Sinful Surrender by Beverley Kendall

Author:Beverley Kendall [Kendall, Beverley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

James spotted her shortly after he entered. He had scoured the room full of elaborate evening gowns until, like an eagle sighting its prey, he found her. He took in the breathtaking sight she made in her blue ball gown, which exposed her shoulders and the creamy expanse of skin just short of the swell of her breasts. The familiar thrum of heat surged through his body. His member throbbed to life, oblivious to the fact it was neither the right place nor time for its resurgence. Though when had it been listening to him these days? At least concerning Missy? Biting down hard on the soft inner flesh of his cheek, he welcomed the sharp sting of pain. It seemed a fair trade tonight, pain for pleasure.

James watched Missy being escorted onto the dance floor. A feeling, though familiar, stabbed at him stronger, fiercer than ever, catching him square in the chest.

Jealousy.

He despised the word, wanting to thrust it from his vocabulary but the emotion worked its way insidiously through him, thwarting his control, and stoking the fire burning within. Jerking his gaze from her beautiful self, he shot a look down to see Lady Victoria watching him with unblinking placidity. His mouth tipped at the corners, in a feigned smile, before proceeding toward Cartwright, who was hailing him from a good thirty feet away. The three met somewhere in the middle.

“Lady Victoria.” Cartwright greeted her with a courteous bow.

“Lord Alex.” Lady Victoria curtsied offering him a pink-gloved hand, which he accepted, brushing the back with his lips.

“It appears I arrived back in Town at just the right time.” Cartwright smiled broadly, raising a black brow.

Heat warmed James’s face. He wished he could tell him that while he had taken himself off to Yorkshire, James’s life had turned into a farcical tragedy to rival anything Shakespeare could have written. It wasn’t enough that he was being forced to marry Lady Victoria, but the marchioness was determined to make the union appear a love match. The damn woman wanted the works: a courtship, a betrothal announcement, and a grand wedding, all in the span of three short weeks. As if anyone would be fooled. Tongues had already begun to wag. But the marchioness was equally determined that unlike Lady Victoria’s older sister, Lady Lillian, no scandal would mar her youngest daughter’s road to the altar. Evidently, some years ago, Lady Lillian had been compromised by a Frenchman, and the marriage had been a forced affair.

Before he could respond to his friend, the shrill voice of Lady Cornwall—his soon-to-be mother-in-law—fractured, what would undoubtedly be, his last moment of peace for the night. He shivered.

“Why, it is Lord Alex. We must stop and say hello,” the marchioness trilled, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. She bustled toward them, her hooped skirt colliding with everyone within several feet of her as the high-pitched squeal of her voice carried to the environs of London far and wide.

Her hand lay on the arm of her

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