research, clever setting, and wholly memorable characters…is some powerful juju’.

  –Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

  ‘Carr is sure to balance her characters’ roguish antics with genuine heart, making the double love story a delightful and erotic page-turner.’

  –Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

  ‘For her third in the League of the Second Sons, Carr delivers not one, but two love stories that will charm and titillate readers.’

  –RT Book Reviews

  ‘This book is worth every cent . . . Seriously, this is one amazing debut.’

  –Book Hounds

  ‘With her witty dialogue and tender moments, Carr draws readers into her marriage of convenience plotline that delves into what happens when the couple falls in love and then struggles to build a strong marriage against the odds. It’s a lesson all can savor.’

  –RT Book Reviews

  ‘The characters were fantastic and the passion was sizzling. I was entertained from beginning to end, hardly knowing what to expect in the next chapter. Isobel Carr has certainly left her mark on the historical romance genre with this fabulous series . . . I look forward to her future works!’

  –The Romance Reviews

  ‘Carr is a born storyteller. She enriches her sensual tale with colorful details, suspense, a treasure hunt, and charming, delightful characters . . . The fast pace and added humor will have readers eagerly awaiting the next novel in the League of Second Sons series.’

  –RT Book Reviews

  ‘Carr debuts with a novel that’s part erotic romance and party country house party romp—a unique combination that will keep readers intrigued. Part of the appeal is Carr’s ability to create likable characters as well as spicy love scenes tinged with rough sex and tenderness. She’s definitely on her way to enticing readers who adore Lisa Kleypas, Pamela Britton and Katherine O’Neal.’

  –RT Book Reviews (KISS Award)

  ‘Carr’s lusty, emotional second romance perfectly depicts the Georgian era in all its naughty glory—with house parties, races, matchmaking, gossip rags and duels. This author is on her way to stardom.’

  –RT Book Reviews (KISS Award)

  Books by Isobel

  No Rules for Rogues

  Sin Incarnate (Book 1)

  Scandal Incarnate (Book 2)

  Temptation Incarnate (Book/Novelette 3)

  Desire Incarnate (Book 4)—TBA

  The League of Second Sons

  Ripe for Pleasure (Book 1)

  Ripe for Scandal (Book 2)

  Ripe for Seduction (Book 3)

  Other Work

  Three Courtesans (Christmas Short Story)

  Harriet: A Regency Paper Doll (Free)

  About the Author

  Isobel grew up in the lively historical re-enacting community of Northern California. She’s made and worn the clothes of people from Ancient Rome up to the Roaring 1920s. She’s cooked and eaten their food. She also grew up around numerous writers of historical fiction and science fiction and fantasy (it was impossible not to as a child of the 70s in the Society for Creative Anachronism), so being a writer seemed a perfectly normal career choice. She currently lives in Oakland, CA, with a 250lb English Mastiff named Mycroft and a coop full of chickens named after Georgette Heyer characters. You can find out more a
bout Isobel and her books at isobelcarr.com.

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely accidental.

  Copyright © 2020 by Isobel Carr (TEMPTATION INCARNATE)

  Kindle Edition

  ISBN: 978-1-940160-04-7

  Copyright © 2020 by Isobel Carr (THREE COURTESANS)

  ISBN: 978-1-940160-04-7

  Cover illustration and design © 2020 by Jessica T. Cohen

  Temptation Incarnate was originally published as Something Wicked Copyright © 2008 by Kalen Hughes

  Three Courtesans was originally published as a blog post Copyright © 2008 by Kalen Hughes

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.