Sebastian's Lady Spy

by Sharon Cullen

Overview

Seduction abounds in USA Today bestselling author Sharon Cullen’s steamy historical romance! For the Crown’s top agents, love is a hazard best avoided—until an unforgettable affair exposes their undercover hearts.
 
Sebastian Addison has a powerful secret. To society he is the Earl of Claybrook, the patriarch who raised his siblings after the death of their parents. But to the king, Sebastian is Britain’s top spy—a position that has taken an emotional toll on him. Contessa Gabrielle Marciano has also been living a lie, her title a cover devised by the Office of Intelligence. The femme fatale was plucked from a life of crime and prostitution and trained to restrain her passionate nature. Until she meets the earl.
 
For three deeply sensual days and nights, Sebastian and Gabrielle drop their masks, indulging in pleasures that seem too good to be true. Then the lovers go their separate ways. Seven months later they reunite when inside sources report that an English aristocrat has been aiding France in a plot to topple the Crown. Their objective: to find the turncoat. Their greatest challenge: to keep their wild, wounded hearts from derailing a mission of life and death.

Look for all of Sharon Cullen’s delightful historical romances:
 
The All the Queen’s Spies series: WED TO A SPY  | BOUND TO A SPY
 
The Secrets & Seduction series: THE NOTORIOUS LADY ANNE | LOVING THE EARL | PLEASING THE PIRATE | HIS SAVING GRACE | SEBASTIAN’S LADY SPY | THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS
 
The Highland Pride series: SUTHERLAND’S SECRET | MACLEAN’S PASSION | CAMPBELL’S REDEMPTION

Praise for Sebastian’s Lady Spy

“I love Sebastian’s Lady Spy by Sharon Cullen. This Regency romance has it all—danger, blackmail, passion, love, and characters that draw you in and leave you wanting more.”—Fresh Fiction

“Sharon Cullen will sweep you away! A sexy, spine-tingling ride, Sebastian’s Lady Spy is the perfect blend of historical romance and suspense.”—Jess Michaels, author of The Scoundrel’s Lover

“Sebastian’s Lady Spy is a lively, action-packed novel filled with intelligent characters, witty repartee, and a passionate romance. I devoured this book and was left breathless, wanting more, more, more!”—Shana Galen, author of Earls Just Want to Have Fun

“Sharon Cullen spins a fast-paced tale full of sizzling attraction and high stakes that will keep the reader turning pages.”—Ashlyn Macnamara, author of What a Lady Requires

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101883044
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/31/2015
Series:	Secrets & Seduction , #5
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	167
Sales rank:	309,028
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Sharon Cullen is the USA Today bestselling author of the Highland Pride series (Sutherland’s Secret, MacLean’s Passion) as well as many novels of Regency romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance. If you’d like to find out more about the author and her books, you can visit her blog or her website. She is addicted to social networking, so you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Friend her! Like her! Follow her! She’d love to hang out with you and talk about her passion: books.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1


Sebastian lounged wearily in the chair opposite Sir Colin Atwater’s desk and watched his contact in the Office of Intelligence shuffle papers.

“We have a new mission for you,” Atwater said.

“I recently came off a mission.”

“We are aware, but this is urgent.”

“They’re all urgent.”

“This one is even more urgent.” Atwater tapped the papers together, avoiding eye contact.

“How so?” Sebastian asked.

“You’ll, uh, be working with someone.”

“I don’t work with other people.”

“We must insist that this time you do.”

“I work alone. I always have. It’s best that way.” Frustrated that he’d been called in for this, Sebastian stood and turned toward the door with every intention of leaving the silly conversation.

“We are aware that you prefer to work alone—”

Sebastian sighed in exasperation and turned back. “There is no preference to it. A preference implies that you have a choice in what I do. You don’t.”

“Yes. Well. In this instance the king requires it. This particular mission needs two operatives. It’s highly—”

“Then find someone else. I’m off to my country estate to see to neglected business.” Such as looking over ledgers, meeting with his steward, and reading a good book in front of a roaring fire with his dogs at his feet. It had been far too long since he’d done any of that. His steward and his dogs were feeling forsaken, and his body ached to take a rest. At this point he didn’t care whom he angered.

“You can’t leave, my lord. The crown forbids it.”

Sebastian paused, his lips quirking in amusement. “The crown forbids it? Now you have me intrigued. But not enough to remain and discover what this mission is about. As much as it pains me to admit, there are many other excellent operatives. One of them will surely do.” Deciding to be generous, he added, “Pick that Harrison fellow. He will be pleased to accept such a mission.”


“Harrison is otherwise occupied.”

Sebastian frowned. “Then Kristoff. Hell, I don’t care whom you pick as long as it isn’t me.”

Atwater yanked on the bell pull.

Immediately the door opened. A woman’s voice drifted through, not loud enough that Sebastian could hear the words; more the sound, the cadence. And it stopped him cold. He’d been in many tight situations in his career, but he doubted he’d ever broken into such a cold sweat. “What the hell is this about?” he asked Atwater in a furious whisper.

“Your partner.”

His partner, who had yet to step around the door, said something to the footman, then laughed. The sound sliced through him as precisely and painfully as a saber. He’d had that feeling only one other time. Seven months ago, to be precise.

She stepped into his line of sight, and Sebastian’s stomach twisted into a knot.

Her smile was wide, her dark, dark eyes sparkling. All that black hair was piled atop her head with tendrils escaping and curling around her face and down her neck. Sebastian’s entire body clenched in memory as his gaze swept over her, cataloging everything from the tops of her creamy breasts to her waist, which he could span with his hand, to her navy blue shoes that peeked out from the hem of her navy blue gown. She executed a quick, almost impertinent curtsy. Just the way he remembered.

“My lord.”

For a long moment Sebastian couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. All he could do was withstand the tidal wave of emotions and memories breaking over him. Emotions he’d fought so hard to overcome.

Sebastian spun on his heel and pierced Atwater with a glare. “What is the meaning of this?”

“I would like to introduce—”

Sebastian slashed his hand through the air, cutting off Atwater’s words before they formed. He didn’t want to hear her name. He didn’t want to hear her voice, and he certainly was not going to work with her. It had taken him seven months—seven months—to get her out of his system. He would not allow Atwater to ruin his hard work. What were the chances that when they finally decided he should partner, it would be with her? Why her? She wasn’t even an operative, damn it.

“If for some reason I did decide to partner with someone—which I would never do—that person would be an operative.” And never a woman. The words were left unsaid but resonated through the room.

“Yes, well.” Atwater darted a quick glance at her. “As I was saying, Lord Claybrook, may I introduce Contessa Gabrielle Marciano. The contessa is an operative for the crown.”