About the Book
Patrick O’Malley has no time for distractions…
The Duke’s Guard: The men in black who have sworn an oath to protect the Duke of Wyndmere and his family from enemies that would stop at nothing to discredit and destroy him!
The Duke of Wyndmere’s quest to find a nanny for his newborn twins bring yet another applicant to his door. Widowed Gwendolyn Alexander is one of the most sought-after nannies among the ton. Her reputation precedes her and has the duke and duchess anticipating hiring the woman.
Patrick O’Malley, head of the duke’s personal guard, hopes this latest applicant will meet with the approval of the most difficult members of the duke’s family…his twin babes. The petite woman, dressed in drab peat-brown from head to toe, stepping down from the duke’s carriage has an immediate effect on him. The mix of emotion—pain, sadness, and anticipation—swirling in her Irish whiskey-colored eyes hold him captive. She blinks, and in that one moment his gaze shifts to study her closely. The earthen tones of her gown cannot hide her voluptuous curves. His breath snags in his lungs as unbidden images slam into him one after the other. Tangled sheets…flickering firelight…silky brown tresses spread across the white of his pillow.
Gwendolyn guards her bruised and battered heart like a warrior…
Gwendolyn Alexander anticipates her reputation preceding her as she alights from the duke’s carriage. Unused to such luxury, she nearly insisted she find her own way to Wyndmere Hall in the Lake District, before admitting it would be counterproductive, and accepts the duke’s offer of transportation. Rumors, and ridiculous reasons the first few nannies engaged were let go after only a few days’ time, circulate like mad through the ton. She does not intend to leave until her allotted time—four months, is up. She never accepts a position without insisting that her position will end when the babe needing a nanny reaches four months of age—and never explains the tragic reason why. As she steps down from the carriage to thank the footman for his assistance, her gaze collides with an impossibly handsome, broad-shouldered man, garbed in black from head to toe. Desire flickers in eyes the color of polished emeralds, reminding her of Beltane fires, drawing her inexplicably toward him.
Threats to kidnap the Duke and Duchess of Wyndmere’s twins have the duke adding to the number of men patrolling the grounds in and around Wyndmere Hall while his personal guard draws back to protect his babes, knowing that nothing will penetrate the wall of Irishmen protecting the loves of his life.
Gwendolyn and Patrick are at cross purposes in their approach to protecting the little ones. They must learn to compromise and work together before the kidnapper strikes again!
Will they walk away or face the fire of desire that threatens to consume them?