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Sarah MacLean

Sarah MacLean Quotes

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Famous Sarah MacLean Quotes

“I'm not lovely," she blurted out. One side of his mouth kicked up. "Now, there," he said quietly, searching her face as if to memorize this new Callie, whom he'd just discovered, "I shall have to disagree." And then he set his lips to hers and she was drugged by his caress and his words, both equally intoxicating. This kiss was different from all that they had shared before- softer, seeking, as though they were both discovering something altogether new. This was a concert of stroking tongue and soft lips. Gabriel lifted his head and waited for her to open her eyes; when she did, he was struck once more by her loveliness. He searched her face, watching as she returned from the sensual place where the kiss had taken her. "You said I was plain." He shook his head slowly, marveling at the clear, brown depths of emotion in her eyes. "There is nothing plain about you." And then, he kissed her again. Her mouth was his banquet. He sipped at her lips, savoring their taste, their softness. Her hands found their way around his neck and into his hair- threading through the dark locks. The caress sent a shiver of pleasure through him. He ate at her, nibbling at her lips before gently laving the worried skin there with his tongue. When he pulled away and met her eyes once more, they were both breathing heavily, and Gabriel was wishing that they were anywhere but here, hundreds of Londoners mere feet away. He had to stop. He was about to do exactly what he had resolved not to do. Had he not promised himself that he would not compromise her again? He owed her more. Better. A vision flashed in his mind of Callie naked, spread before him in a pool of sunlight, and he pushed it aside. This was no time to indulge in fantasies that would further arouse him- as it was, his excitement was embarrassingly obvious in his breeches.”

DesiresPhysical AttractionPassionate KissCallie And Ralston
Book:Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
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“Could you really be expected to..." she paused, searching for the word. "Pleasure?" He offered, amiably. "Entertain. All three of them?" He began dealing the cards again. "Yes." "How?" He looked up at her, and offered her a wolfish grin. "Would you really like me to answer that?" Her eyes widened. "Uhm... no." He laughed then, a deep, rumbling laugh unlike anything she'd ever heard from him, and she was stunned by the way it transformed him. His face was immediately lighter, his eyes brighter, his frame more relaxed. She couldn't help but smile back at him, even as she admonished, "You're enjoying my discomfort." "Indeed I am, Empress." She blushed. "You shouldn't call me that." "Why not? You were named for an empress, were you not?" She closed her eyes and gave a mock shudder. "I prefer not to be reminded of the hideous name." "You should embrace it," he said, forthrightly. "You're one of the few women I've met who could live up to such a name." "You've said that before," she said. He turned a curious look on her. "I have?" She met his eyes and immediately regretted bringing up the decade-old memory, so insignificant to him- so very meaningful to her.”

Callie And RalstonEmpressCourtesanCalpurniaMemory Of LoveGabriel St John
Book:Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
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“He couldn't believe that she had turned him away. Surely she couldn't honestly believe that they were incompatible. She might have been a virgin, but even she must have sensed that their interaction last night- and all the others, for that matter- was far from typical. Certainly their marriage would not suffer in the bedchamber. And, if the passion between them weren't enough, there was also their well-matched intelligence, humor, and maturity. Aside from all that, she was quite lovely. Soft in all the right places. Ralston let his thoughts linger... a man could spend years lost in her lush curves.”

Passionate LoveSoftCallie And RalstonCalpurnia HartwellCurvy WomanLove Match
Book:Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
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“He sipped at her lips, teasing her with little nibbling kisses along her soft, full bottom lip before taking her mouth in a deep, passionate kiss that weakened her knees. His silken tongue stroked along her bottom lip, delving inside to taste her sweetness. She sighed into his mouth, eager for more, desperate for them to be anywhere but here- anywhere where they could revel in each other. She pressed closer to him, eager for more of his warmth, and as a ribbon of fire curled in her stomach, he emitted a low growl in the back of his throat.”

Passionate KissCallie And Ralston
Book:Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
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“Lady Calpurnia." "I'd rather you call me Callie," she said hurriedly. "You don't like Calpurnia?" The words were lazily curious. She shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes. "Callie..." He coaxed, the words spoken in a deep, liquid tone that she was certain he used whenever he wanted something from a woman. She would not be surprised to discover that it always worked.”

Callie And Ralston
Book:Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
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“He broke off the kiss then, running his lips across her cheek and setting them to her ear, taking the soft lobe between his teeth and biting gently, sending waves of pleasure caressing through her body as he laved the sensitive skin there. From far away, Callie heard a whimper... and belatedly realized that it was her own. His lips curved at her ear as he spoke, his arch breathing making the words more a caress than a sound. "Kisses should not leave you satisfied." He returned his lips to hers, claiming her mouth again, robbing her of all thought with a rich, heady caress. All she wanted was to be closer to him, to be held more firmly. And, as though he could read her thoughts, he gathered her closer, deepening the kiss. His heat consumed her; his soft, teasing lips seemed to know all of her secrets. When he lifted his mouth from hers, she had lost all strength. His next words pierced through her sensual haze. "They should leave you wanting.”

Callie And Ralston
Book:Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
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“Perhaps you should exhibit some of the character you are showing this evening in a more public forum," he said. "I'll admit you seem far more intriguing than I have ever given you credit for, my lady, and intrigue is the spark of desire." His words hit their mark, and she flushed again. Ralston was unable to deny the enjoyment he felt at this unexpected turn of events.”

Callie And Ralston
Book:Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
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“I hope you do not consider me so distasteful?" She allowed herself to meet his amused gaze. No. Ralston was not distasteful. Not by any stretch of the imagination. "No, my lord," she said, the softness in her tone betraying her thoughts before she added, "And neither does Miss Heloise, it appears. She was quite charmed by you." "One must use one's talents to one's advantage, Lady Calpurnia." "Something I am certain you do quite well." His voice deepened. "I assure you, I do it very well.”

Callie And Ralston
Book:Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
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“What password were you given?" "Éloa." He sucked in a breath. Chase had given her carte blanche at the club. Access to any room, any event, any adventure she wanted, without chaperone. Without him. "What does it mean?" she asked, registering his surprise. "It means I'm going to have words with Chase." "I mean, what does Éloa mean?" He narrowed his gaze, answered her literally. "It's the name of an angel." Penelope tilted her head, thinking. "I've never heard of him." "You wouldn't have." "Was he a fallen angel?" "She was, yes." He hesitated, not wanting to tell her the story, but unable to stop himself. "Lucifer tricked her into falling from heaven." "Tricked her how?" He met her gaze. "She fell in love with him." Penelope's eyes widened. "Did he love her?" Like an addict loves his addiction. "The only way he knew how." She shook her head. "How could he trick her?" "He never told her his name.”

NamesLuciferFallen AngelPenelope And MichaelEloa
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“Would you like a drink?" "No, thank you." "So polite." "One of us should be, don't you think?" He turned to face her, half-amused and half-surprised by her smart mouth. She was not tall, barely the height of his shoulder, but at the moment she looked like an Amazon. The hood of her cloak had fallen away, and her hair was in disarray, tumbling around her shoulders, gleaming pale blond in the dim light. Her chin was thrust forward in a universal sign of defiance, her shoulders were stiff and straight, and her chest rose and fell with harsh anger, swelling beneath her cloak. She looked as though she'd like to do him no small amount of bodily harm.”

Sassy HeroinePenelope Marbury
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“She moved to push past him. When he did not move, she stopped, unwilling to touch him. A pity. The memory of the warmth of her gloved hand on his cold cheek flashed. Apparently her behavior outside had been the product of surprise. And pleasure. He wondered what else he might do instinctively in response to pleasure. An image flashed- blond hair spread wide across dark, silken sheets, ice blue eyes alight with surprise as he gave prim, proper Penelope a glimpse of dark and heady pleasure. He'd nearly kissed her in the darkness. It had started out as a way to intimidate her, to begin the systematic compromising of quiet, unassuming, Penelope Marbury. But he did not deny that as they stood in his barren kitchen, he wondered what she would taste like. How her breath would sound fluttering across his skin. How she would feel against him. Around him.”

Sexual AttractionPenelope MarburyPenelope And Michael
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“Well, considering I'm in full view of half of London, as you are so quick to point out, what's the worst that could happen?" "Let's see," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "you could have been abducted, mistreated, revealed..." Penelope stiffened. "And how would that have been different than my treatment at your hands?" she whispered, keeping her voice low enough so that only he could hear her, knowing she was pushing his limits. His eyes flashed. "It would be immensely different. And if you can't see that-" "Oh, please. Don't pretend you care a bit about me, or my happiness. It would be the same cell, a different jailer.”

Penelope MarburyPenelope And Michael
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“Lord Bourne knows precisely where I've been and with whom for the duration of our short, disastrous marriage." She stepped toward Michael, her offense making her bold. "Home, alone. Instead of here, where the female half of London is apparently wishing they had the password to his bed." His eyes went wide. "I would appreciate it if you would leave, Michael," she added, tossing the mask and the rose to the billiard table. "You see, I've been looking forward to this billiards lesson. And you are making it very difficult to enjoy.”

Sassy HeroinePenelope Marbury
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“Lord Langford," she acknowledged, looking right down her nose at the man. "Penelope," the older man said, unable to keep the surprise from his gaze. "It's Lady Bourne to you." The words were cool and cutting, and Michael was sure she'd never been more beautiful. "Come to think of it, it was always lady to you. And you never referred to me as such." The older man's gaze narrowed in irritation, and Michael had an intense urge to put a fist into the viscount's face for the look. It was not necessary. His wife was more than able to care for herself. "You don't like that, I see. Well, let me tell what I don't like. I don't like insolence. And I don't like cruelty. And I most definitely don't like you. It is time you and I have it out, Langford, because while you might have stolen my husband's lands and funds and reputation, and you might have been a truly horrendous father to my friend, I absolutely refuse to have you take another thing from me, you despicable old man.”

Sassy HeroinePenelope Marbury
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“Where are you sleeping?" A wicked black brow rose. "Why? Are you inviting me into your bed?" The words stung with their rudeness. Penelope stiffened as though she had received a physical blow. She waited a beat, sure he would apologize. Silence. "You've changed." "Perhaps you should remember that the next time you decide to go on a midnight adventure." He was nothing like the Michael she had once known. She spun on her heel, heading into the blackness, toward the place where Needham Manor stood. She'd gone only a few feet before she turned back to face him. He had not moved. "I really was happy to see you." She turned and headed away, back to her home, the cold seeping deep into her bones before she turned back, unable to resist a final barb. Something to hurt him as he'd hurt her. "And Michael?" She couldn't see his eyes, but she knew undeniably that he was watching her, listening. "You're on my land.”

Penelope MarburyPenelope And Michael
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“You'll need to prove your worth again. They'll need to see it. To believe I see it." He cut her a look. "My worth is three times that of most respected men of the ton." She shook her head. "I mean your value. As a marquess. As a man." He went still. "Anyone who knows my tale can tell you that I haven't much value as either of those things. I lost it all a decade ago. Perhaps you hadn't heard?" The words oozed from him, all condescension, and she knew the question was rhetorical, but she would not be cowed. "I have heard.." She lifted her chin to meet his gaze head-on. "And you are willing to let one foolish, childhood peccadillo cloud your image for the rest of eternity? And mine as well, now?" He shifted, leaning toward her, all danger and threat. She held her own, refusing to sit back. To look away. "I lost it all. Hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth. On one card. It was colossal. A loss for the history books. And you call it a peccadillo?" She swallowed. "Hundreds of thousands?" "Give or take." She resisted the urge to ask precisely how much was to be given or taken. "On one card?" "One card." "Perhaps not a peccadillo, then. But foolish, to be sure." She had no idea where the words came from, but they came nonetheless, and she knew that her choices were to brazen it through or show her fear.”

BrazenPenelope MarburyPenelope And Michael
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“What did she say that has you so eager to take a beating?" Bourne ignored the question, the explosion of pain in his cheek not doing its job, failing to take away all thought of what had happened earlier with his wife. Of how her blue eyes had flashed as she'd accused him of using her body to secure his interests. Of how she'd squared her shoulders and defended her own honor- something he should have done for her. Of how she'd looked at him, truth and tears in her eyes, and told him that she'd missed him. The words had taken his breath away- the idea that pure, perfect Penelope had thought of him, had worried about him. Because he had missed her, too. It had taken him years to forget- years that were erased in one moment of honesty, when she'd looked into his eyes and accused him of leaving her. Of dishonoring her. And there, in the pit of his stomach, still unmasked by the pain of Temple's beating, was the emotion he'd feared since the beginning of this charade. Guilt. She'd been right. He'd misused her. He'd treated her as less than she deserved. And she'd defended herself with strength and pride. Remarkably. And even as he'd tried to let her go, to push her from him, he'd known that he wanted her. He didn't fool himself into thinking that the desire was new. He'd wanted her in Surrey, when she'd stood in the darkness with nothing but a lantern to protect her. But now... want had become something more serious. More visceral. More dangerous. Now, he wanted her- his strong, intelligent, kindhearted wife, who became more tempting every day as she shifted and blossomed into someone new and different than the girl he'd met on that dark Surrey evening.”

Strong WomanPenelope Marbury
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“She was running him ragged. Gone was the soft, sweet wife he'd thought he was getting, snow dusting her bonnet as she confessed past courtships, one errant flake landing and melting almost instantly on the tip of her nose as she smiled up at him. And in that woman's place was an Amazon, standing at the center of his club, in the heart of the London underworld, placing bets on roulette while the city watched, demanding the safety of her friends and the reputation of her sisters, and scheduling billiards lessons with one of the most powerful and feared men in the city. And now, she stood in front of him, and bold as brass, suggested he leave her alone.”

Sassy HeroineBoldness And AttitudePenelope Marbury
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“Answer me, Penelope. Why are you here?" She met his gaze, her blue eyes firm. "I told you. I'm here to play billiards." "With Cross." "Well, to be fair, I thought it might be with you." "Why would you think that?" He would never have invited her to his gaming hell. "The invitation was delivered by Mrs. Worth. I thought you sent it." "Why would I send you an invitation?" "I don't know. Perhaps you'd realized you were wrong and did not want to admit it aloud?”

Penelope MarburyPenelope And Michael
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“There are few men in Britain who cannot find time to speak to me." "And what of their wives?" "What of them?" "You think they won't judge you?" "I think they all want me in their beds, so they will find room for me in their drawing rooms." Her head snapped back at the words, at their indelicacy. At the idea that he would say such a thing to his wife. At the idea that he would spend time in other wives' beds. "I think that you mistake the value of your presence in a lady's bedchamber." He raised a brow. "I think you will feel differently after tonight." The specter of their wedding night loomed in the words, and Penelope hated that her pulse quickened even as she wanted to spit at him. "Yes, well, however you might ensorcel the women of the ton, I can guarantee you that they are far more discerning in their company in public than they are in private. And you are not good enough.”

Penelope MarburyPenelope And Michael
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“He reached into her bag of chestnuts and popped one, whole, into his mouth. Instantly, his eyes went wide, and he sucked in a long breath. "Those are scalding!" She should not have taken pleasure in his pain, but she did. "If you had asked for one before simply taking what you wanted, I would have warned you." One of his brows rose. "Never ask. Take what you want, when you want it." "Another rule of scoundrels?" He dipped his head to acknowledge the quip. "It is part of the fun." The words sizzled through her as the memory came- unbidden- of his tossing her over his shoulder on that first night... the night that had changed everything. She raised her chin, refusing to be embarrassed. "Yes, I discovered as much last night at your club when I won at the wheel." His brows shot up, and Penelope was rather proud of herself. A direct hit.”

Penelope MarburyPenelope And Michael
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“I intend to play. We require a dealer." Michael's gaze snapped to her as Langford sneered, "I will not play cards with a woman." She took the seat at one side of the table. "I usually will not play cards with men who rob children of their inheritance, but tonight appears to be one for exceptions." Cross looked to Michael. "She is incredible." Possessiveness flared as he took his seat, eyes on his wife. "She is mine.”

Penelope MarburyPenelope And Michael
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“I must have an excellent connection at a nearby hothouse." "You do. My younger sister- Philippa- grows the loveliest flowers, year-round, at Needham Manor." He leaned forward, mocking in his whisper. "The first rule of falsehoods is that we only tell them about ourselves, darling." She watched the spindly birch trees at the road's edge fading into the white snow beyond. "It's not a falsehood. Pippa is a horticulturist.”

Pippa MarburyPhilippa MarburyHorticulturalist
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“You fixed the tables?" "Nonsense." Pippa grinned. "With what I know of Digger Knight, I would wager everything you have that these tables were already fixed. I unfixed them." She was mad. And he loved it. His brows rose. "Everything I have?" She shrugged. "I haven't very much, myself." She was wrong, of course. She had more than she knew. More than he'd dreamed. And if she asked, he'd let her wager with everything he owned. God, he wanted her. He looked around them, registering the flushed, excited faces of the gamers nearby, not one of them interested in the trio standing to the side. No one who was not playing was worth the attention. Not when so many were winning so much. She was running the tables at one of the most successful casinos in London. He turned back to her. "How did you..." She smiled. "You taught me about weighted dice, Jasper." He warmed at the name. "I didn't teach you about stacked decks." She feigned insult. "My lord, your lack of confidence in my intelligence wounds me. You think I could not work out the workings of deck stacking myself?" He ignored the jest. Knight would kill them when he discovered this. "And roulette?" She smiled. "Magnets have remarkable uses." She was too smart for her own good. He turned to Temple. "You allowed this?" Temple shrugged one shoulder. "The lady can be very... determined." Lord knew that was true.”

FixedRiggedPippa MarburyFor Love
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“Upon what grounds do you refuse?" "Upon the grounds that you owe me." "Do you plan to run me before a judge and jury?" he asked wryly. "I don't need to," she retorted, playing her last, most powerful card. "I only have to run you before my brother-in-law." There was a beat as the words sank in, and his eyes widened, just barely, just enough for her to notice before he closed the distance between them, and said, "A fine idea. Let's tell Bourne everything. You think he would force me to honor our agreement?" She refused to be cowed. "No. I think he would murder you for agreeing to it in the first place. Even more so when he discovers that it was negotiated by a lady of the evening." Emotion flared in his serious grey gaze, irritation and... admiration? Whatever it was, it was gone almost instantly, extinguished like a lantern in one of his strange, dark passageways. "Well played, Lady Philippa." The words were soft as they slid over her skin. "I rather thought so." Where had her voice gone?”

ThreatPippa MarburyPippa And Jasper
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“It's so beautiful and red." Pippa nodded. "That's the chromium." "The what?" "Chromium. It is an additive in the crystal that turns it red. If it were anything else added... it wouldn't be a ruby. It would be a sapphire." Olivia blinked, and Pippa continued, "It's a common misconception that all sapphires are blue, but that's not the case. They can be any color... green or yellow or pink, even. It depends on the additive. But they're all called sapphires. It's only if they're red that they're called something else. Rubies. Because of the chromium.”

FactualSapphiresAdditivesPippa MarburyChromium
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“She extended her hand. "I'm afraid you have the better of me, sir. I've not made the pleasure of your acquaintance." He gave her proffered hand a long look before meeting her gaze once more, as though giving her the chance to change her mind. "I am Temple." The Duke of Lamont. The murderer. She stepped back, her hand falling involuntarily at the thought before she could stop it. "Oh." His lips twisted in a wry smile. "Now you're wishing you hadn't come here after all." Her mind raced. He wouldn't hurt her. He was Bourne's partner. He was Mr. Cross's partner. It was the middle of the day. People were not killed in Mayfair in the middle of the day. And for all she'd heard about this dark, dangerous man, there wasn't a single stitch of proof that he'd done that which he was purported to have done. She extended her hand once more. "I am Philippa Marbury." One black brow arched, but he took her hand firmly. "Brave girl." "There's no proof that you're what they say." "Gossip is damning enough." She shook her head. "I am a scientist. Hypotheses are useless without evidence." One side of his mouth twitched. "Would that the rest of England were as thorough.”

Logical ThinkingPippa MarburyPhilippa MarburyWilliam Harrow
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“It's just that... since we met, I have been rather... well, fascinated by..." You. Say it, he willed, not entirely certain what he would do if she did, but willing to put himself to the test. She took another breath. "By your bones." Would she ever say anything expected? "My bones?" She nodded. "Yes. Well, the muscles and tendons, too. Your forearms. Your thighs. And earlier- while I watched you drink whiskey- by your hands." Cross had been propositioned many times in his life. He'd made a career of refusing women's requests. But he had never been complimented on his bones. It was the strangest, sexiest confession he'd ever heard. And he had no idea how to respond.”

Physical AttractionPippa MarburyPippa And Jasper
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“She watched him carefully, riveted to his story, and for one, fleeting moment, he allowed himself to look at her, taking in her unbound hair and her blue eyes- full of knowledge and more understanding than he deserved. He couldn't imagine how he'd ever imagined her ordinary or plain. She was stunning. And if her beauty weren't enough, there was her mind. She was brilliant and quick-witted, and so perfectly different than anyone he'd ever known. Two and two made him. On anyone else's lips it would have been gibberish, but on Pippa's it was the most seductive concept he'd ever considered. She was everything he'd never known he wanted.”

Pippa MarburyBeauty And Brains
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“Most people think you're odd." She smiled. "On that, most people are right." "You know, I used to think they were. You're brilliant and have a passion for animals and strange flowers, and you were always more interested in the crops that rotated on my estate than in the trappings of my town house. I'd never met a woman like you. But, even as I knew you were smarter than I, even as I knew that you knew that you were smarter than I... you never showed it. You've never given me any reason to believe you thought me simple. You always went out of your way to remind me of the things we had in common. We both prefer the country. We both enjoy animals." He shrugged one shoulder. "I was happy to think that you would one day be my wife." "I don't think you simple," she said, wanting him to know that. Wanting him to understand that this mess she was making had nothing to do with him. He was not lacking. "I think you will make someone a very happy match.”

BrilliantOddPippa MarburyRobert Castleton
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“She looked to Pippa. "Have I made it difficult for you?" Pippa hedged. "Not at all. Castleton sent news to Father just last week that he was planning to court me in earnest, and it's not as though I'm the most ordinary of debutantes." It was an understatement. Pippa was something of a bluestocking, very focused on the sciences and fascinated by the insides of living things, from plants to people. She'd once stolen a goose from the kitchens and dissected it in her bedchamber.”

ScientistPippa MarburyPhilippa MarburyBluestocking Girl
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“It ain't my problem if the ladies are drawn to me," Digger said. "A gentleman doesn't turn 'em away if they're askin' for a minute or two." His eyes slid to Pippa once more. "Ain't that right, Lady Soon-to-be-a-countess?" "I find it difficult to believe either that ladies are drawn to you or that, in such a case, you would act the part of a gentleman," Pippa retorted.”

Pippa MarburyPhilippa Marbury
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“And Tottenham shan't be able to to resist me in this dress. No man could." "Olivia!" the marchioness said from her place. "That is entirely unladylike." "Why? That is the goal, is it not? To tempt one's husband?" "One does not tempt one's husband!" the marchioness insisted. Olivia's smile turned mischievous. "You must have tempted yours once or twice, Mother." "Oh!" Lady Needham collapsed back against the settee. Madame Hebert turned away from the conversation, waving two girls over to work on Pippa's hem. Olivia winked at Pippa. "Five times, at least." Pippa could not resist. "Four. Victoria and Valerie are twins." "Enough! I can't abide it!" The marchioness was up and through the curtains to the front of the shop, leaving her daughters to their laughter.”

Pippa MarburyProcreating Human BeingsHa Ha Ha
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“I beg your pardon, Mr. Cross, but in this conversation, you are superfluous." He gave her his most frightening stare. "I assure you, I am anything but that." "Am I right in understanding that you have neither the time nor the inclination to speak to me at this particular moment?" She had backed him into a corner. "Yes." She smiled. "There it is, then. As I find myself with both, I believe I shall begin my research now. Without you." She turned her back on him.”

Pippa MarburyPippa And Jasper
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“Pippa is virtually engaged to Lord Castleton; we expect he'll propose within a matter of days of her return to London." His hand stilled for a moment before continuing its long, slow slide. "How did she and Castleton come to know each other?" She thought of the plain, uninspiring earl. "The same way it happens with anyone, really. Balls, dinners, dancing. He seems nice enough, but... I do not care for the idea of him with Pippa." "Why not?" "Some would say she's peculiar, but she's not. She's simply bookish, loves the sciences. She is fascinated by how things work. He doesn't seem to be able to keep up with her. But, honestly? I don't think she gives a fig one way or another about whether or whom she marries. As long as he has a library and a few dogs, she'll make a happiness of sorts for herself. I only wish she could find someone more... well, I hate to sound cruel, but... intelligent.”

BookishPippa MarburyPhilippa MarburyNot Like Other Girls
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“Not that we expect anything less of Lord Bourne- husband or not, he remains a rogue! And that which we call a rogue, by any other name would scandalize as sweet!" "Oh, for heaven's sake." Penelope did roll her eyes at that, looking to Michael, who looked... pleased. "You're complimented?" He turned innocent eyes on her. "Should I not be?" "Well," Philippa added thoughtfully, "anything Shakespearean must be at least a vague compliment." "Precisely," Michael said, gifting Pippa with a smile that made Penelope more than a little envious of her younger sister.”

ShakespeareBook TitlePippa MarburyPhilippa MarburyMichael LawlerBy Any Other Name
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“I might as well marry Castleton," Pippa said. "It will make Father happy. And I shall never have to see the inside of a season again. Think of all the visits to the dressmaker I can forgo." Penelope smiled at the jest, even as she wanted to open her mouth and scream at the unfairness of it all. Pippa did not deserve a loveless marriage any more than the other Marbury girls did.”

Pippa MarburyPhilippa Marbury
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“May I help you?" She did not look up. "You've miscalculated column F." What in hell? "I have not." She pushed her glasses up her nose and tucked a stray strand of blond hair behind her ear, entirely focused on the ledger. "You have. The proper calculation should be one hundred and twelve thousand, three hundred forty-six and seventeen pence." Impossible. He stood, moving to look over her shoulder. "That's what it says." She shook her head, placing one long finger on the tabulation line. He noticed the tip of the finger was slightly crooked, leaning a touch to the right. "You've written one hundred twelve thousand, three hundred, forty-five and seventeen pence. You-" She looked up at him, eyes owl-like behind her spectacles as she took in his height and his bare chest. "You- you've lost a quid." He bent over her, deliberately crowding her and enjoying the way her breath caught at his nearness. "That is a six." She cleared her throat and looked again. "Oh." She leaned in and checked the number again. "I suppose you've lost your handwriting skills, instead," she said dryly, and he chuckled as she reached for a pencil and repaired the number. He watched, riveted to the callus at the tip of her second finger, before he whispered low in her ear, "Are you an accounting fairy sent in the dead of night to check my figures?" She leaned away from the whisper and and turned to look at him. "It's one o'clock in the afternoon," she said, matter-of-factly, and he had an intense desire to take her spectacles from her face and kiss her senseless, just to see what this odd young woman would say.”

NumbersPippa MarburyLedgerPhilippa MarburyPippa And JasperJasper Arlesey
Book:A Rogue by Any Other Name
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“He showed her things she'd never known about things she'd always thought she understood. And she adored it... even as it terrified her. Even as it made her question everything she thought true. She resisted the thought, her gaze rising to one large wall of the club, where the Angel's namesake fell in beautiful glass panels from Heaven to Hell, from good to evil, from sainthood to sin. It was the most beautiful window Pippa had ever seen, the work of true artisans, all reds and golds and violets, at once hideous and holy. It was the angel himself who fascinated her, the enormous, beautiful man crashing to Earth, without the gifts he'd had for so long. In the hands of a poorer artist, the detail of him would have been less intricate, the hands and feet and face would have been shaped with glass of a single color, but this artist had cared deeply for his subject, and the swirls of darks and lights in the panels were finely crafted to depict movement, shape, and even emotion. She could not help but stare at the face of the fall- inverted as he fell to the floor of the hell- the arch of his brow, the complex shade of his jaw, the curve of his lip. She paused there, thinking on another pair of lips, another fall. Another angel. Cross. Emotion flared, one she did not immediately recognize. She let out a long breath. She wanted him- in a way she knew she should not. In a way she knew she should want another. A man destined to be her husband. To be the father of her children. And yet, she wanted Cross. This angel.”

ArtworkPippa MarburyFallen AngelPippa And JasperJasper Arlesey
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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“She pushed and elbowed and knocked and strained to catch him, and finally, she did, reaching out for his hand--adoring the fact that neither of them wore gloves, loving the way their skin came together, the way his brought wonderful heat in a lush, irresistible current. He felt it too. She knew it because he stopped the instant they touched, turning to face her, grey eyes wild as Devonshire rain. She knew it because he whispered her name, aching and beautiful and soft enough for only her to hear. And she it because his free hand rose, captured her jaw and titled her face up to him even as he leaned down and stole her lips and breath and thought in a kiss that she would never in her lifetime forget. The was like food and drink, like sleep, like breath. She needed it with the same elemental desire and she cared not a bit that all of London was watching. Yes, she was masked, but it did not matter. She would have stripped to her chemise for this kiss. To her skin. Their fingers still intertwined, he wrapped their arms behind her back and pulled her to him, claiming her mouth with lips and tongue and teeth, marking her with one long luscious kiss that went on and on until she thought she might die from the pleasure of it. Her free hand was in his hair then, tangling in the soft locks, loving their silky promise. She was lost, claimed and fairly consumed by the intensity of the kiss, and for the first time in her life, Pippa gave herself up to emotion, pouring every bit of her desire and her passion and her fear and her need into this moment This caress. This man. This man, who was everything she had never allowed herself to dream she would find. This man, who made her believe in friendship. In partnership.. In love”

Pippa Cross
Book:One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
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