Ravished — Sorcha MacMurrough

Rakish Matthew Dane is out on the Town for a bit of adventure and variety. Visiting a new brothel he has never tried before, he is presented with the most delectable woman he has ever seen, who is tied to the bed and blindfolded.

Thinking it is no more than an erotic game, Matthew and the alluring young woman share the ultimate bliss--until he takes off her blindfold, and discovers he has just made love to his young virginal cousin Althea!

Kidnapped from her home, drugged with opium and sold, the orphaned young woman has no recollection of how she got to the brothel, and is terrified that whoever grabbed her will try to seize her again. All she knows is that she has always desired Matthew, and Fate seems to have presented her with all she could wish for in their passionate embraces.

Matthew is torn between his yearnings for Althea, with every touch and look leaving him craving more of her sensual sweetness, and his shock at what he has done. He is even more haunted by what might have happened if he had not come along in time to save her.

He can only see one solution: marry Althea and give her the protection she needs as his wife. But the accomplished rake is at a loss as to how to deal with the delicately beautiful woman, and has no belief in love, only lust.

Althea has been in love with Matthew for as long as she can remember. Tired of being treated like a victim or empty-headed Society belle, she wages a campaign to put behind her the traumatic ordeal which brought them together.

Althea is willing to fight using every weapon in her arsenal to win Matthew's love, and stop her husband from seeking solace with the many women who wish to be his mistress, including the cunning Matilda, and manipulative Georgina Jerome...