Captive of My Desires by Johanna Lindsey Read Free Book Online Page A

the traffic, other than to avoid it. But it was hard to miss the woman about to fall right in his path.
    It was a mere reflex to grip her arm to keep her from falling. He wasn’t really paying attention to her because his eyes were on the two fellows walking behind her who charged forward just as Drew set her back on her feet.
    “Let go,” she growled at him, and he did.
    Drew wasn’t sure if the two men were really with her, because now that she was standing steadily on her own two feet, they hung back behind her, trying to appear as if they weren’t keeping an eye on her. Odd. Drew glanced back at the woman to see why she’d been unappreciative of his help, and forgot about her escort entirely.
    The palest blue eyes he’d ever seen surrounded by black lashes were glaring at him. They were eyes so startlingly beautiful that it took him a moment to take in the rest of the package.
    Drew wasn’t often given pause. Piqued, certainly. But being rendered speechless just didn’t happen all that often to a man who’d pursued the loveliest of the lovelies across the world. This one was pretty, yes, but many could outshine her. A pert nose, black brows barely arched, probably because of her frown. But full, lush lips boldly red, though not from any paint. Because she’d been biting them would be his guess.
    Her black hair was tightly contained in an artful coiffure. Her blue dress and hat were nearly as pale as her eyes. She was dressed like a lady in the height of fashion, and yet she had a rich, golden tan that the ladies of England simply wouldn’t acquire. He’d wager she’d been in a warmer climate recently.
    Was that what surprised him, the deeply tanned skin that was darker than her eyes? Or those sinfully lush lips? Or perhaps it was simply because she was glaring at him when he’d helped her, for crying out loud.
    “Should I have let you tumble at my feet, sweetheart?” he asked.
    “Excuse me?”
    “You were about to fall,” he reminded her. “Or has that slipped your mind? I know I do have that effect on women, scattering their thoughts every which way,” he added with a boyish grin.
    Instead of charming her out of her ire as he expected, his remark had her drawing in her breath indignantly and claiming, “You’ve bruised my arm, you lout.”
    “Did I? Let me see.”
    She jerked her arm out of his reach. “I think not. If you were indeed trying to be helpful, I thank you. But next time don’t be such a brute about it.”
    His smile gone, Drew replied, “There won’t be a next time, because if you stumble again, I’d definitely think twice about trying to catch you. In fact, I’m sure I’d let you fall. Good day, miss.”
    He heard her gasp of outrage as he walked away. It was a sweet sound, but it didn’t bring back his smile. Ungrateful wench, he thought. He was so annoyed he felt no urge to look back at her, which was unusual for him when he encountered a beautiful woman. He just barreled past her escort, if indeed the two men really were her escort. Too bad neither of them took exception to it.

Chapter 7
    T HE L ONDON DOCK WAS TEEMING WITH ACTIVITY, but it was no different from the last time Gabrielle had been there, when she’d set off three years ago for the Caribbean, so confident that she could find her father. The arriving vessels accounted for most of the extra wagons that late in the day, transporting cargoes from ship to warehouse or straight to market. The sounds, the smells were almost familiar, and had so distracted her that she hadn’t seen the cart that had nearly knocked her over, or the man who’d prevented her from falling. Perhaps if she had seen him first, she wouldn’t have been so surprised by the immediate attraction she’d felt, and wouldn’t have made such a blundering fool of herself because of it. Good grief, she’d never in her life behaved so outrageously before, and all he’d tried to do was help her!
    Her ship had sailed up the Thames early that