Return of the Scandalous Lady (Perilous Secrets Book 4) by Barbara Monajem

Author:Barbara Monajem [Monajem, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing, LLC
Published: 2023-06-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Damnation, thought Frances, what has got into me? I never cry, and yet here she was weeping all down his waistcoat, and it was impossible to stop, because she felt safe and—and loved in his arms.

Which was absurd, for it was nothing but the usual physical attraction. He was a decent sort, no doubt, but a man after all.

So much for her determination to distance herself from him. She took one deep breath and then another, trying to get control of herself, but his warmth surrounded her, and his large, capable hands caressed her, and she longed to close her eyes and sleep in his arms.

Fortunately, the predictable response of his body restored her common sense. “Of course,” she said crossly, “you would have an erection.”

“You’re all but naked, so it’s hardly surprising,” he said, dropping a kiss on her hair. “But let’s just ignore it, shall we?”

“Ignore it?” She pushed against his chest, and he let her go. “What man ever ignores an erection?” She grabbed a handkerchief from the dressing table and blew her nose.

“This one.” He put a hand to the small of her back and guided her to the chaise longue, and again, she didn’t resist. “We need to talk.”

She eyed his breeches warily. The bulge did indeed seem to have subsided somewhat. She couldn’t decide whether to be relieved, offended, disappointed, or hurt. She didn’t intend to go to bed with him, but on the other hand, she wanted him to want her. Which was stupid of her, and rather horrid, too, for he wasn’t the sort she would enjoy teasing. “About what? Why are you here?”

“Theoretically,” he said mildly, “I’m here to abduct you.”

She scowled. “So that’s what Julia was up to.”

“Yes, and since I was wishfully considering much the same thing, I couldn’t help but be encouraged. She said even an independent sort of woman likes a man to be masterful at times.”

Frances huffed. “She hasn’t the slightest notion what she’s talking about.”

“I’m not the masterful sort,” he said, “but I would like you to come with me to my grandmother.”

Impossible. “No and no and no.” She counted the reasons on her fingers. “One, I am a disreputable widow, the sort one doesn’t introduce to a grandparent, and two, even if I weren’t, traveling together would mean going to bed together, which would almost certainly end badly, and three, I wouldn’t be of use to you in any other way.”

“Untrue on all three counts,” he said. “My grandmother has no patience with propriety, we needn’t sleep together, and most important, you’ll be bolstering my courage.”

She blew her nose again and narrowed her puffy eyes at him. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

“What was nonsense?”

“The bit about your courage. As for sleeping together . . .” She shrugged unhappily. “It’s what happens.”

“Not if we decide it shouldn’t,” he said, as if that were the easiest, most natural thing to do.

Which meant he wasn’t sufficiently attracted to her to care. How very lowering. Unfortunately, it put her on her mettle.

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