A winter storm stirs passions long denied in this sensual Yuletide romance, a short novel featuring the characters who once led Library Journal to declare, βRuby and Derekβs chemistry is just as explosive during their unbridled trysts as with their slow, ardent lovemaking.β
Madame RougeβRuby to her intimatesβalways makes the secret desires of her clients a priority. Now the time has come to fulfill her own fantasy, one so private it brings a rare blush to her cheeks. When Captain Derek Price returns from his service to the sea, Ruby will sell Londonβs elite house of pleasure, leaving behind her very home to marry the sailor who has mastered every surging crest of her body.
Pity, then, the ill-timed arrival of Rubyβs estranged half-sister, Jasmine, desperate for a warm bed and a sympathetic ear. Ruby is loath to marry the poor girl off to a stranger or, even worse, entrust her to the ignoble lord who has bid on the brothel. She has no other choice than to shelter Jasmine herself. As much as Rubyβs heart races at the thought of a future with Derek, she now faces the possibility that, once again, her happy ending has been delayedβunless a Christmas miracle makes all their dreams come true.