50 Ways to Ruin a Rake Read Free Page B

go back to not throwing him out, and he could happily spend the next few days in the laboratory with her father.
    â€œNot exactly,” interrupted Ronnie. Irritating fellow.
    â€œWhat?” Miss Smithson asked. “What do you mean?”
    â€œWeeeell,” answered her cousin, slowing down his words in the way of a natural-born storyteller. “We need the formula.”
    The lady shook her head. “Not until…until…” She glanced his way, clearly uncomfortable with speaking such personal details in front of him. Fortunately, Ronnie had no such qualms.
    â€œShe won’t give over the formula unless the profits go to her.”
    â€œWell, that seems fair,” Trevor said. After all, that was the point of creating a new product, wasn’t it?
    â€œOf course it’s fair!” she said. “But Papa thinks a lady shouldn’t have her own money. Shouldn’t run a factory or be known to create formulas.”
    Trevor nodded. “Well, it is somewhat unusual. I wouldn’t think you’d want to run the factory in any event. Nasty places, noisy and crammed full with unwashed people.”
    She rounded on him. “That’s not the point!”
    â€œBut it is the point,” interrupted Ronnie. “What you want is unnatural, Mellie.”
    Trevor heard her grind her teeth. It was quite audible. And then she spoke, each word spit out like tiny rocks.
    â€œI won’t give over the formula any other way.”
    â€œAnd neither of our fathers will put the money in your name.”
    She exhaled slowly. Loudly. “Ronnie—”
    â€œBut there is one way you can have what you want. One solution that will make everyone happy.” He stepped closer, his eyes wide and his expression earnest. And he was such a large man that he by necessity shouldered Trevor aside even as he blocked the sun from the room.
    â€œRonnie,” she began, clearly knowing what was about to happen. But Trevor didn’t know. And he was suddenly very interested to find out.
    â€œIt’s our destiny. Has been since the day I was born.”
    â€œNo—”
    The man dropped down to one knee. He went hard, the thud of impact on the marble echoed in the foyer, but the bear didn’t even wince. His eyes were all for his cousin as he captured her hands.
    â€œMarry me, Mellie. I could tell you as many romantic things as you want. I can talk about your beauty and write poetry—”
    â€œYou have been writing—”
    â€œBut that hasn’t worked. So let me speak as my father does. Marry me, and the business will naturally come to both of us. I’ll let you have all the money you want. You can run it or hire someone else to do it. You can have as large a laboratory as you like. Your own place, and you won’t have to keep cleaning up your father’s messes.”
    Trevor could see that she wanted to stop him. He saw her lashes blink away tears, not of love, but of frustration and despair. And yet, she didn’t say anything, and the damned poet kept talking.
    â€œI love you, Mellie. I always have. And even if you don’t feel the same way right now, even you must see how very perfect we are for one another. Please,” he said as he pressed his mouth to her knuckles. “Please be my bride.”
    Which is when—for no reason whatsoever—Trevor punched the man, knocking him flat.

Two
    Rakes, like all men, are guided by their own bizarre code, incomprehensible even to themselves.
    Mellie squeaked in alarm, and she was not a woman who usually made animal sounds. Which made her all the more furious with the situation. Ronnie lay sprawled on the ground, a look of total shock on his face. Lord Charming stood over her cousin, his expression equally startled, though she detected a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes that belied his whispered, “Bloody hell.”
    She felt a hysterical giggle rise in her throat, but quickly