Girl in the Beaded Mask by Amanda McCabe

Author:Amanda McCabe
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-10-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

David stared down at Lulu’s pale, heart-shaped face as he held on to her arms. In the chalky starlight filtering through the canvas walls, her eyes were huge and glowing green. She bit her lip as if she were scared or nervous, but she looked back at him boldly and didn’t turn away. Her body was warm and as pliable as a willow branch, and he remembered all too well how it felt naked and pressed against his.

This was a wild dream—a nightmare he would surely snap out of at any minute. He had seen her like this so often in his troubled sleep, it couldn’t be real.

But this was no dream, no fantasy. It was much, much too real. He had just taken Lulu Hatton’s virginity. In a lakeside cabana at a noisy, drunken party. All because he was overcome with lust.

No—no, not lust. When she had danced with him, when she had so tenderly kissed his hideous scars as if she were not repulsed by them, something had seized hold of him. Something warm and soft, and full of a powerful longing. Something he had thought long dead inside of him.

Tenderness. A great, aching tenderness. For her. His newfound angel.

But the angel was Lulu Hatton.

He let go of her, practically thrust her away from him, and turned around to run his hands through his hair. He had to make this right, but how? He would make her the most appalling husband. She deserved so much more.

“Please, David, don’t be angry,” she said, her voice trembling. “This is my fault. I just…well, I just wanted you so much, I grabbed the moment. I shouldn’t have deceived you.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” he answered.

“Would you have kissed me in the first place if you knew it was me?”

He gave a humorless laugh. “No. I would have dragged you back to Hatton Hall immediately.”

“Exactly. So I lied. And I’m sorry for that.” Her voice was thick with tears, but she added defiantly, “But I’m not sorry you made love to me! It was just as I dreamed it would be. And I won’t tell anyone, I promise. You won’t ever have to think about me again, if that’s what you want.”

David laughed again. Not think of her anymore? As if he could think of anything else! Even now, in the midst of his anger, he could smell her lavender perfume, feel the soft warmth of her against his back, and it nearly drove him mad. That tender longing crept back onto him.

He wanted to taste her again, feel her arms around his neck drawing him close to her. He felt like a starving man, trapped in a lonely desert, who was given one sweet taste of nectar, and now it was gone again.

Lulu, Lulu—what had he done?

He turned back to her and took her gently into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and gave a choked sob. He couldn’t hurt her anymore, he had to do the right thing.

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