Lord Hayden Rothwell feels unsettled by the disasters that
have befallen the women of the Longworth household. But
only he knows that it could be much worse and that his own
actions have actually saved the family some heartache. The
head of the family, weak-willed Timothy Longworth, was
stealing from the family bank. Instead of letting him hang,
Rothwell steps in to save his life, but in doing so must
destroy the family's fortune so all the money can be paid
back.
Cousin Alexia Welbourne is penniless and has been living
with the Longworth family. She is determined not to be a
burden to the financially destroyed family and so must make
her own way. Reluctantly, she takes a position with
Rothwell's family, working as a companion to his aunt and a
governess for a young cousin.
Unfortunately, a strong attraction between Alexia and
Hayden is just the thing needed to mess up their well-laid
plans. Alexia is determined not to give in, knowing that is
the road to ruin. She may be poor, but she has a strong
vein of pride running through her. And besides, no one
could possibly fight the memory of the love she has for her
slain cousin, Benjamin.
As always, Ms. Hunter excels at drawing characters with
true motivations and realistic personalities. I have read
every one of her books and always enjoy them. Although I
figured out early where this storyline was going, I was
compelled to keep reading because I just had to find out
what was going to happen to these people. It was
particularly interesting to watch the characters in the
Longworth family evolve during a time of crisis.
Dangerous. Sensual. Handsome as sin. Meet Hayden Rothwell,
the shamelessly erotic hero of The Rules of Seduction and
author Madeline Hunter’s most irresistible alpha male yet:
a
man of extraordinary passion and power, a man who can bring
out the seductress in any woman.…
He enters her home without warning or invitation–a stranger
of shadowy motives and commanding sensuality. Within hours,
Alexia Welbourne is penniless, without any hope of
marriage.
Until Hayden Rothwell takes her to bed. When one impulsive
act of passion forces Alexia to marry the very man who has
ruined her, Hayden’s seduction of Alexia is nearly
complete.
What Alexia doesn’t know is that her irresistible new
husband is driven by a secret purpose–and a debt of honor
he
will risk everything to repay. Alexia is the wild card.
Reluctant to give up their nightly pleasures, Hayden must
find a way to keep Alexia by his side...only to be utterly,
thoroughly seduced by a woman who is now playing by her own
rules.