The Rogue and the Rose

She’s undaunted by her prospects of being a spinster because she has an infallible strategy to stay safe and secure…

Until she takes a ride with a rogue who’s the irresistible embodiment of danger.

Lady Emma has plans for her future. She knows who she is and how she will devote the next few decades helping other women. Her plans for security and safety are well within her reach.

Until…

Lord Dawson has stayed away from his little sister’s friend for as long as he could. But he couldn’t very well let her fall off a runaway horse, could he? Morals, conscience, logic all affirmed him in his decision. And so did his body, and nether regions, when she straddled him the entire ride home.

Can Dawson maintain his resolve to keep Emma safely away from him and his dangerous life? Or will love lead them down a path of strength together?

This is the fourth book in the steamy new regency series, The Ashbourne Legacy, that follows the seven mislabeled brothers of Snow White.

Read this novelette if you like sweet and spicy easy reads with witty banter and lovable, enchanting characters.

The Ashbourne Legacy:
The Blighter and the Bluestocking
The Scoundrel and the Scientist
The Virgin and the Vixen
The Rogue and the Rose
The Rake and the Writer
The Wastrel and the Wallflower
The Spy and the Spinster

What readers are saying:

"Great chemistry and steamy passion, another fabulous story in this series, looking forward to the next book" ~Amazon Reviewer

"Cute house party romance" ~Amazon Reviewer

"Sweet love story come to life." ~Amazon Reviewer

"Well written with great characters." ~Amazon Reviewer

***
This is a digital product. As with all our digital products, there are no refunds or returns.

1816 England

HER MIDDLE NAME WAS Danger. Actually. And it was actually the result of a ridiculous dare that her parents had lost many years ago. She had yet to hear the full story, but one day she would drag it out of them. Besides for the obvious reasons that it was a ludicrous name to give a baby girl, it was also ridiculous because she wasn’t the least bit dangerous. Or so she thought, at least.

“You know what’s going to happen when you get on that horse, don’t you?” Hope taunted.

“What’s that?” Emma knew she was in for an earful. Though she admired her best friend Hope, youngest sister to seven brothers in the Ashbourne clan, at this moment, Emma wasn’t keen on hearing any input from anyone. It didn’t matter how long she had known and loved Hope.

“The men here will never see you the same again.”

“They haven’t seen me in the first place. Besides, most of the men here are your brothers, so it really doesn’t matter.”

Hope chuckled. “There are plenty of men at this house party besides my brothers, but is there any one brother in particular you’ve been noticing?” Emma felt a small nudge in her ribs from a bony elbow.

She scoffed. “Not a single one. You know I don’t want to get married.” She had seen too many women who had relied on their husbands, only to be widowed and destitute. No, marriage was not an option for her. She would be self-sufficient. That way no one could disappoint her.

“Mmm…still thinking that way are we?”

“I don’t know about you, but I know about me, and I am still thinking that way. I have no use for a stodgy old man who will only view me as his property.”

“And what of the handsome ones?”

“Fate doles out looks or intelligence. Not both together.”

Feigning injury, Hope placed a hand on her chest. “And how, pray tell, did we elude fate’s miserly ways?”

“We again? Well, you most assuredly escaped. You are a rare specimen. But it took eight tries.” Emma’s grin broke her face, and it was contagious.

“Yes, well, you also escaped. And it only took a few tries.” Hope was referring to Lady Emma’s three older brothers, the oldest of which was Isaac, the Duke of Benhelm. Being the youngest girls, each in a family of all boys immediately sealed the bond between the two girls, and they had maintained their friendship over nearly twenty years. “But back to my original point, my bold, beautiful, and brilliant friend,” Hope ignored the mock glare Emma threw her way. “If you get on that horse, you’re sealing your fate. Men don’t want to marry a woman that can beat them in a horse race.”

A laugh burst out of Emma. “First of all, we both know my fate has already been sealed. I’m three-and-twenty with no suitors to speak of. I’m happy to take my place on the back of the shelf so I can move on with my own life plans. Which,” she pointed to Hope, “you know you are sworn to secrecy on for the time being.

With pursed lips, Hope crossed her heart.

“Second of all, I’m tired of holding back. Finally, look around. It’s just your brothers. There’s no one here to even consider marrying. I really must get on the horse now, because as much as men don’t want a woman who will beat them in a horse race, they would much less want one who will come in last place. And I’ll not take the pity offers that would result from that outcome.”

Hope shrugged her shoulders. “Well, I wish you luck! I shall see you back at the house. Perhaps I’ll catch Dawson napping and finally trick him into telling me where he’s been skulking out to at night.”

Dawson. One of Hope’s middle brothers. That was a man who truly deserved the name Danger. In fact, the scandal sheets were always warning the young debutants away from him. Not knowing what he did with himself when he disappeared for days and nights at a time, the on dit could only speculate the worst. Gambling. Brothels. Drunken binges. He was out all night. No wonder he napped every day. One wouldn’t think to call a napper, Dangerous, but when said napper took to the streets all night, it was a different story. Dawson. Yes, he was the most dangerous of all of Hope’s brothers, so Emma always steered clear of him.

The reverie cost her precious moments. When she regained focus in her eyes, remaining on the field was just Emma and a few men ready to race. Isaac and a handful of Hope’s other brothers were the only ones in attendance for this private event of the house party. And their horses were getting restless.

Emma swung herself up on the horse just shy of the word, “Go!”

As luck would have it, her horse shied from the exclaimed Go, and it took a moment to get him under control. The other riders had taken off and were already out of sight rounding a bend. It was a longer race than normal, so she still had time to catch up. If only her horse would stop grazing.

She nudged the horse and soon he was lengthening his strides. Wind in her hair. Sun on her face. Power between her legs. A winning future ahead. Nothing could be better.
***
LORD DAWSON, FOURTH STRAPPING and dashing son in the Ashbourne family, was out for a leisurely ride. Carving out time for himself at least for a few hours in the day either to think about his new mining project or just to clear his mind was necessary. Especially during a house party when his attention was constantly demanded. And by women no less, despite his reputation. By beautiful woman, sure, but even that got old. How many more one-sided conversations did he have to endure this season? Even though he wasn’t the duke in the family, not even close, he was wealthy enough to draw their attention. And somehow that meant that the women who sought him out made themselves biddable blank sheets. Not that they all were biddable blank sheets, that’s just what they presented to him. No matter, he didn’t want to marry anyway. As long as he could find pleasure between some of those sheets, he would be fine. And since widows were not in short supply, he was always fine. Innocents were off limits, of course. Especially one pert little future spinster always hanging around his sister. Emma. She was a challenge and a half. Sometimes he just needed to avoid her and the jolts of current that flooded him when he was around her. What a damn nuisance they were. He wasn’t about to bring such an innocent into his dangerous life.

A yelp broke into his thoughts. He looked toward the sound, and there, of all people, was that pert little vexatious spinster. Only, she didn’t look so pert. Her hands were in the air, the reins loose, and had that been a cry for help?

That horse was galloping at breakneck speed. A break-Emma’s-neck speed.

Dash it! Dawson turned his horse to race after her.

The thundering hoofbeats of his horse were catching up to her. But her own horse’s movements must have been too loud. She didn’t even take a second to look back, or perhaps she was too afraid to move. He was right on her tail.

Then, the horses were right beside each other, but Dawson couldn’t reach the reins. They had slipped out of sight. “Emma, take my hand. Hold on.” Without a second warning, he wrapped his arm around her lower back and twisted her over, around, and onto his horse.

Chest to chest, he was immediately enveloped by the scent of roses and encased by her thighs. Thighs that were on the verge of being exposed due to the way her skirts were piling around his groin. His groin was in a state of shock at the sight and feel of her legs wrapped around him. Something was surging through him. In one area in particular. Must be adrenaline. His heart was just racing from the speed they had been riding at. It had nothing to do with the arms clenched around his neck.

Distractedly, he slowed his horse to a trot.

“Are you alright? You–”

“What are you doing?”

They said simultaneously.

“I just rescued you from a runaway horse you had no control over. What do you think I’m doing?”

“Did it look like I needed saving?”

“Yes.”

“No.” They overlapped each other’s speech again, she answering her own–evidently hypothetical–question.

“Dawson, I was in the middle of a race.”

“Against who? Yourself?”

“Ugh. I could have won if you had just let me be.”

“I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but whoever you were racing was miles ahead. You didn’t stand a chance with that horse.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Apparently you don’t know that horse.”