His Majesty's Temporary Bride. Annie West

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ so sudden and complete it outclassed anything he’d ever felt for a woman. If it weren’t for the fact he was coming out of a prolonged sexual drought it would worry him. Fortunately he knew this must be his libido’s response to recent abstinence and a remarkably intriguing woman.

      ‘You didn’t say anything.’ Was it imagination or did her mouth tighten?

      He shrugged. ‘Was there any need? It was clear we were going to get to know each other.’ He hadn’t intended it, but his voice hit a gravel-deep level at the thought of how well he’d like to know her. ‘You’re easily recognisable, even in wet clothes.’

      The clinging clothes had merely turned the picture-perfect Princess into a real flesh-and-blood woman, much more appealing than in any of those posed photos. There was an aura about Cat, a vibrant authenticity, that drew him. He felt it now, when at last night’s dinner it had been subdued.

      ‘Cat... Amelie.’

      She swung to face him, her expression grave. ‘Yes?’

      Alex cleared his throat. Absurd to hesitate. He needed to clarify his position, even if it scuppered the chance to know Cat as he wanted to. He refused to lead her on. He could forgive most things but he abhorred falseness. Growing up with his conniving, deceitful father, Alex was upfront in all his dealings and expected that from others.

      ‘I need to clear something up.’

      ‘Yes?’ She squared her shoulders, her chin tipping as if waiting for a blow.

      ‘About the marriage proposal.’

      She blinked, her pupils widening as if they might engulf her eyes.

      Alex hesitated. Could she really have invested so much in the idea of a match between them? She struck him as down-to-earth, not the sort of female who’d languish waiting for her advisers to arrange a dynastic match.

      But how well did he know her beyond the sexual attraction saturating the air between them?

      ‘The marriage proposal?’ Again that quick swipe of her bottom lip. Alex’s belly curled in on itself, heat quickening.

      ‘I know your advisers thought a match between us was desirable. I know you thought so too or it would never have been raised with my staff.’

      Her features froze into blankness and he paused. He didn’t want to make it sound like he was rejecting her. Far from it. It was the idea of marriage he wasn’t ready for.

      ‘There are advantages.’ He paused and hated his hesitation. ‘But the truth is I’m not interested in marriage. Not yet.’

      She said nothing. Her expression was unreadable. Only the flickering pulse at her throat and the rise and fall of her breasts under the thin cotton proved she hadn’t frozen in place.

      Because she was insulted? Disappointed? Despite his scrutiny he could read nothing in her body language.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QQQaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDo4NWU2 NTA0YS0xMWU2LTRlZDMtOWMyOS0zODlmMDk5MTFhYjUiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5k aWQ6REVDM0NBQkFGMEU5MTFFOEE5ODVGQTUxQzc2NjRCOEMiIHhtcE1NOkluc3RhbmNlSUQ9Inht cC5paWQ6REVDM0NBQjlGMEU5MTFFOEE5ODVGQTUxQzc2NjRCOEMiIHhtcDpDcmVhdG9yVG9vbD0i QWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVkRnJvbSBzdFJl ZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOkUyNEQyMUJFRTYyMDY4MTE5RjA2RTNGOURBQzk1Q0Y1IiBz dFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuaWQ6OTQ3Y2I4OTItYTBiZi00ZGFhLWEzODQtNTQ2ZTUxNjU1 ZDUwIi8+IDxkYzp0aXRsZT4gPHJkZjpBbHQ+IDxyZGY6bGkgeG1sOmxhbmc9IngtZGVmYXVsdCI+ SGlzTWFqZXN0cnlfUmVqYWNrZXQuaW5kZDwvcmRmOmxpPiA8L3JkZjpBbHQ+IDwvZGM6dGl0bGU+ IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRhPiA8P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5k PSJyIj8+/+0ASFBob3Rvc2hvcCAzLjAAOEJJTQQEAAAAAAAPHAFaAAMbJUccAgAAAgACADhCSU0E JQAAAAAAEPzhH4nIt8l4LzRiNAdYd+v/4gxYSUNDX1BST0ZJTEUAAQEAAAxITGlubwIQAABtbnRy UkdCIFhZWiAHzgACAAkABgAxAABhY3NwTVNGVAAAAABJRUMgc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAA9tYA AQAAAADTLUhQICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ABFjcHJ0AAABUAAAADNkZXNjAAABhAAAAGx3dHB0AAAB8AAAABRia3B0AAACBAAAABRyWFlaAAAC GAAAABRnWFlaAAACLAAAABRiWFlaAAACQAAAABRkbW5kAAACVAAAAHBkbWRkAAACxAAAAIh2dWVk AAADTAAAAIZ2aWV3AAAD1AAAACRsdW1pAAAD+AAA

СКАЧАТЬ