The Earl's American Heiress (HQR Historical) by Carol Arens

Author:Carol Arens [Arens, Carol]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romance, Women's Fiction, Regency & Victorian Romance, London Society, England & Britain, 19th Century, Forever Love, Bachelor, Single Woman, Love Possibility, Hearts Desire, Life-Changes, Second Chance Reunion, Honesty & Trust, Home & Family, Lifetime Love, Romantic Schemes, Beautiful & Feisty, Love-Family & Forever, Action & Adventure, Sensual Story Theme, American Schoolteacher, Marriage of Convenience, Conveniently Betrothed
Publisher: Harlequin Historical; Original Edition
Published: 2019-07-01T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

“Ill-bred magpies.” Heath’s voice rumbled in his chest. Clementine felt the words thrum against her arm. Truly, if he hugged her any tighter she would not be able to breathe.

A door at the end of the hallway led to the patio and the garden beyond. He ushered her outside.

Rain poured down upon her head. Surely the stars had been twinkling only hours ago.

If she could do things over again she would not have tried to escape the ball.

Really, the affair had been lovely, but one could only carry on starched conversation for so long.

Over the years she’d learned that hallways made excellent retreats. So she had made her escape, meaning for it to be a brief one.

At first, overhearing the whispers of those women had not overly disturbed her solitude. Women did like to prattle and they hadn’t said anything that she would not have expected them to.

American heiresses were infamous—whether the reputation was deserved or not didn’t matter. The flighty image was accepted to be true.

What she could not fight she would not let bother her.

And then Heath had appeared on the far side of the hallway intersection. They had been carrying on a rather nice conversation without words.

Being familiar enough with another person in order to be able to indulge in that skill was an intimate thing. She could only describe those moments as tender, wonderful in an uncommon way.

But then—oh—the things the women said had pierced her heart, squeezed the joy out of it.

Divorce? She hadn’t considered it—and in that moment she found she did want a child. Girl or boy, it hardly mattered. But suddenly it mattered to her that there be one. And not for Grandfather’s sake, but for her own.

Heath hugged her, caressing her back as though trying to wipe away what those girlish women had said.

Rain pattered loudly on the stones. It sluiced down her nose and made her hair sag.

Heath took off his coat, placed it over her shoulders and tugged it about her throat.

Water soaked his thin lawn shirt. It became translucent, revealing the ruddy hue of his skin, the glistening line of shoulder and bicep.

She had to place—simply could not resist—her palm on his chest, tipping her forehead close and breathing in his wet male scent.

Over the pelt of rain and her heartbeat, she heard his intake of breath when he brushed his cheek across the top of her head. Felt the exhalation before he kissed the crown of drooping curls.

He dipped his mouth close to her ear. “I wouldn’t.”

She drew back to look at his face. “Wouldn’t?”

Water slid off the tips of his hair and washed off his lashes.

“Divorce you—I would never.”

“And I would never squander your fortune.”

He cupped her cheeks with his thumbs, wiping away the moisture. The calloused tips felt delightfully abrasive.

“Clementine Jane Cavill, I think, I believe I want to—”

His mouth came down upon hers, slick with rain.

She touched his hair, felt wetness and the heat of his scalp under her fingertips.

“I believe,” she murmured once she caught her breath, “I want you to do it again.

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