Deceived by Jess Michaels Read Free Book Online Page B

searching for an appropriate lie. “I-I was just admiring your gardens.”
    Lady Woodley nodded. “Are they not lovely? Our staff takes such good care of them and have been bringing in fresh flowers for my room every day of my convalescence.”
    “You’ve always had the prettiest roses,” Josie’s mother said with a sigh.
    “They are,” Josie said, encouraged by the fact that she caught Evan yawning from the corner of her eye. Perhaps he would grow bored of their conversation and just go away.
    “You should take a walk in the conservatory if you like the roses so much, Jocelyn,” Lady Woodley said. “The hothouse flowers are also doing very well this year.”
    “I would love that,” Josie said, both because she meant it and because Evan’s eyes were glazing over.
    “Evan, why don’t you escort Josie to the conservatory?” Lady Woodley said.
    Josie jolted and turned her full attention to the dowager, even as Evan did the same. “I—” she began.
    At the same time, Evan said, “Mother—”
    Their eyes locked and Josie folded her arms. Seemed all this talk about him liking her was pure poppycock. He didn’t want to walk with her any more than she did with him. And while that should have pleased her, for some reason it did not.
    “I think your son would not like to leave you, my lady,” Josie said, ice in her tone that she could not control.
    Evan’s eyes narrowed and for a moment she thought he might defy her words. But he had no chance. Lady Woodley waved her hand. “Oh, ridiculous. I do not need to be handled like I am made of glass. Evan, take our guest. I insist.”
    Slowly, Evan rose to his feet and held out an arm. “Of course. Miss Westfall, if you would like to come with me, I’m happy to show you the conservatory.”
    “And take some cuttings if you’d like, my dear,” his mother said as Josie got to her feet and stared at the arm outstretched to her.
    It was a very muscular arm. And she knew if she touched it, she would be connected physically to this man she had been avoiding for over a decade. Was she ready for that?
    She had no choice but to be, because every eye in the room was on them, watching and waiting for her to act politely. And probably wondering why it was taking her so long.
    Tensing, she took the arm and tried to ignore the way his muscles flexed as he drew her forward. The way his spicy, male scent filled her nostrils. The way her hand curled perfectly around him, like it was made to go there.
    “Take your time, we are having a lovely talk,” Josie’s mother called out.
    She squeezed her eyes shut. There was never any subtly to Rachel Westfall. No one could accuse her of that.
    Evan guided her into the hall and down through a maze of twists and turns that led them to a large set of double doors. He released her and she found herself finally able to breathe as he pushed them open and revealed the conservatory.
    For a moment, Josie forgot her discomfort, forgot everything except for the beauty before her. The conservatory was a flood of green deliciousness, with trees and flowers and fruits in all directions. She stepped into its steamy heat with a sigh of pleasure and hardly noticed that Evan moved in behind her and shut the door softly.
    “It has been years since I was here,” she breathed. “We used to play hide-and-seek in this very room. You could be lost forever, I think, and I used to imagine how I would build myself a little house and live off the fruit.”
    The moment that confession left her lips, she wished she could take it back. She hadn’t meant to tell something so intimate to a man she didn’t trust. She shot Evan a side glance and found him watching her intently.
    “Of course, those were silly, girlish thoughts,” she said, trying to distance herself.
    “I rather like the idea,” he said with a shrug. “You could hide a long time here and not be found if you wanted to.”
    Josie’s retort was on her lips, a quip about why would he want to when