Waywroth Academy Series by Lorelie Brown

He’ll protect her with every vicious bone in his body. During her ten years at the prestigious Waywroth Academy, Sera Miller clung to a strict code of propriety to shield herself from rumors that she isn’t an orphan at all. She’s a bastard. Now she wishes she had never allowed her friends to talk her into snooping into the mysterious source of her tuition... moreHe’ll protect her with every vicious bone in his body. During her ten years at the prestigious Waywroth Academy, Sera Miller clung to a strict code of propriety to shield herself from rumors that she isn’t an orphan at all. She’s a bastard. Now she wishes she had never allowed her friends to talk her into snooping into the mysterious source of her tuition. Her benefactor isn’t the unknown father she dreamed of one day meeting, but Fletcher Thomas—underworld tycoon, gambling den owner, and a man so dangerously mesmerizing that he could spark the scandal Sera has worked so hard to avoid. Fletcher is only two steps away from leaving the life of crime he inherited from his father. First he plans to join an aboveboard railroad consortium, then claim the one thing his ill-gotten gains have kept safe all these years—Sera. With every wicked caress, Sera fights harder to remember society’s rules and reject the painful memories his touch resurrects. Accepting Fletcher’s love means accepting her past—a risk too great for a woman who has always lived in the shadows. No matter how safe she feels in his arms. Warning: This book contains a do-gooder heroine, an accidentally charming hero with tendencies toward caveman-itis, inappropriate household décor and fabulous sex against a wall. less

Love is madness.When Miss Charlotte Vale isn't running a school for impoverished factory women, she takes tea with an insane painter-the mother she adores. Determined to avoid her mother's legacy of madness, Lottie refuses to marry and nurtures the ton's bemused disregard for her reputation.Through her door strides a man who threatens all she holds dear. Her cherished school, her careful control and her guarded heart... moreLove is madness.When Miss Charlotte Vale isn't running a school for impoverished factory women, she takes tea with an insane painter-the mother she adores. Determined to avoid her mother's legacy of madness, Lottie refuses to marry and nurtures the ton's bemused disregard for her reputation.Through her door strides a man who threatens all she holds dear. Her cherished school, her careful control and her guarded heart.Sir Ian Heald has tracked his sister's blackmailer to her last-known location-Lottie's school. Although he would burn the place to the ground if it would save his sister's reputation, Ian is drawn to Lottie's bold candor and indifference toward polite society.To find his sister's blackmailer, Ian follows Lottie into a twisted world of illegal gambling clubs and eccentric parties. Even when their mutual passion ignites, Ian knows their affair cannot last. Lottie was never meant to be tucked away on his quiet pastoral estate, and she staunchly refuses his desire to wed. Yet fiery kisses and scandalous showdowns tempt this proper country gentleman to win the woman he loves and never let her go.Warning: This book contains gambling in low-class clubs, deliciously deadpan dialogue, an unplanned swim to rescue doused women, and a fast, furious spanking. She wants it though, so that hardly counts. less