The Rogue Is Back in Town by Anna Bennett

Author:Anna Bennett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Chapter TWENTY-FIVE

Sam woke with a start and blinked at the cozy, dimly lit bedchamber. Jesus, he’d fallen asleep in an armchair after his second brandy, apparently exhausted after his tame evening of playing chess and—after Alistair had retired for the night—searching the study.

Sam had hoped that by the time Juliette returned home, he’d be able to surprise her with good news—like a bill of sale or lease proving her uncle had the right to remain in his home.

But all he’d found were more letters from Alistair’s friends and acquaintances—many pertaining to his study of the Thames. There were notes from ship captains about the depth of the water at various points and letters from fishermen about their catches of the day. Sam had tossed them all into a box, in case they proved useful at some point … though it seemed distinctly unlikely.

So he’d retreated to his guest bedchamber, closed his eyes for a few moments, and let thoughts of Juliette fill his head. The memory of the night on the settee haunted him—in the best of ways. Her soft sighs of pleasure, the satin feel of her skin beneath his palms, the glow of her eyes, dark with desire. He’d committed every perfect detail to memory.

A knock, soft but insistent, sounded at the door.

A glance at the clock revealed it was past midnight.

Juliette must have come home … and come for him.

Instantly alert, he pushed himself out of the chair, opened the door, and drank in the sight of her. God, she was beautiful. Curls framed her face as she looked up at him from beneath sooty lashes.

He leaned a shoulder on the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “So, you missed me after all?”

“How dare you.” She jabbed a finger at his chest as she angled through the doorway into his room. Her clenched hands and rosy cheeks told him her anger was about more than his quip.

“What have I done now?” Searching his mind, he closed the door behind her so they wouldn’t wake Alistair.

She planted her hands on her hips. “You came here to spy on me. I confided in you—told you my hopes and fears regarding my uncle—and you have reported everything back to your brother.”

He blinked. “I don’t know what Nigel told you, but my only communication with him has been at your behest. I asked him to provide the deed and to give you time. I thought that was what you wanted me to do.”

She snorted. “Do not pretend that you are here to help me. You have no regard for my wishes.”

Clearly, Nigel had made Sam out to be the villain … which was not exactly a stretch. “That’s not true,” he said earnestly. “I want you to be happy.”

“Forgive me,” she said dryly, “but your actions belie your words.”

“How have I betrayed you, Juliette? Tell me.”

She spun on him. “You bullied your way into this house. You insisted on staying here, when what I wanted you to do was leave.”

“I didn’t know you then.

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.