Stephanie Laurens - The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh

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#1 New York Times bestselling author STEPHANIE LAURENS began writing as an escape from the dry world of professional science, a hobby that quickly became a career. Her novels set in Regency England have captivated readers around the globe, making her one of the romance worlds most beloved and popular authors. The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh is her fifty-second work. All of her previous works remain in print and readily available.

Readers can contact Stephanie via e-mail at slaurens@vicnet.net.au .

For information on all of Stephanies books, including updates on novels yet to come, visit Stephanies website at www.stephanielaurens.com .

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Australia

HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street

Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

http://www.harpercollins.com.au

Canada

HarperCollins Canada

2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor

Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada

http://www.harpercollins.ca

New Zealand

HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited

P.O. Box 1

Auckland, New Zealand

http://www.harpercollins.co.nz

United Kingdom

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

77-85 Fulham Palace Road

London, W6 8JB, UK

http://www.harpercollins.co.uk

United States

HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

10 East 53rd Street

New York, NY 10022

http://www.harpercollins.com

D reaming up just the right title for a pair of books, especially when working in a long-running series, isnt anywhere near as straightforward as one might think. There are numerous variables that have to be considered, including length and implication of words used, as well as simple reader appeal. Our team came up blank for the title of Henrietta Cynsters story, the preceding work, first in the Cynster Sisters Duo, so we turned to readers for suggestions for that bookand recognizing that some brilliant person might come up with a matched pair of titles, we also asked for title suggestions for this book, Mary Cynsters story, the second of the Duo pair. For both books, we listed our teams best suggestion plus the best four suggestions submitted by readers for all readers to vote onand thus were both books titled: Henriettas tale became And Then She Fell, courtesy of one readers fabulous suggestion, and by reader acclaim Marys tale was titled The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh, which was my working title. But I wanted to give a special mention to Lisa Gunn, of Parkdale, Victoria, Australia, who suggested the title that was a close runner-up, and to thank all my readers who participated and made the Cynster Sisters Title Challenge such a blast!

This book is dedicated to each and every one of you. Enjoy!

The Cynster Novels

D EVILS B RIDE A R AKES V OW S CANDALS B RIDE

A R OGUES P ROPOSAL A S ECRET L OVE

A LL A BOUT L OVE A LL A BOUT P ASSION

T HE P ROMISE IN A K ISS O N A W ILD N IGHT

O N A W ICKED D AWN T HE P ERFECT L OVER

T HE I DEAL B RIDE T HE T RUTH A BOUT L OVE

W HAT P RICE L OVE? T HE T ASTE OF I NNOCENCE

W HERE THE H EART L EADS T EMPTATION AND S URRENDER

The Cynster Sisters Trilogy

V ISCOUNT B RECKENRIDGE TO THE R ESCUE

I N P URSUIT OF E LIZA C YNSTER

T HE C APTURE OF THE E ARL OF G LENCRAE

The Cynster Sisters Duo

A ND T HEN S HE F ELL

T HE T AMING OF R YDER C AVANAUGH

The Bastion Club Novels

C APTAIN J ACKS W OMAN (prequel)

T HE L ADY C HOSEN A G ENTLEMANS H ONOR

A L ADY OF H IS O WN A F INE P ASSION

T O D ISTRACTION B EYOND S EDUCTION

T HE E DGE OF D ESIRE M ASTERED B Y L OVE

The Black Cobra Quartet

T HE U NTAMED B RIDE T HE E LUSIVE B RIDE

T HE B RAZEN B RIDE T HE R ECKLESS B RIDE

Other Novels

T HE L ADY R ISKS A LL

May 1837

London

H es the one youve set your sights on?

Mary Alice Cynster jumped a foot into the airor so it felt. As her jarred senses reestablished contact with terra firma, fury seared through her. Swinging around, she glaredat her irritating, infuriating, utterly irrepressible nemesis. Quite why Ryder Cavanaugh had elected himself to the role she had no idea, but since a brief encounter at her sister Henriettas engagement ball two nights ago hed been dogging her heels, assiduously transforming himself into a hideously distracting pest.

Before them, the Felsham House ballroom was awash with the crme de la crme of the ton, the silks and satins of ladies gowns bright splashes of color against the black of gentlemens evening coats. Coiffed heads gleamed, jewels glittered, and hundreds of well-modulated voices rose in polite cacophony.

Shed retreated into the shadows beneath the minstrels gallery the better to consider her target. Shed been so absorbed studying him that she hadnt noticed Ryder drawing near; despite his size, he moved smoothly and silently. As usual, his impeccable, severely styled evening clothes only served to emphasize the fluid strength harnessed within his long, muscled frame. With one broad, elegantly clad shoulder negligently propped against the wall alongside her, he regarded her with his customary, hooded, lazy lion gaze.

Others were often fooled by Ryders amiable, gentle giant, lackadaisical air; she never had been. Behind those brilliant hazel eyes lurked a mind as incisive, decisive, and ruthlessly capable as her own.

Yet despite the deflective glamour of his normally impenetrable languid sophistication, from his tone and the fact his lids had briefly risen, his eyes momentarily widening, identifying the object of her interestby surreptitiously looking over her shoulderhad genuinely surprised him.