A Kiss for Miss Kingsley by Collette Cameron

Author:Collette Cameron
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2014-12-20T22:00:00+00:00

Infinite care and consideration should be given when a lady chooses her

words and even more so when she elects to speak them.

~A Lady’s Guide to Proper Comportment

Allen cursed inwardly for asking Olivia the confounded question. He’d sworn to himself he would ask her to dance, uncover her scheme, and send her on her way. Completely unaffected, he would then go about his life and she about hers

What a colossal, stinking pile of horse manure.

“You humiliated me, Olivia, practically leaving me at the altar.”

Holy hell, do stubble it.

She gasped and stumbled, and he tightened his embrace, steadying her.

Her azure gaze, huge and alarmed, flitted about the room, probably seeking a means of escape. The tip of her pink tongue darted out and touched the pillow of her lower lip. “That’s not true. We hadn’t told anyone of our plans to marry. You had just proposed. No one knew.”

He ought to give her that, but his anger wouldn’t allow any concession.

The moment he’d seen her standing in the entry, he had sworn he wouldn’t acknowledge, let alone speak to her. Olivia was none of his concern. She held no interest any longer. He didn’t want anything more to do with her. When she had chosen her father over him and left to go gallivanting off in the tropics, he’d slammed that door closed and drove the bolt home.

Ballocks, you unmitigated liar. You love her every bit as much as you did the night you rejected her.

His tongue, fueled by offended pride, paid his conscience no heed. “There were wagers on White’s books, betting we would wed by summer’s end. The entire bon ton recognized me as a besotted fool.”

Maybe not the entire ton, but a sizable number had.

Olivia’s beautiful eyes widened in wounded shock, and her lower lip quivered the tiniest bit before she dropped her thick-lashed gaze to stare at his shoulder.

The pulse in her throat beat erratically, and she trembled. “I beg your pardon. This dance was a mistake. Please return me to my aunt or brother.”

“Like hell I will.” He grated the words out beneath his breath, his voice a harsh rasp.

She stiffened and looked about, half panicked.

Dragging in a juddery lungful, he hauled his attention back to his surroundings. At the end of the opulent, overheated ballroom, his parents stood beside the Duchess of Daventry, concern etched upon their countenances.

They feared he would make a scene.

He feared he would make a bloody scene.

Allen had never been this out of control before. Olivia’ presence had damned near knocked him head over arse, and he still hadn’t completely recovered his composure.

Drawing in another fortifying gulp of air, he forced a smile to his taut lips and nodded at the gawkers stretching their necks to see what transpired between Olivia and him.

Bloody ballroom full of giraffes and ostriches.

Allen would’ve loved to tell the lot to bugger off.

Instead, he elevated a brow and leveled them a civil, yet quelling look.

Dancing nearby, Miss Rossington jerked her attention away with such abruptness she mashed her partner’s foot.

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