Excerpt of At the Spy's Pleasure by Tina Gabrielle

To Jane’s horror, Gareth Ramsey unfolded the paper and read aloud. “Possible Candidates as Lovers.” For a brief instant his face hardened, then the cool, arrogant mask descended once again.

“Are you serious?” Gareth asked, mockingly.

Never had Jane been so embarrassed in her life. Not even when she’d tripped after being announced at Lady Tavistock’s ball as a first year debutante.

But then her humiliation veered into anger. How dare he rip a private document from her hand and then mock her?

She placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. “I am quite serious. I’ve decided to turn over a new leaf.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Turn over a new leaf?”

“Yes.”

Ignoring her dismay, Gareth glanced at the list. “Simon Marbury is on your list.”

Jane met his stare. “You cannot possibly criticize the man.”

Something flickered in his eyes, something dark and unpleasant. “Stay away from him.”

“You cannot tell me what to do.”

“The man is a dissolute pleasure seeker.”

“Half of the gentleman of my acquaintance match that description.”

“Your behavior is reckless.”

Her anger rose a notch. “There’s nothing reckless about my list. To the contrary, it’s very well planned.”

He looked back at the list and smiled arrogantly. “If you refuse to come to your senses, then I have just one question for you.”

“What?”

“Why am I last on your list?”

She wanted to laugh. He would have been first, had she dared. “It’s not you,” she lied. Thank heavens she hadn’t written out his full name.

“I don’t believe you,” he said. “It clearly has my initials.”

“That could stand for anyone,” she argued.

“I’m well versed at reading people. You’re a bad liar.”

“You’re a conceited fool.”

His eyes narrowed and for a heartbeat she thought she had gone too far, but then he threw back his head and laughed.

“You are a handful, Jane. You need a man to keep you in line. A man that can teach you passion, not these fools.” With deliberate movements, he folded the list and slipped it in the inside pocket of his jacket. “I do believe I’ll keep this.”

Reason fled. She threw herself at him, fully intending to strike him and take the list back with physical force. But as she lunged forward, her heel snagged in the thick carpet. She stumbled, lost her balance, and fell headlong into his solid chest.

He grunted as she took him by surprise. Strong arms grasped around her waist as they tumbled onto the settee, Jane sprawled on top of him.

“Oh!”

She was aware of every hard inch of him. He was completely any of the popinjays she had put on her list. He was all male—big, hard, and dangerous. His mouth was mere inches from hers.

“You needn’t have worked yourself up into such a fury although I must admit I don’t mind. I intended to give the list back to you. I was jesting,” he said.

His eyes weren’t black, but deep coffee-brown. His lips full and sensual.

“Oh. I see.” She made no attempt to rise, and he made no effort to assist her to her feet.

“But I am serious about the character of the men on your list. None of them are appropriate for the position, especially Marbury.”

“And you know others who are?”

“Other. And yes.” His eyes raked her face with a sensuality that was unmistakable. She started to rise; his arms tightened about her, forcing her to remain pressed against him.

“Then you truly are a fool, Mr. Ramsey. You are the last person I’d want as a lov—”

He captured her lips in a searing kiss. Drawing her tightly to him, her breasts were crushed against his solid chest. The heat emanated from his body and seeped into hers, flooding her limbs with languid passion. His lips, which had appeared carved of marble, were not cold, hard, or demanding as she had initially thought, but sinfully seductive. He explored her mouth with tantalizing persuasiveness, and coaxed her response like one would stoke a slow burning fire.

Her eyelids fluttered closed. She grasped his forearms to steady herself, then slid her hands up his arms. His biceps were enormous, rock hard and pulsing with heat. Simon Marbury appeared well built, but she’d suspected his tailor added padding to his coat to increase the breadth of his shoulders.

Nothing about Gareth Ramsey was padded or soft. The shock of his muscular frame ran through her body. But instead of fear, his strength and power thrilled her.

He licked her bottom lip and sucked the delicate fullness into his mouth like he was savoring a ripe plumb. The simmering heat in her veins turning scalding hot. The contrast of their sizes and his tightly leashed lust was a potent aphrodisiac. She’d never experienced it before.

Gareth’s potent sexuality excited her, and she wanted to be ravaged by him—to know what it felt like to be fiercely desired by a man.

She stopped herself just in time. This wasn’t a man she could control. The passion that inched through her veins was as dangerous as it was thrilling and without a doubt she knew that she wouldn’t be able to have a casual affair with Gareth.

No. That was not what she wanted. She wanted a lover without complications. A man who would not hurt her. With Gareth Ramsey she would get scorched.