The Dangerous Mr. Ryder

He knows that escorting the haughty Grand Duchess of Maubourg to England will not be an easy task.

But Jack Ryder, spy and adventurer, believes he is more than capable of managing Her Serene Highness. Scaling a castle wall two hundred feet above a ravine riverbed proves simple enough, yet Eva de Maubourg, armed with a paperknife and fierce devotion to her young son, has no intention of obeying an arrogant English intruder.

Prince Antoine has seized the duchy while Prince Philippe lies stricken with suspected poison, and experiments with military explosives threaten to throw Maubourg into Napoleon's hands. Hacking open locked chests to seize the rocket plans only confirms that this proud noblewoman possesses far more daring than his Whitehall superiors ever foresaw.

He's not prepared for her beauty, her youth, or the way that her sensual warmth shines through her cold facade.

And what started as just another mission is rapidly becoming something far more personal….

Hero as Protector: When an ambush by Colonel de Presteigne in Lyon ends in a desperate plunge into the snow-fed Rhône, Jack braves the raging current to pull Eva from the rapids.Forced Proximity: To slip past French patrols, the proud duchess and her roguish escort must masquerade as husband and wife, sharing cramped post chaises and secluded roadside inns.Opposites Attract: An imperious royal accustomed to courtly deference finds herself trading velvet gowns for men’s riding breeches alongside an irreverent agent who treats her as an equal.Also by This Author: From Ruin to Riches, The Earl's Practical Marriage and His Christmas Countess.