Karen Hawkins
 Confessions of a Scoundrel
 talisman ring serie # 2

ILegend says that whomever possesses the St. John talisman ring will find their one true love. Now that the ring rests in the pocket of renowned scoundrel Brandon St. John, the dashing rake must decide whether it is a blessing ... or a curse.

Never has the irresistible rogue Brandon St. John pursued a woman with more fervor - but his ardent suit of Lady Verena Westforth has a different purpose. The delectable blond lovely is indeed enticing, but Brandon suspects her hiding a valuable missive that he has sworn to recover. With a sensuous kiss and a passionate caress he intends to lower Verena's guard... and then discover where she's hidden "the goods".

Without the missive, Verena stands to lose the one thing dearest to her heart. And now an extraordinary man has entered her life... at the worst possible time! Vulnerable though she may be, Verena vows she will not be just another of Brandon's conquests, even as she aches to melt in his arms. But is he a needed friend or a foe in alluring disguise... and will she be able to prove to him that love is their true destiny?

 

(...) There'd been a moment when he'd been certain she was different from all the others. Just a moment. But now... he noted how her fingers gripped the bank draft. He met her gaze with a superior smirk "Afraid you'll lose it?" Her gaze narrowed, became scathing. She jerked her gaze from his and glanced down at the draft crumpled between her fingers "You have erred, Mr. St. John. Money does not make anything worth my while".
Then she did the most astonishing thing. She lifted the bank draft and held it in front of his face and ripped it into tiny pieces.
"I don't need your money, nor do I need you" To his startled chagrin, she held her hand over his head and showered him with tiny pieces of paper. (...)