Romney Marsh Trilogy: A Gentleman by Any Other Name / The Dangerous Debutante / Beware of Virtuous Women. Kasey Michaels

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СКАЧАТЬ go where? Back to London? Back to Hawkhurst?”

      “You really are an annoying man,” Julia said, exasperated with the entire conversation. “And I’m hungry.”

      She got as far as the main room of the nursery before Chance stopped her by placing a hand on her forearm. He had to get through to her, make her understand, make her believe. “My family are not smugglers, Julia. I give you my word on that. But that does not mean that any of us would turn over two frightened boys to be hanged or transported.”

      Julia took a steadying breath. “If I say I believe you, will you let go of my arm?”

      Chance loosed his grip. “God, you’re impossible.”

      “And you’re insulting,” Julia said, gathering all her courage and not even bothering to wave goodbye to her common sense. “I saw your reaction last night when I told you about this Black Ghost of Dickie’s. You know him, whoever he is. Don’t you? Is that why you’re here, why you’re really here? Are you simply using Alice as your excuse?”

      Chance stood in front of the closed door to the hallway, blocking her escape, if that was going to be her next thought.

      “All right,” he said, “I’ll tell you the truth. My only reason for coming back here—God, why did I even think about coming back here? My only reason was to bring Alice here, away from London, with people I could trust to take care of her. Unfortunately my superior at the War Office decided I should remain here for a while, poke about, possibly find out why, with all the troops we have stationed along the coast, smuggling is growing more prevalent, not less so.”

      “A fool would know that. Half the troops are in league with the smugglers, for one thing,” Julia said. “And, for another, the local smugglers are giving way to large gangs financed by wealthy men in London. Go to London if you want to find the source and most of the profits.”

      Chance tugged on his earlobe again, realization dawning on him. “How involved was your father with the local Owlers? Did he simply turn his back while his church was used to store smuggled goods before they could be moved inland? Or did he go out on the runs?”

      Julia set her jaw. “My father was a man of God, a man who cared deeply for those in his care and did everything in his power to alleviate their suffering.”

      “Which doesn’t answer my questions, does it? But it does tell me what I already knew. You know the reasons and the consequences and can be trusted as much as anyone can be trusted. But we’ll keep up the facade, I believe. Jacko might not be as easily convinced or as impressed by those beautiful eyes of yours.”

      “Stop that,” Julia said, angry. “Just stop that. Wasn’t last night enough for you? Believe me, I’m suitably cowed. I’m more than aware of my current situation. I know I’m alone here and under your so-called protection. Please don’t expect me to listen to your lies, like some impressionable girl. You have my promise that I’ll never say anything about what I saw last night or what I believe or don’t believe about what might be happening here at Becket Hall and even where your loyalties might lie. Is that enough? That has to be enough.”

      Chance stepped forward, ran the back of his index finger down her smooth, pale cheek. “For an intelligent woman, Julia Carruthers, you can be quite naive. Do you really believe I’m not…attracted to you?” He leaned forward, whispered his next words in her ear. “Or that you’re not attracted to me?”

      Julia kept her arms at her sides, her hands drawn up into fists. “You’re no gentleman.”

      Chance pulled his head back slightly, cupped that determined chin of hers in his hand. “No, I’m not, am I? I’d had hopes, but I’m afraid it’s true, no matter how long it takes, blood will out. Lucky, lucky me.”

      “Don’t—” Julia said just before Chance brought his mouth down on hers. He smiled as he kissed her, she could feel that smile against her lips even as her knees threatened to buckle beneath her.

      She wasn’t resisting. Alas, she also wasn’t responding. Chance stepped closer, so that their bodies touched, and cupped his hands on either side of her face, directing all his energy into coaxing her mouth to soften, to respond.

      He needed her soft, compliant. Willing to stay where he could watch her, too occupied with him to poke that pretty nose of hers where it didn’t belong.

      What he hadn’t counted on was his own reaction to their kiss. The sudden need he had to feel her warm and willing against him.

      “Open your mouth for me, Julia,” he whispered against her lips, feathering them with light kisses. “Let me in….”

      Julia heard herself whimper involuntarily as her senses swam, as she felt her body fill with a yearning words couldn’t describe, urges her mind refused to understand. She only knew that fighting him—or simply her traitorous self—wasn’t an option.

      “Oh, yes, Julia, there’s a dear,” Chance breathed as he felt her melt against him. He deepened the kiss, lightly brushing the tip of his tongue across the roof of her mouth.

      She didn’t know what to do, how to respond. But, oh, what a lovely invasion! Julia needed an anchor or she’d float away. She raised her arms and grabbed on to the full sleeves of Chance’s shirt, not touching him yet pulling him closer.

      Her obvious inexperience intensified Chance’s reaction to her. For all her bluster, all her show of bravado and independence, she was unschooled in the ways of a man and a woman. Unschooled but, bless her, not uninterested.

      Not too quickly, he told himself, even as he slid his hands down her sides, to her waist, then slowly brought them up again, lightly cupping her breasts. She was slim and long-waisted, her breasts high and firm. Her body structure was so different from those smaller, rounder bodies now in fashion in London.

      Artfully placed curls, dimpled cheeks; soft, giggling girls of little conversation and less wit. These were the young women the gentlemen of the ton favored now. They’d all bored him, even his own wife. Just as she had been bored by him.

      Then again, Julia had just told him what he’d finally learned after fighting that truth for more than a dozen years: he was no gentleman.

      She fit against his body, his hands, with the sleek strength and suppleness of a racehorse, the fine, clean lines of a greyhound. Made for speed, for grace, and with a great heart for the race.

      Ridiculous! She was a woman. No different from any other woman. Many would call her too thin for lovemaking.

      But none had ever kissed her. Had ever held her.

      Chance broke the kiss, knowing he was becoming fanciful. He had to concentrate on the matter at hand and Courtland’s idiocy. “No one will question our association now, Julia, not even Jacko,” he said, touching her softly pink and swollen bottom lip with the tip of his finger. “You look well and truly kissed.”

      Before Julia could think, she stepped back and slapped Chance hard across the face. “And what will your family think of that, sir?”

      He put his hand to his cheek. Damn, it stung. He’d probably wear the mark of her hand on his skin for most of the day. “They’ll think, Julia, that at last Chance has met his match with this woman of his and that it’s damn well time.”

      “I СКАЧАТЬ