Deliciously Wicked by Robyn DeHart Read Free Book Online Page B

to be said. Or at least she always had something to say. Most of the time everything fell into place, and it made sense. But with him, she felt the utter fool. As if her stomach were tied in knots, and her tongue equally so.
    It was those skills she had—her communication with people—that she’d planned to use to impress her father. Prove to him that she was ready to take onresponsibility at the factory. But she’d bumbled it by losing her ability to verbalize coherently while Mr. Mandeville was about. There was still time to recover, though. It was only the kiss that had thrown off her mental acuity; she could reclaim it. Forge forward.
    She’d made her first decision that would put her on the road to leading this factory. Earlier today she’d played the boss’s daughter and retained Gareth’s job. If she spoke to her father, she could secure his job indefinitely, but Meg didn’t want to handle it that way. That wouldn’t prove she could manage things on her own, and that she didn’t always need her papa’s guidance. She’d told him she would take care of things, and that was precisely what she would do.
    Then there was the case of the missing chocolate boxes. There was a thief in their midst and she could not allow that. No one would steal from the factory and get away with it, not on her watch.
    Aside from her own concerns, there was Gareth’s part in the situation. She wanted to help him in some fashion, since this whole mess was her fault; this would put her in a better position to do so. It seemed wrong that a simple admission that they had been alone together would expose a great scandal when there really hadn’t been. Granted, there had been that one tiny, passionate, breath-stealing kiss, but there was no need to make that known to anyone. It was incredibly frustrating, and frankly she couldn’t abide standing by and doing nothing.
    So she’d played the actress and convinced Munden she was just as concerned as he, but that dismissing someone without proof was not a viable practice.Instead she’d offered two solutions. Now she had to convince Gareth to play along with her scheme.
    Earlier when she told him she had appointments, she’d lied to Gareth. She only had to bring her father the ledger book, then she had absolutely nothing else to do. She wasn’t in the habit of lying to others, but she’d wanted to give herself a bit more time. Not to mention make herself appear more authoritative than she felt.
    She’d gone home and tried on no fewer than seven dresses attempting to find the perfect one. For what, she was not certain. It was not as if she were going to the park with a suitor. Besides, she’d never been one to pay much attention to her clothing, but today she’d felt as if she’d needed some additional assistance. If she were to play this role, she needed the right costume. Something that spoke clearly: confident, controlled, clever.
    She looked down at her tailored brown dress. The cut was excellent for her stature. The square neckline boosted her small bosom to reveal hidden curves and a chest dusted with freckles. She’d heard once that men liked freckles. Not that it mattered one bit if Gareth liked this dress or not. She was helping him, and in turn, it seemed, she was helping herself. She smoothed the front of her dress, freely admitting she felt smart in the concoction. She especially fancied the matching boots that clicked nicely when she walked.
    She was dawdling, and she knew it. It was time now. Time to go in and face Gareth Mandeville. What was she afraid of in the first place?
    That he’d kiss her again?
    Or that he wouldn’t?
    Sitting in the carriage would not decide for her. Grabbing her reticule, she made her way into the factory. She did not stop to look for Gareth. Instead she marched herself straight up the stairs and into her father’s office. It had been quite a while since