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The world slipped away, leaving nothing but sensation and the passion that raged between them, powerful, fierce, and violent.

And he touched her as she’d wanted.

A slide of fingers, a slick caress, and she was arching helplessly against him. ‘‘Here?’’ he whispered. ‘‘Or . . . here?’’

‘‘Oh, there!’’ she cried as he found a spot so exquisite a skittering of heat flashed through her. ‘‘Now, Sean,’’ she breathed, arching again. ‘‘Take me now.’’

She was shimmering, she was throbbing, and he was moving over her, nudging her entrance. Wrapping her legs around him instinctively, she sucked in a breath as he slipped inside her. A tiny burst of pain went as quickly as it arrived, leaving her astonished at the wonder of being filled, of being possessed, of being utterly one with the man she loved.

He was hers, and she was his, and nothing had ever been so right.

And then he moved in her, and nothing had ever been so sublime.

She raised her hips, straining to be closer to him, and together they sought a rhythm. Together they were lost; together they found oblivion; together they soared. They caught cries of pleasure in each other’s mouths and, washed in candlelight, stayed locked together while the world slid back into place.

And it was perfect.

Author’s Note

Dear Readers,

During the Regency, a female artist like Corinna might have had her picture accepted for the Summer Exhibition—but it’s a sad truth that she’d probably never have been elected to the Royal Academy of Arts. In 1768, the founding membership did include two women, Angelica Kauffmann and Mary Moser. However, ladies weren’t admitted to the Royal Academy schools until 1861, and the next female Academician, Dame Laura Knight, wasn’t elected until 1936.

Although we think of art from Corinna’s era as classic, it was the contemporary art of its time, and the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition is the largest contemporary art show in the world. Held every year since 1769, the Exhibition is and always has been the place to see a wide range of new work by both established and unknown living artists. Admission cost one shilling in the nineteenth century, and the exhibit has been extraordinarily popular all along. Attendance grew from 60,000 in 1780 to 390,000 by 1879. In 2006, the show drew over 150,000 visitors (including me and my family!), and more than 1200 works were included.

The Summer Exhibition Selection Committee members who attended Lady A’s reception were the actual committee members in 1817, with the exception of Thomas Phillips. I removed him to make room for the fictional John Hamilton. I do apologize to Mr. Phillips, but I had to choose someone, and he was the man with the least biographical information to draw on.

It’s been said that the modern novel was born in 1740, when Samuel Richardson wrote
Pamela or Virtue and Reward
. A tale of frustrated sexuality, it sparked controversy that created a thirst for more of the same. As a result, reading Gothic and romance fiction became a decades-long craze. Or maybe it still is a craze . . . as a romance reader, what do you think?

In about 1790, an Englishman named William Lane saw an opportunity and established Minerva Press. For a number of years, Lane dominated the novel publishing industry. Over half the popular books were printed by Minerva Press, and Lane reportedly made a fortune. According to the poet Samuel Rogers, Lane was often seen tooling around London in a splendid carriage, attended by footmen with cockades and gold-headed canes. All of the lines from books that Corinna recalls in
The Art of Temptation
are real quotes from Minerva Press novels.

Most of the homes in my books are inspired by real places. I modeled Lincolnshire House on Devonshire House, which was designed by William Kent and served as the London residence of the Dukes of Devonshire for almost two hundred years. Because I wanted Lord Lincolnshire to live in Berkeley Square, I turned this house around—in reality, the house fronted on Piccadilly Street and its gardens backed up to the square. Devonshire House is no longer standing, but before it was demolished in the 1920s, many of the interior furnishings were moved to Chatsworth, the duke’s residence in the countryside. You can still see some of them there.

Sean’s house was inspired by Kenwood House in Hampstead. Set in an idyllic landscape beside Hampstead Heath, the house was expanded by Robert Adam between 1764 and 1779. Although Sean didn’t have any paintings, the real house is a veritable gallery. Edward Cecil Guinness, brewing magnate and first Earl of Iveagh, bought Kenwood House in 1925, and when he died in 1927, he bequeathed the estate and part of his art collection to Britain. The house is open daily all year round, and if you visit you will see important paintings by many great artists including Rembrandt, Vermeer, Constable, Turner, Reynolds, and Gainsborough. I like to imagine that Corinna might have put together such a collection!

The Chases’ town house at 44 Berkeley Square has been described as ‘‘the finest terrace house of London.’’ It was designed in 1742 by William Kent for Lady Isabella Finch. Unfortunately, you cannot visit, because the building is currently being used as a private club, but if you go to Berkeley Square, you can see it from the outside. Look for the blue door.

Stafford House, Juliana’s home in St. James’s Place, is based on Spencer House, one of the great architectural landmarks of London. Built in the eighteenth century by John, 1st Earl Spencer (an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales), it was immediately recognized as a building of major importance. Should you ever find yourself in London, I highly recommend a visit. Spencer House is open to the public every Sunday except during January and August.

To see pictures and learn more about the real places featured in
The Art of Temptation
, please visit my Web site at
www.LaurenRoyal.com
, where you can also read about the real people in the story, find modern versions of all the recipes, sign up for my newsletter, and enter a contest to win Corinna’s claddagh necklace. If you try any of the recipes, I hope you’ll e-mail me at Lauren@-LaurenRoyal. com and tell me whether you enjoyed them.

If you missed Alexandra’s story, you can find it in
Lost in Temptation
, the first book in my Sweet Temptations trilogy. Juliana’s story was told in the second book,
Tempting Juliana
. If you’ve read any of my books, I’d love to hear from you! To send a ‘‘real’’ letter rather than e-mail (I answer both!), write to P.O. Box 52932, Irvine, CA 92619, and please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, especially if you’d like me to send you an autographed bookmark and/or bookplate.

’Til next time,

Lauren

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN
the sterling silver claddagh necklace,
pictured on the back cover of this book!

You are eligible to enter the sweepstakes if you correctly answer this question:

How much money does Sean inherit?

(Hint: Read the prologue of
The Art of Temptation
, or go to
www.LaurenRoyal.com
to read an excerpt.)

A total of six winners will be selected from among eligible entries in six random drawings (one per month beginning November 2007 and ending in April 2008). There will be one winner per drawing. Submitting one eligible entry will make you eligible for all drawings, so enter early! However, please do not enter more than once; duplicate entries will be discarded.

To enter, either visit Lauren Royal’s Web site at
www.LaurenRoyal.com
or submit your name, address, e-mail address, and your answer to the question to:

Lauren Royal
P.O. Box 52932
Irvine, CA
92619

All entries must be received by March 31, 2008. Limit one entry per person. Claddagh necklace approximately valued at $50.
No Purchase Necessary. See complete rules on reverse.

Official Rules for
The Art of Temptation
Sweepstakes

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
A PURCHASE WILL NOT ENHANCE YOUR CHANCES
OF WINNING.

Open only to U.S. residents ages 18 and up.

How to Enter:

To enter the
The Art of Temptation
Sweepstakes (‘‘Sweep-stakes’’), either visit
www.LaurenRoyal.com
and follow the entry instructions posted online or type your full name, mailing address, e-mail address (if any), along with the answer to the question listed in the back of this book and mail it to the Sponsor at the address listed at the end of these rules. (Hint: Read the prologue of
The Art of Temptation
or the online excerpt for the answer to the entry question.) The entry must contain the correct answer to the question to be eligible. Limit one entry per person. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (PST) on the entry deadline date indicated in the chart below to be eligible for that month’s drawing and any or all subsequent drawings. Limit one entry per person/e-mail address for the duration of the sweepstakes.

Winners:

Six winners (one per drawing) will receive a sterling silver claddagh necklace—Approximate Retail Value (‘‘ARV’’) $50 per necklace.

General:

Entries are void if they are in whole or in part illegible, incomplete, or damaged. No responsibility is assumed for late, lost, damaged, incomplete, inaccurate, illegible, postage due, or misdirected entries. Winners will be chosen randomly by the Sponsor, whose decisions concerning all matters related to this Sweepstakes are final and binding. Winners will be notified by mail or e-mail. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Employees, and their immediate family members living in the same household, of Sponsor or Penguin Group (USA) Inc., their parents, subsidiaries or affiliated companies, or the agencies of any of them, are not eligible for this Sweepstakes. Void where prohibited by law. All expenses, including taxes (if any) on receipt and use of prize are the sole responsibility of the winners. Any dispute arising from this Sweepstakes will be determined according to the laws of the State of New York, without reference to its conflict of law principles, and the entrants consent to the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in New York County and agree that such courts have exclusive jurisdiction over all such disputes.

Winners List:

To receive a copy of the winners list, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope by October 10, 2008, to the Sponsor listed below, Attn:
The Art of Temptation
Sweepstakes Winners List.

Sponsor:

Lauren Royal
P.O. Box 52932
Irvine, CA 92619

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