Robert Thorne would prefer not to get married. He enjoys his life: a viscount's younger brother, a lighthearted rake, fond of men and women and sensational novels. Unfortunately, tonight's ball is intended to celebrate his engagement. And his intended husband comes with a fortune, enough to repair the Thorne family's failing finances and secure their future. But they've barely spoken two words to each other, and the young man's very shy and very innocent -- someone Robert's brother's chosen for him, not the person Robert wants. But the person Robert wants is exactly the person he shouldn't: Anthony, his secretary. Anthony's the best and most organized part of Robert's life -- and off-limits, because Anthony's employed by the family to keep an eye on him ... Anthony Price has two secrets. Everyone knows that his family used to be wealthy, and that Anthony's needed to find employment to support himself and his mother and sister. But no one knows that he has another life -- and growing success as an author of lurid novels, written under a pen name. And no one knows that he's hopelessly in love with Robert Thorne, who is engaged to another man. Anthony will do anything to ensure Robert's happiness -- but when the engagement ball ends in disaster, secrets are revealed, hearts are exposed, and everything can change ... on one night in London.

One Night in London: Robert and Anthony

Caught in the net of possibilities and stars and secret midnight murmurs, he scraped out, “You might have to explain that one…”


“You can be a force of natural chaos,” Anthony said, “at times, and I will never comprehend how you managed to misplace twobrand-new umbrellas in the same afternoon, but you have never knowingly been vicious or smallminded or cruel for the sake of being cruel. You are the sort of man who, when asked what he wants, names the goal of helping others. You have always had my good opinion, Robert, even if you insist upon attempting to shock me.”


Robert gazed at him, and felt warm all at once, all over. Pink and shy as a schoolboy. A first crush, a first love. The boy everyone admired—the boy who could ruthlessly organize the universe—who somehow thought hewas a good man.


Chapter 11