A Courtesan’s Guide to Getting Your Man (43 page)

Piper did her part next. “It’s been an incredible year of adventure, discovery, and surprise for us—Peru, Istanbul, the snow-packed Swiss Alps, New Orleans, Mackinac Island, Michigan—we’ve covered a lot of miles this season, and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve been up to.”

Mick smiled. “Like we say every year, we’ve got the best jobs in the world!”

Piper nodded and smiled easily. “And this year, we managed to bring home the single greatest treasure of all.” The cameras pulled back for a wider picture and Piper pointed to her baby bump.

Mick leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Piper’s tummy. “Our little girl is already a seasoned world traveler, but we’re almost certain the three of us met last fall, right here in good ole Boston.”

“Go, Sox!”
Cullen shouted out from behind the bar, which whipped the pub customers into a frenzy. As always, Cullen’s off-script additions were what made these hometown kickoff shows among the highest rated of the season.

It took nearly two hours to wrap up filming, and by then Piper was clearly stiff and exhausted, though she tried hard to keep smiling. Mick helped her down from her stool while he rubbed her lower back. Though they had a few weeks before their daughter was due to make her grand entrance, Piper had been experiencing odd little tugs and twinges all week, making them wonder if Ophelia Malloy, like her namesake, might have already decided to do things her own way.

“I’ll get the car,” Mick whispered in her ear.

“No.” Piper pulled at his shirtsleeve. “Let’s walk. It’ll do me good.”

They made their way through the pub crowd, stopping to hug Cullen and Em and the kids and everyone else who wanted to give their congratulations. Once outside, they turned in the opposite direction of the crowd and made slow progress toward their parking spot four blocks away. Without planning it, they found themselves standing before the brightly lit windows of Beantown Books, the site of their first date. Their first kiss. Their first glimpse of what was possible for their lives.

Mick and Piper were quiet, the warm interior light spilling onto their faces, their arms around each other. Right there at eye level was a three-foot-long display banner that read:

THE COURTESAN
’
S GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR MAN

BY PIPER MALLOY AND OPHELIA HARRINGTON

Mick glanced down at his wife, noting the glow of satisfaction on her chubby cheeks. The bestselling hardcover had been on the shelves for months now, but like most everything in their shared life, the joy of Piper’s success still felt brand-new.

“It’s ironic, isn’t it?” Mick asked, pulling Piper closer. “Ophelia once said she feared all the good literature had already been written, but here she is two hundred years later, an overnight success!”

Just then, a young, bespectacled woman inside the store strolled past the window display. She stopped, tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and picked up a book.

Mick grinned at the innocent curiosity he saw in the girl’s eyes, aware that he’d seen that expression somewhere before.

“It’s weird, but I really want her to go home with a copy,” Piper whispered.

“She reminds me of you a little bit,” Mick said, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “You know, back when you took the ethnoarchaeology seminar just so you could stare at my ass.”

“You wish,” Piper said.

The young woman frowned as she carefully studied the cover, then turned it over to scan the back. She remained deep in concentration, her expression serious. Her eyes slowly widened and her lips began to spread in a sly smile. She looked around quickly, as if to make sure no one was watching, then tucked the book into the crook of her arm and headed toward the checkout line.

“Now you’ve gone and done it,” Mick whispered, gently guiding Piper down the cobblestone sidewalk. “The poor girl will never be the same.”

They continued in silent companionship for a few steps, then Mick felt Piper press tight to his side.

“Do you think they’ll be writing about us in two hundred years?” she asked.

“Of course,” Mick answered. “No one can resist a great love story.”

St. Martin’s Paperbacks Titles by

Celeste Bradley

THE RUNAWAY BRIDES

Devil in My Bed

Rogue in My Arms

Scoundrel in My Dreams

THE HEIRESS BRIDES

Desperately Seeking a Duke

The Duke Next Door

The Duke Most Wanted

THE LIAR
’
S CLUB

The Pretender

The Impostor

The Spy

The Charmer

The Rogue

THE ROYAL FOUR

To Wed a Scandalous Spy

Surrender to a Wicked Spy

One Night With a Spy

Seducing the Spy

And by Susan Donovan

Not That Kind of Girl

The Night She Got Lucky

Ain’t Too Proud to Beg

The Girl Most Likely To …

The Kept Woman

He Loves Lucy

Public Displays of Affection

Take a Chance on Me

Knock Me Off My Feet

Praise for the novels of Susan Donovan

THE NIGHT SHE GOT LUCKY

“This second in Donovan’s stories of dog-walking friends is a wonderful combination of love and laughter, with serious moments as well as some intrigue. The animal characters are a delightful addition to the story.”

—
RT BOOKreviews

“
The Night She Got Lucky
is a sexy, sweet, and simply delicious contemporary romance.”

—
Joyfully Reviewed

“A cute, funny, and sexy tale from beginning to end,
The Night She Got Lucky
is one I highly recommend. The characters are engaging and the dialogue snappy.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

“This delightful, sexy, and funny story by Susan Donovan makes you believe that love and happily-ever-after can happen at any age!”

—
Reader to Reader Reviews

AIN
’
T TOO PROUD TO BEG

“Donovan whips up a fine frappe of romantic comedy and suspense.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“A delightful new series.”

—
RT BOOKreviews

“This is a terrific book and one that fans of Ms. Donovan, and new readers of first-class romantic comedies, don’t want to miss.”

—
Reader to Reader Reviews

Praise for the novels of Celeste Bradley

SCOUNDREL IN MY DREAMS

“Bradley has done it again: created a memorable Runaway Brides story that fills your heart with joy and laughter, mixed with tears. Even though fans of this series realize who the adorable Melody’s father must be, it’s still a pleasure to read. Let your spirit fly and savor this wondrous read!”

—
RT BOOKreviews

(4½ stars, Top Pick!)

ROGUE IN MY ARMS

“Bradley doesn’t disappoint with the second in her Runaway Brides trilogy, which is certain to have readers laughing and crying. Her characters leap off the page, especially little three-year-old Melody, the precocious ‘heroine,’ and her three fathers. There’s passion, adventure, nonstop action, and secrets that make the pages fly by.”

—RT BOOKreviews

(4½ stars, Top Pick!)

“When it comes to crafting fairy tale–like, wonderfully escapist historicals, Bradley is unrivaled, and the second addition to her Runaway Brides trilogy cleverly blends madcap adventure and sexy romance.”

—Booklist

DEVIL IN MY BED

“From its unconventional prologue to its superb conclusion, every page of the first in Bradley’s Runaway Brides series is perfection and joy. Tinged with humor that never overshadows the poignancy and peopled with remarkable characters (especially the precocious Melody) who will steal your heart, this one’s a keeper.”

—RT BOOKreviews

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

A COURTESAN
’
S GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR MAN

Copyright © 2011 by Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan.

All rights reserved.

For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

ISBN: 978-0-312-53256-7

St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / June 2011

St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

eISBN 978-1-4299-9651-8

First St. Martin’s Paperbacks eBook Edition: May 2011

The romance never ends …

Look for these other series from
New York Times
bestselling author

CELESTE BRADLEY

The Runaway Brides

DEVIL IN MY BED

ISBN: 978-0-312-94308-0

ROGUE IN MY ARMS

ISBN: 978-0-312-94309-7

SCOUNDREL IN MY DREAMS

ISBN: 978-0-312-94310-3

The Heiress Brides

DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUKE

ISBN: 0-312-93968-X

THE DUKE NEXT DOOR

ISBN: 0-312-93969-8

THE DUKE MOST WANTED

ISBN: 0-312-93970-1

Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Don’t miss more delightful romances from
New York Times
bestselling author

CELESTE BRADLEY

The Liar’s Club

THE PRETENDER

ISBN: 978-0-312-98485-4

THE IMPOSTOR

ISBN: 978-0-312-98486-1

THE SPY

ISBN: 978-0-312-98784-8

THE CHARMER

ISBN: 978-0-312-99971-1

THE ROGUE

ISBN: 978-0-312-93115-5

The Royal Four

TO WED A SCANDALOUS SPY

ISBN: 978-0-312-93116-2

SURRENDER TO A WICKED SPY

ISBN: 978-0-312-93127-8

ONE NIGHT WITH A SPY

ISBN: 978-0-312-93966-3

SEDUCING THE SPY

ISBN: 978-0-312-93967-0

Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Don’t miss these other novels from
New York Times
bestselling author Susan Donovan …

NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL

ISBN: 978-0-312-36606-3

THE NIGHT SHE GOT LUCKY

ISBN: 978-0-312-36605-6

AIN’T TOO PROUD TO BEG

ISBN: 978-0-312-36604-9

THE GIRL MOST LIKELY TO …

ISBN: 978-0-312-93951-9

THE KEPT WOMAN

ISBN: 978-0-312-93950-2

HE LOVES LUCY

ISBN: 978-0-312-99233-0

PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

ISBN: 978-0-312-99232-3

TAKE A CHANCE ON ME

ISBN: 978-0-312-98375-8

KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET

ISBN: 978-0-312-98374-1

Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Coming soon …

Look for the first novel in Susan Donovan’s delectable new series!

CHERI ON TOP

ISBN: 978-0-312-53621-3

Available in September 2011 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks