A Deal with Lord Devlin by Jennifer Ann Coffeen Read Free Book Online

so much exposed skin.”
    She tilted her head back, letting him glide his fingers down toward her admittedly low décolletage. Her breath drew in sharply when he bent his head toward the front of the gown. Charlotte was suddenly very grateful she had ignored her Grandmama’s suggestion to wear a shawl.
    “I had no idea Champagne made you so bold,” she breathed when they finally, reluctantly, pulled apart.
    James gently slid his thumb across her bottom lip. “Maybe it’s my wardrobe. My valet insisted Pomona was a very powerful color.”
    She laughed, feeling both safe and incredibly free with James in their snug little hideaway. Leaning in closer, she inhaled a mix of clean linen and male skin. Hundreds of little bubbles danced through her veins, a feeling both intoxicating and rather dangerous. She was not supposed to feel this way with James. He was the Earl of Devlin, and she had one of the worst reputations in London. What could they possibly hope for? She had been naïve with Andrew, thinking that enough time had passed since her divorce for society’s memory to fade. But families like the Devlins would never forget. Charlotte understood that now.
    Charlotte reached out to run her hand down the side of his face. She should end this before it went too far. Such a perilous attraction would only lead to heartache.
    “James,” she whispered as he bent down toward her mouth. “This will never work between us.”
    Before Charlotte could utter another word James was kissing her again, this time with a ferocious passion that made her knees slip out from under her. She let out a small yelp when James swept her up into his arms.
    “Your family will never allow it!” she cried out, pushing herself out of his arms.
    He set her down on her feet, his brow furrowed in an unreadable expression. She had to make him understand.
    “Andrew knew that. It’s why he is marrying another woman.”
    They stood inches away from one another in the tiny room, her harsh breath mingling with his.
    “Do you love Andrew?”
    That certainly wasn’t the reply she was expecting. What did love have to do with any of this? She’d found Andrew suitable enough for her purposes. She needed a handsome, charming, and well-connected husband to get her back into society, and Sir Andrew Greenshaw certainly fit. His charm and connections could fill Regency Park, and for his looks, well, ladies were always fawning over him. Of course, Charlotte preferred her gentlemen a bit taller, with dark hair and blue-black eyes.
    He lifted her chin until they were eye to eye. “Tell me the truth, Charlotte. Do you love him?”
    She couldn’t lie. “No. I never did.”
    “And your former husband?”
    “Never,” she whispered, with a hard shake of her head.
    James nodded. “Then your past has no place in this room.”
    His ultimatum was clear. Whatever happened in the future, Charlotte knew she could never go back to pretending with James. There was something strong between them. A feeling she was terrified to put a name to, but one she had denied to herself for far too long. Slowly, but with no doubts left in her mind, she nodded.
    James scooped her up into his arms, carrying her farther into the little pantry.
    “Where are we going?” she breathed, wondering how much larger this space could get.
    “There’s a small hidden room behind the pantry,” James replied. “My father hid his very best wines back here.”
    “Why did he keep it so secret?” She was fascinated. “Surely he wasn’t afraid his own servants would steal from him.”
    “He was hiding it from us.” Unlocking a stone panel that turned out to be a door, James pulled open the latch to reveal the former Earl’s secret room. “My mother can be intrusive at times.”
    Charlotte made a very unladylike noise in her throat. “I’ve noticed.”
    The late Earl had certainly spared no expense. Charlotte’s amazement grew as James circled the room, lighting candles. It was small but