Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady

A former soldier is commissioned to paint a leading lady who inspires him to play the lover in this 'cleverly crafted' Regency romance (Booklist).For Jack Vernon, the battlefields of Badajoz, Spain, are nothing compared to the cutting tongues of polite society. But Jack has never been very 'polite.' A canvas is this brooding artist's preferred company-having once been the outlet for the horror he witnessed at war, it's now his fortune.Painting the portrait of the Drury Lane Theater's latest star-the stunningly beautiful Ariana Blane-is his biggest commission yet. Learning every curve of her body ignites feelings he thought were destroyed in battle. But he's not the only man who has Ariana in his sights. . . .