His Wicked Heart by Darcy Burke

Author:Darcy Burke [Burke, Darcy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, regency, Fiction, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9780615647364
Google: 4xpgLwEACAAJ
Amazon: B0088TEM72
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2012-06-03T21:00:00+00:00

IT was late in the afternoon before Olivia returned to Benfield. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, but she wasn’t hungry. More than anything she craved the quiet solitude of her chamber, but doubted she’d get that until later. Louisa had to be wondering where she’d been.

Much to Olivia’s relief, Ruben greeted her at the door and informed her Louisa was resting. Olivia took the opportunity to retreat to her room. As she ascended the stairs, she reflected that Benfield seemed even larger and more splendid than usual, punctuating her sense of isolation and disconnection.

There were equally plausible arguments for both men to be her father, but it seemed more likely she was the vicar’s spawn. The shared birthmark—which she planned to search for immediately—seemed the most persuasive evidence, because it was visible proof of something she shared with one of the men. The other “evidence” was simply coincidence or could be linked to either of them, which made it useless.

She removed her hat and gloves before opening her door. Once inside the sanctuary of her bedchamber, she secured the lock and sank back against the wood.

She blinked.

Jasper, the fair-haired devil, sat in a chair on the other side of her bed, his long legs stretched in front of him. He’d removed his coat, and his cravat was loosened. His hair was a bit mussed, giving him a careless appearance that only enhanced his good looks.

Instantly, her muscles tightened, ready to flee. “What are you doing in here?”

He rose quickly. “I shall ask the questions, I think. Where have you been?”

Words clogged in her throat as he approached, his pale blue eyes spitting a fire that held no warmth.

He stopped just before her, giving her a thoroughly assessing perusal. “Where. Have. You. Been.”

She stepped around him, uncomfortable with the energy pulsing from him, and tossed her hat and gloves on a chair. As angry as he’d been after her failed seduction scheme, he looked even more infuriated now. Her stomach flipped. What lie had he unraveled? For that had to be the reason for his fury.

He grabbed her arm and spun her back around to face him. “You’re not avoiding me. Not today.”

His eyes bore into hers with singular, steely intent. Her limbs shook with emotion. Fear? She refused to feel that. He wouldn’t hurt her, even if she told him the truth about visiting her aunt. Which she couldn’t. To share such rejection would be the ultimate humiliation. “I was driving around the heath.”

“Liar.” His soft tone was at odds with the sentiment. “Try again.”

She swallowed, seeking moisture for her parched throat. “I was visiting a friend.”

“What friend?” His grip on her arm loosened, but he didn’t let go. His touch was almost tender.

How she longed for comfort, yearned for…something and someone. “No one you know. Someone from…before.”

“Someone who knew Fiona Scarlet?”

Her insides turned to ice. “How did you know?”

“It wasn’t that hard to deduce. I find myself asking why I didn’t know.”

She didn’t think it was a question he wanted answered.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.