Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

## Description

**A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.**

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love.

## Characters

### Main Characters

* Lady Calpurnia (Callie) Hartwell
* Lord Gabriel St. John, Marquess of Ralston

### Additional Characters

* *Blonde woman*, who meets Ralston for a tryst in the garden
* *Lord Nicholas St. John,* Ralston's twin brother. Nick is the hero of Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord
* *Wingate*, a solicitor that brings Juliana to Ralston House
* *Nastasia Kritikos*, and opera singer and Ralston's mistress at the start of the book
* *Juliana Fiori,* Ralston's half sister who Callie tutors so she can meet the expectations of London society. Juliana is the heroine in Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
* *Mariana Hartwell*, Callie's younger sister who is engaged to the Duke of Rivington
* *Dowager Countess of Allendale*, Callie, Mariana, and Benedick's mother
* *Aunt Beatrice*, Callie, Mariana, and Benedick's aunt
* *Benedick Hartwell, Earl of Allendale,* Callie's bachelor older brother who encourages her to make the list of rules to break
* *James Talbott, Duke of Rivington,* Mariana's fiance
* *Anne*, Callie's maid
* *Finney*, the bookmaker at Brook's
* *Baron Rupert Oxford,* a man who places a bet that he can get Callie to agree to marry him
* *Earl of Chillton*, throws his bet in the pool
* *Prudence Marworthy* and *Berwick's daughter*, two women mentioned as possible bets for Oxford
* *Miss Genevieve Hetherington*, a middle aged spinster
* *Miss Heloise Parkwaite*, a spinster in her fifties
* *Jenkins*, Ralston's butler
* *Madame Hebert*, the modiste
* *Valerie,* Madame Hebert's assistant
* *Simon Pearson, Duke of Leighton*, a duke who meets Juliana in a book shop. Simon is the hero in Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
* *Monsieur Latuffe*, the dance master
* *Davis*, the Allendale House butler
* *Lord and Lady Salisbury*, the Earl and Countess of Salisbury, friends of Callie's family
* *Dowager Duchess of Leighton*, Simon, the Duke of Leighton's mother
* *Lady Marsden*, Countess of Marsden
* *Lord Weston*, a future duke who dances with Callie at the Chilton Ball
* *Lord Raleigh*, Oxford's second in the duel
* *Surgeon*, who attends the duel

## Dates

* Prologue: April, 1813
* April - June, 1823

## Locations

### London, England

* Worthington House
* Ralston House
* Allendale House
* Brook's
* Madame Hebert's
* Theatre Royal
* Sports club
* Somerset House
* Salisbury House
* Chilton House
* Dueling field

## Romance

Callie is a virgin, Ralston is a notorious rake. He becomes infatuated with the way Callie is so responsive and open with him.

### Love Scenes

* 14%: After writing her list, Callie goes to Ralston House and is mistakenly brought to Ralston's bedroom where she asks him to kiss her to cross off one of the items on her list. He agrees if she will become a sponsor to his sister.

*"Kisses should not leave you satisfied. They should leave you wanting."*

* 24%: After they waltz for the first time at the ball at Allendale House, Ralston takes her to an alcove on the far edge of the ballroom and strokes, kisses, bites and licks her wrist
* 29%: Ralston escorts Callie home from The Dog and the Dove in his carriage. He kisses her and fondles her breasts while she sits in his lap.

*"So bold. You know exactly what you want, despite never having had it before."*

* 38%: Callie follows Ralston at the opera and chastises him for seemingly going to visit his mistress in the middle of an important night for his sister. In the middle of the argument he pulls her against him to kiss her in the empty hallway.
* 45%: Callie masquerades as a man at Benedick's sports club so she can complete another task from her list. She gets partnered with Ralston to fence and he accidentaly stabs her arm and realizes it's her in disguise. He binds her wound and she confesses that she's been breaking the rules and it has made her feel alive. He kisses her and unbinds her breasts and then fingers her until she has her first orgasm. She feels that he is hard underneath his clothes but he stops them from going further and being discovered.
* 53%: Ralston feels jealous when he comes upon Callie dancing with Nick during Juliana's dance lessons and he upsets his sister. When Callie returns from consoling her she overhears Ralston calling her plain and missish as he denies his attraction to his brother. She tells him to treat his sister better and starts to leave but he stops her with a kiss and confesses he can't erase their trysts from his mind. He fingers her as he asks if she touches herself. When she confesses that she does and she thinks about him he brings her to orgasm with his mouth.

*"You do want me. Do you deny it?" "I don't deny it. It's always been you. I just wish it were anyone else."*

* 59%: Behind a screen at the Royal Exhibition of Art Ralston agrees to take Callie to his club to gamble so she can cross off another item on her list. He is struck by how lovely she is and they kiss.
* 65%: Ralston smuggles Callie into Brook's and they gamble in a private room. He agrees to answer a question each time she wins and she agrees to a favor of his choosing if he wins. She asks about mistresses and courtesans and the atmosphere becomes charged to have him suggest she try on the role. He bids her to sit on his lap and they kiss. She grinds into his lap as they both undress. Once she is naked, he fingers her and goes down on her until she climaxes. She unbuttons his breeches and strokes him until he stops her, trying to end the evening but she tells him she wants more and he finds himself helpless to deny her. Removing the rest of his clothes he settles on top of her and coaxes her to tell him that she wants him inside her. Callie loses her virginity and when she adjusts she is able to orgasm and he finds release inside her. When Ralston realizes what just happened he informs Callie that they will marry.

*He'd never experienced anything like this ... like her. He'd never been with a woman so open and free... never known someone so willing to give and receive and embrace passion with such a powerful will. He'd never known anyone like her.*

* 83%: Ralston gets Benedick's blessing at Allendale house, find Callie and reveals his aversion to love brought by his parents. She understands and accepts his marriage proposal. They kiss and he realizes he must leave or be discovered by her family but she convinces him to take her to her bedroom instead. Once there he admires her in her lingerie as he undresses her and encourages her to tell him how the beautiful garments make her feel. She asks to touch him and she strokes him for a bit and asks if she can use her mouth on him but he declines saying he would like that someday but he wouldn't be able to last long if she did it tonight. He then thrusts inside her and they both climax before falling asleep together.
* 86%: Early the next morning Callie wakes up to find Ralston has her list and he discusses some of the items they did and can cross off. He suggests she try riding astride. He positions her on top of him and instructs her to ride him which she does until they both come.

*"I was merely thinking that if that is what riding astride is like, the female population is missing out on one of life's finer experiences." The last word was lost as she dissolved once more into giggles.*

* 89%: Callie and Ralston escape to a secluded balcony at the Chilton ball after she danced every dance. He kisses her until they are interrupted by Baron Oxford and the wager is revealed.
* 95%: Callie and Ralston are married and attend their first ball as husband and wife at Worthington House - where they met ten years before. This time, they meet for their own tryst in the garden where they kiss and more is suggested as the book ends.

## The List

* *Kiss someone - passionately*

Callie is a little tipse from sherry and goes to Raslton House to ask Ralston to kiss her since she has had a crush on him for years. He agrees if she takes on the task of sponsoring his half-sister and readying her for London society.

* *Smoke cheroot and drink scotch*

Ralston gives Callie the name of a tavern and, being suspicious, he waits for her there. When she arrives she orders and drinks a scotch and he sees her home safely afterwards. When she tells her brother, he offers her a cheroot to smoke.

* *Ride astride*

When Ralston discovers her list he seizes the opportunity to have her ride him.

* *Fence*

Callie disguises herself as a man to go to Benedick's sports club. Once there she gets partnered with Ralston and he discovers her after he accidentally cuts her.

* *Attend a duel*

Ralston calls out Oxford to a duel which Benedick takes Callie to so she can save him - but instead she gets him shot, though it's just a flesh wound.

* *Fire a pistol*

After the duel and after Ralston confesses his love for her, he insists that she fire the gun so she can be finished with the list.

* *Gamble (at a gentleman's club)*

Ralston sneaks her into his club, Brook's, and takes her to a private room where they play cards and play for stakes. Her win means he will answer any question, his win and she will grant a favor.

* *Dance every dance at a ball*

At the Chilton ball Callie ia asked to dance for each dance. She thinks that Ralston arranged it but he tells her that he did not, she danced every dance because she is so desirable that every man wants to dance with her, making him quite possessive.

* *Be considered beautiful. Just once.*

Ralston tells her how beautiful she is and she believes him and feels beautiful herself.

## Trivia/Goofs/Fun Facts

* Sarah is often asked if Benedick will get his own book but she has said she is "very likely not" writing a book for him
* Benedick punches Ralston after he admits to compromising Callie "quite throroughly"