The Perfect Mistress by Victoria Alexander

Author:Victoria Alexander
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Family Secrets, Man-woman relationships, England, London (England), Aristocracy (Social Class), Widows, Secrets, Fiction, Romance, Historical, Aristocracy (Social Class) - England, General, Love Stories
ISBN: 142011705X
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2010-01-02T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

What on earth had gotten into him?

Harrison stared at Ellsworth reading in a far too dramatic manner and tried to keep from stealing another look at Julia. It was impossible given that she was directly in his line of sight if he turned his head to the right and leaned forward slightly. He had already met her gaze once and she had pointedly turned away as if she couldn’t bear the sight of him.

Not that he could blame her. He had been rather stunned by his behavior himself. Why, one minute he was explaining why she should be on her guard with Ellsworth and the next he was behaving in precisely the same manner. He should be ashamed of himself and indeed he was. Honorable man—hah! He was no better than that cad of a writer. He wasn’t at all sure what had possessed him to take advantage of her like that. His intention had only been to provide her a measure of protection. After all, Ellsworth wouldn’t be more than casually acquainted with her if not for Harrison’s plan to get the memoirs.

His mind returned to the scene played out on the terrace. When had he lost control of the conversation? When had it stopped being about Ellsworth and had become about him? And what was that rubbish about his wanting to kiss her from the first moment they’d met? Utter nonsense. The first time they’d met he’d wanted to thrash her.

No, he had to admit, the first time they’d met she’d been as impressive as she was annoying. Her strength of character and resolve was as strong as any man he’d ever known and far greater than most. But as for wanting to kiss her … certainly he’d noticed the intense emerald of eyes so deep, a man could lose his soul in them. And yes, he’d noted the way unruly tendrils of golden hair had escaped to caress the sweet blush of her cheeks. And he had as well seen the vulnerability and weariness that lay beneath her determined manner, but the thought of kissing her hadn’t so much as crossed his mind.

Until tonight.

Almost of its own accord, his gaze turned toward her. She appeared completely engrossed in whatever Ellsworth was babbling on about. Julia was wrong though; he did know her. Not merely the details of her life he had pried from Veronica but how she looked when the brisk autumn breeze heightened the color in her cheeks. And how her laugh reminded him of something extraordinary he had long ago forgotten, if he had ever known it at all, and how it echoed deep inside him. And how her green eyes flashed with fire when she was angered or glittered with humor when she was amused or simmered with something quite remarkable right before he’d kissed her.

Good God, perhaps he had wanted to kiss her from the beginning after all.

She smiled at Ellsworth and his stomach clenched. Surely she hadn’t meant it when she said she’d throw herself at Ellsworth.

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.