Book excerpt: Irresistible Rakes Collection Part 2: 4 Historical Steamy Romance Short Stories Total word count 20,018. Please note that each of these short stories can all be bought as a standalone single story. Taken by the Earl Claudia is being blackmailed into marriage by Oliver, who is aware of her family secret. However, she is not the only one that is desperate for her to avoid being wed at the altar. Marcus, the Earl of Lakeworth and Oliver's older brother, has no intention of letting another man have Claudia. Claudia is his and his alone, and he will do anything to stop her from making a big mistake even if it means he must take her captive and make her remember all the love and passion they once shared! The Marquess’s Daughter Carl is seeking revenge on Marquess Richardson and he believes the marquess’s daughter Fiona might just be the means to achieve his end as he embarks on a passionate affair with her. But, on the eve of his victory against the Marquess, he finds that his game of revenge is proving bittersweet as he finally acknowledges his feelings for Fiona. All he can think of after his revelation is whether Fiona will forgive him when she finds out the truth, or if he will lose all that he loves forever! The Earl and the Proud Spinster Violet thinks that she is completely immune to all the irrational emotions involved in the intimate relations between men and women. That is until her path crosses that of Andrew, the Earl of Teddington, who is determined to teach her a valuable lesson in passion and love. It is a lesson that will make her rethink all that she had once believed in! An Honourable Rake Jessica realises she got it all so very wrong! She thought she was in love with Jeremy and he with her, only to find that he has eyes only for her best friend Isabel. And she would have gone on to reveal her hurt feelings at Jeremy and Isabel’s engagement party had it not been for her childhood friend and neighbour Christopher, the Earl of Manning, intervening to save her from making an embarrassment of herself as he makes his own proposal. Now Jessica is even more confused! Why did Christopher come so willing to her aid, and why is he suddenly looking and acting so out of character with her? Jessica had always taken Christopher as a self-confessed rake, but it seems now that he has undergone a change of heart, one that makes her see him in a completely different light. And it is not long before a strong desire grows between them, a desire that must eventually reach its climax!