The Determined Lord Hadleigh--A Regency Historical Romance by Virginia Heath

Author:Virginia Heath
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-04-08T18:11:16+00:00

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After hours staring hopelessly at the ceiling, he had decided enough was enough. If his mind was whirring from Penny’s revelation and the way his body had reacted when she had briefly touched him, he might as well work! He could snatch a few hours before the first servants woke and sneak back up here before Penny was any the wiser. He flung the covers angrily aside and shoved his feet in his breeches. The blasted woman had got under his skin and was making him rest when he had better things to be doing! Like preparing the single biggest case of his career! He grabbed his shirt before he stormed out of the room and tugged it over his head as he retraced his steps down the dimly lit servants’ staircase once again.

As he made his way down the narrow corridor to the rear of the house, he noticed a light coming from the kitchen. One he would have ignored had he not heard a child’s fractious cry as well.

‘Shh, Freddie darling, or you’ll wake up the house.’

Hadleigh stopped, then shook his head. It didn’t matter that his first instinct was to rush to her, it was none of his business and she probably wouldn’t appreciate him barging in on her while she was trying to calm the child. Besides, at this ungodly hour, there was every chance she was in her nightgown and he really didn’t need to see that any more than he needed to be willingly alone with her in the cosy intimacy of the kitchen. More distractions in a head already crammed with them!

Furthermore, in his haste to escape his mattress prison, he had neglected to put anything on his feet. Wasn’t wearing either a waistcoat or coat. No cravat. He really wasn’t decent himself. And what did he know about crying babies?

Nothing.

‘Please, darling...try to calm down...shh.’

Penny’s voice was soft and soothing, but like a siren’s it called to him. Rather than let his bare feet take him to the music room where his overly occupied mind had intended to go, they transported him quietly to her instead.

At his first sight, she had her back to him. The glowing fire at the furthest end of the kitchen gave the room its only light, but that light floated through the gauzy linen of her nightdress and cast the contours of her body into a dark silhouette, forcing him to watch her delectable round bottom undulate as she rhythmically rocked the grumpy child in her arms. Her feet were bare, too, while her dark hair fell between her shoulder blades to the middle of her back in one thick, loose plait. That, too, swayed as she did, giving him alternate views of both sides of her swan-like neck. Beautiful and seductive.

Utter torture. Exactly as he had known it would be.

Yet for several moments he still stood transfixed, simultaneously panicked that she would turn and see him loitering while wondering what the hell he was going to say when she inevitably did.

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