An Earl's Guide to Catch a Lady by Tanya Wilde Read Free Book Online

say died in her throat as she caught the truth in his eyes. He saw her swallow. “You do?”
    His response was a lazy purr. “I do, and you want me too.”
    “What? I—”
    He leaned closer and bent his head to the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of her.
    “You smell delicious,” he murmured against her skin.
    He heard the ragged draw of her breath, but she didn't pull away. He was astonished that he had to struggle to resist taking her into his arms and kissing her senseless.
    “It— It’s the soap,” Evelyn stammered, her voice trembling. 
    Matthew smiled when he saw her shiver at his touch.
    “Are you going to kiss me again?” she asked brazenly.
    He lifted his head to study her. He could see the desire in her eyes, a hint of curiousness calling to the predator in him. Her tongue flickered out to moisten her lips.
    Desire slammed through him.
    He clenched his fists at his side. “Do you want me to kiss you, sweetheart?” He needed to hear her say it.
    She bit her lip. Common sense warned her that this was not a man to be trifled with and yet her body wanted him in a way she did not understand. In the end common sense won out, he was just too dangerous.
    “No,” she said on a breathless whisper.
    “Liar,” he chided softly. “You want me to kiss you. You wanted me to kiss you this morning and you want me to kiss you now. What’s more, Evelyn, you want to kiss me back. Admit it.”
    Evelyn opened her mouth and closed it again. His green eyes held her captivated to the point of speechlessness.
    “Evelyn.” His voice was a hoarse whisper, a pleading note. To hell with her saying it! What he saw in her eyes was all the encouragement he needed. He took her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers. Her lips parted in a small gasp and he did not wait for her to press them together before deepening the kiss. For a moment she stood rigid in his arms, then a soft moan escaped her and she leaned deeper into him. His body pressed against hers, backing her into the wall. Slanting his head he urged her to open even more to him.
    Then just as suddenly she shoved at his chest, breaking out of his embrace. “We cannot do this Matthew,” she protested weakly.
    He closed his eyes at the sound of his name. “One kiss Evelyn,” he breathed raggedly. “Only one more.”
    Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest. In the back of her mind Evelyn knew this was dangerous. She should ask him to leave, but she could not stop herself from wanting one more kiss.
    Moving as if in a dream, she gently placed her hands on each side of his face, lifting herself onto her toes and kissed him, the scent of sandalwood making her senses swim. She felt his left hand move to her waist and pull her closer against him. The kiss changed then. His lips became more searching, insistent.
    She hesitated, but then decided to the devil with it. She wanted to be kissed senseless, by him. This would be their moment. She’d barely finished the thought when he broke away, breathing hard. She stared at him confused, while he stared at her with wonder, his arm still around her waist.
    “Evelyn, if we don’t stop now, I won’t be able to stop.”
    He was so tall, so strong, so overpowering and yet his reassuring hand on her waist was gentle. In that moment Evelyn desperately wanted to say yes. Yes to everything he wanted from her. But giving herself to him would mean giving up her independence. She knew, without a doubt, that if she said yes now, he would take over her life in a heartbeat. He would expect nothing less than her full surrender.
    “I cannot.” She took a step back, out of his arms. It had been nothing but a moment of insanity. 
    Matthew forced his hands to let go of her when she stepped back. His body raged with suppressed desire and he had to fight the urge not to show her just how much she wanted him. He would let her go, for now. There was something between them, too powerful to ignore. Every instinct in his body