Harlequin Historical April 2023--Box Set 2 of 2 by Marguerite Kaye

Author:Marguerite Kaye
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

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Martha couldn’t look at Zachary. He was so furious with her and clearly felt so wounded and wronged by her lies, yet he was still so wickedly desirable. She wanted to weep for the lovers they had just been. It had felt so truly intimate that this sudden turnaround was physically painful. She had always known he would end up hating her for what she had done to him, though, hadn’t she?

She turned her head to stare into the shadows behind him. She refused to cry at his hard words and icy looks. Even if she did deserve it for lying to him, she wasn’t made of stone and it hurt to hear him accuse her of laughing at him with Caro behind his back. She had never done that, and never would. He was to some degree right though; she had enjoyed this part of deceiving him. Not this part, not seeing his anguish and his pain after that breathtaking lovemaking. Not pretending that she was Caro and letting him think they could build a true marriage on such shaky foundations.

At least if Caro had managed to marry Harmsley, by now her sister would be able to enjoy the freedom that Martha’s lies had paid for. Hopefully Caro would now be able to live her own life as she wanted to, but what about Martha? Yes, he was right. She couldn’t lie to herself—she had enjoyed this part of her charade. Enjoy was too feeble a word for the fiery pleasure she and poor, deceived Zachary, Lord Elderwood, had just shared. Her body was still loose-limbed and languorous from that pleasure. She had gloried in him, soaked herself in the bliss of being his lover—lost herself in the fire and wonder of being made love to as if she were unique and infinitely precious to this mighty man. And what a superb lover he was to make even the cold dislike in his eyes now seem almost worth it for the glory of their precious moments together.

So yes, all of those things, and on top of that, the soaring, absolute joy of that incredible climax. She had enjoyed this part of the deception. After all, she would never have met him if she wasn’t pretending to be Caro. That was the sad truth: she couldn’t truly regret lying to him, in her heart of hearts, even now.

‘I took no pleasure in deceiving you,’ she said. That fine distinction was at least true, but he chose not to hear it.

‘Yet you are so good at it. Almost a natural,’ Lord Elderwood told her coldly and with a wave at her dyed hair, which was more dishevelled than ever, to make it clear there was very little else about her that was natural.

He was Lord Elderwood now, not Zachary. Maybe defying his cold-eyed haughtiness could help her get out of here with a few rags of her dignity left.

The thought of the powder and paint blurring until the real

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