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    Love Only Me: Scandal Meets Love, #1
    Love Only Me: Scandal Meets Love, #1
    Love Only Me: Scandal Meets Love, #1
    Ebook114 pages1 hourScandal Meets Love

    Love Only Me: Scandal Meets Love, #1

    By Amanda Mariel

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    About this ebook

    Born a noblewoman but raised a hellion, Lady Narissa dances on the edge of London's elite and its shadows. As the secret founder of an exclusive gaming hell for the ladies of the ton, she defies society's rules and guards her hidden world fiercely. Determined to protect her legacy at any cost, she's vowed to let no man disrupt her carefully constructed life.

     

    Seth Blakley, the Duke of Blackmore, is consumed with the task of managing his spirited sister's debut, desperate to see her properly wed before scandal ensues. His pursuit of her leads him into the heart of Lady Narissa's clandestine empire. But instead of outrage, he finds himself mesmerized by the headstrong, unconventional beauty who rules the tables.

     

    Narissa wants nothing more than for Seth to forget her club—and her—but the duke is relentless. As their worlds collide, an irresistible passion flares between them, challenging everything they've ever known. In a society that demands obedience, will their burgeoning love survive the secrets and loyalties that threaten to tear them apart?

     

    Dive into the world of Love Only Me, where forbidden desire battles with duty, and love demands the ultimate gamble.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrook Ridge Press
    Release dateApr 24, 2018
    ISBN9781386364320
    Love Only Me: Scandal Meets Love, #1
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    Author

    Amanda Mariel

    USA Today Bestselling, Amazon All Star author Amanda Mariel dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word. When she is not writing she can be found reading, crocheting, traveling, practicing her photography skills, or spending time with her family.

    Read more from Amanda Mariel

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      Book preview

      Love Only Me - Amanda Mariel

      Love Only Me

      LOVE ONLY ME

      SCANDAL MEETS LOVE, BOOK 1

      USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

      AMANDA MARIEL

      Brook Ridge Press

      CONTENTS

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Epilogue

      About the Author

      Also by Amanda Mariel

      Afterword

      Excerpt

      Prologue

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

      Copyright © 2018 Amanda Mariel

      All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written permission of the publisher.

      Published by Brook Ridge Press

      For my daddy—you will always be in my heart and the first person I think of when horse racing, cards, or gambling are mentioned. I love you and will forever miss you.

      CHAPTER 1

      Suffolk, England

      April 1812

      Lady Narissa Goodwin had never been the conventional sort. Raised by her gambler father, she’d grown up around card games, horse races, and drinking. As she strolled across the turf at Newmarket, ready to ride her horse Merlin, she glanced at the crowd of spectators gathered for the race. Narissa could not be more ready for the days’ events. A grin spread across her face.

      Gentlemen lined the course, dressed in fine day coats and breeches, their cravats starched and tied expertly. Bookmakers collected wagers and called out odds while jockeys mounted their horses and prepared for the race. The thrill of the day vibrated in the air. A slight spring breeze cooled her skin, and the sun shone brightly. There could not be a more perfect day for a race.

      Her gaze stopped on a group of ladies who peered at her with disapproval radiating from their eyes. Narissa paid them no mind as she turned her attention back to the turf. Before long, she would be racing along the course, Merlin’s hoofs pounding beneath her. A controlled wildness one would have to experience to understand, and she thrived on it. She cared not what a group of dull ladies thought about her.

      Papa’s words echoed in her head, ‘You have but one life. Live it on your own terms, Poppet’. Narissa did just that. She raced with the best, ran her own gaming hell, and lived by her own set of rules—society be damned. She notched her chin confidently as she took Merlin’s reins.

      Thank you, she said to the groom.

      He offered a smile and nod before she glanced back at the crush of people assembled beyond the track. A few ladies standing closer to the turf than ladies usually did had been watching her but turned away when she caught their gaze. She recognized one of them, Lady Ophelia, wife of an earl. The lady frequented Narissa’s gaming hell, Fortuna’s Parlor, named after her first thoroughbred. A gift from her beloved papa for her thirteenth birthday.

      At the club, Lady Ophelia went out of her way to chat with Narissa. Funny how differently the lady treated her in public, but then, many of her patrons acted in the same manner, save for a few close friends.

      Most of the ton’s ladies kept their parlor doors closed to Narissa and shunned her on the streets, but the gentlemen did not share their sentiments. Rarely did a man shoot her a disapproving glare or speak out against her. In fact, they tended to act as if she belonged among them, allowing her to join their card games and such. Perhaps it was a result of having known her papa. Perhaps it was the source of the other women’s scorn for her? Regardless, she did not give a whit.

      She nudged the chestnut colt into motion. Narissa had been anticipating this race for months. Excitement thrummed in her veins as the well-muscled horse moved beneath her. She’d been born for this. Leastwise, that is what Papa had always said, and she most certainly believed it. 

      The thrill of racing was in her blood, the same as it was Merlin’s. Together, they were a force the likes of which the ton had not seen before. All of England would soon know it. Merlin ran fast and free like the wind. A born racer. Together they were unstoppable. Drawing him to a halt at the starting line, she stroked the animals’ neck. Let us show them what we are made of, she whispered.

      Papa crossed her mind, and she glanced up at the heavens. She’d give anything for him to be here now. He would be exceedingly pleased. Merlin had been bred from Papa’s prize stallion, and it had been his dream to race the horse. Together they had started the horses’ training. After Papa passed away, she was determined to see his dream brought to reality. 

      She closed her eyes. Papa, I hope you are watching. A gentle breeze wrapped around her as if in answer, and her chest tightened. She missed him dearly—always would. In her heart, she knew he was watching, cheering, as he would at Epsom, and she found a measure of comfort in the knowledge. Papa had always been her champion.

      She turned her attention to the other riders lining up for the Two Thousand Guineas sweepstakes race over the Riley Mile. The twelve-horse field looked impressive, though it did not shake her confidence in Merlin. He could outrun all of them. The bookkeepers had picked him as the favorite. She’d heard the frenzy of betting with many gentlemen placing wagers on her mount. She, too, had bet on Merlin for the win.

      Even now, a crowd surrounded the bookmaker, placing last-minute wagers. Off to the side, a tall man with midnight black hair caught her attention. The way he studied her with his piercing blue eyes sent a chill straight through her. Who the deuce was he? And why did he take such an interest in her?

      Narissa tore her gaze away, determined not to let the stranger shake her. She bent low over Merlin, then inhaled his scent, calming herself. Nature, the mingling of hay, horse sweat, and dust—there was nothing more refreshing, more capable of bringing her into the moment.

      Merlin bolted at the signal to start. Narissa’s muscles strained with the effort required to hold him back. Heart pounding, excitement thrumming through her, she focused on the course awaiting the perfect time to loosen her hold on the reins, and unleash Merlin’s full speed. Yes, this is what she lived for—the thrill of competition. The satisfaction found in victory. And make no mistake, victory would be hers.

      * * *

      Seth Blakey, Duke of Blackmore, could not take his attention from the turf. Not that he wished to as his own horse, Highflier, was among the racers. However, it was the lady rider that held him captive. Where had she come from? And what the devil was a female doing jockeying at Newmarket? This was a competitive male field, not suitable for the gentler sex. 

      Prying his attention from her, he looked at the entire field of horses. Highflier had the lead by a head. His competition, a well-muscled black, fought to close the gap, while the rest of the horses ran in a cluster a few furlongs behind. The woman trailed the field at the back of the pack, though not by any significant distance.

      Calls of ‘Come on,’ ‘Go, Merlin, go,’ ‘Come on Highflier,’ and ‘Move Gypsy Dancer,’ filled the air around him. A frenzy of chants

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