Wedded Bliss by Celeste Bradley

Author:Celeste Bradley
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2017-04-10T16:06:12+00:00

• • •

IT DID HURT. A bit.

Morgan was swifter than his opponent. He charged, getting so close that he no longer offered an easy target. The man swung his knife. With his left arm Morgan deflected the weapon. With his right he drove his dagger deep into the man’s shoulder joint. He felt the blade stick, the shock of hitting bone traveling up Morgan’s arm.

The attacker screamed in agony and rolled away, clutching his shoulder, his blade skidding to the edge of the alley. As Morgan lunged for the knife, he heard a series of breathless cries—feminine cries—followed by a sob of agony.

Morgan whirled, wild with rage, ready to rip that that yellow-toothed degenerate to pieces with his bare hands . . .

The cries were not from Bliss. Her attacker was doubled over as she flogged him with her beaded reticule, swinging it repeatedly into the man’s crotch and belly.

Her attacker fell to the cobblestones in a harmless heap, pleading for mercy. He crawled away from her and scrambled to his feet. With one fearful glance back at the mistress of his doom, he lurched down the alley, howling the whole way.

Morgan stood in astonished silence as Bliss, seemingly without a care in the world, opened her reticule and dumped out a jagged brick she’d shoved inside, probably when she’d been “cowering” in fear.

Astounding.

“Did he touch you?”

She looked terrible. Her bonnet was a crumpled ruin, her gown was filthy from knees to hem, and her hair, well! Then she flashed him a brilliant grin of triumph that stopped Morgan in his tracks. “He did not have the opportunity.” Then the smile was gone and he doubted his own memory at once.

Morgan helped her to stand, watching as she straightened her bonnet and tucked in her hair. The attempt to repair her appearance was futile this time, however.

His mind reeled from what he had witnessed. This dainty woman had just flogged a ruffian until he begged for mercy! He could barely comprehend it. He had no idea what to say. Unfortunately, he made what was perhaps the most ridiculous of all possible observations.

“Well, it’s a damned good thing I carry a dagger in my boot.”

Bliss looked up at him. “Oh, it would have been fine either way. I have one, too.” From the sleeve of her spencer she retrieved a gleaming stiletto, lethally sharp and set with pink and white pearls in the handle.

Morgan blinked at it, stunned. “Uh . . . that’s very, um, pretty.”

“Yes. Mama selected it for me. She has very good taste.” Bliss raised the skirt of her gown and tucked the stiletto back into the thigh sheath she wore beneath her gown.

Morgan’s throat went dry as he let the facts settle. His wife wore a stiletto blade on her succulent thigh. His wife could fight off an attacker twice her size. His wife had a smile that could banish rational thought.

There was more to this woman than he would ever have guessed.

“Who are you?”

Morgan realized he had posed the question aloud when Bliss startled him with that deviously charming grin once more.

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