Devil Disguised by Karolyn Howard Read Free Book Online Page A

library.” His voice sounded distant to his own ears.
    “Oh. I see,” she said, venomously.
    He quickly took her hands and kissed them. “I am suddenly more tired than I expected. I will walk you to the door, my lady.”
    She nodded and hesitated before she wound her arm through his. Simon appeared from a side room carrying Charlotte’s coat and gloves as her carriage was brought around to the front of the home.
    Duncan stepped away, releasing her arm. He did not kiss her cheek as he often did, but merely said, “Goodnight, Charlotte.”
    Glaring, she did not reply as she turned and left.
    Duncan nodded at Simon and then went up to his room. He undressed and lay down on his bed, staring at wood beams of the ceiling. It was the first time he had ever sent Charlotte away without a book to read and he tried to tell himself it had nothing to do with spending the evening in Lily’s presence. Lily had been avoiding him, but he had been evading her too and he still did not trust her. Even so, he could not deny her allure and he had a hard time imagining she could hurt anyone, with the exception of Charlotte. He chuckled as he tried to focus on what he needed to do to navigate these unfamiliar waters and how to keep Lily at bay. Taking a deep breath, he sat up to blow out the candles near his bed when he heard a strange noise.
    After pulling on his trousers, he opened the drawer of his nightstand and reached for the small dagger he kept there. Creeping quietly into the hallway, he listened.
    A different sound of movement and rustling rose from below and he moved swiftly and stealthily down the stairs. Near the bottom of the staircase, he saw the shadow of a figure moving in the salon. Sliding against the wall behind him, he raised the dagger and turned the corner, rushing into the salon.
    An arm was raised near him and he reached for the arm as he spun and pushed the intruder into the wall. He heard a gasp as he shoved the intruder into the wall and pressed his body forward holding the arm above him. His body shifted against surprisingly feminine curves. Shifting, he looked down to see Lily’s eyes widen in fear as he held her arm above her head and the dagger at her throat.
    He stepped away immediately. “Lily! What the hell are you doing?”
    She looked down and replied, “I heard a noise.”
    “You should have woken me and not come down here by yourself,” he whispered harshly.
    Even in the dim moonlight, he could feel her penetrating stare. She shifted the candlestick she carried and placed it under her arm as she rubbed the wrist that he had just held.
    “I wanted to be certain someone was there before I alerted anyone. A strange noise should not instantly cause alarm,” she scoffed.
    “Did I hurt you?” Duncan asked as he watched her continue to rub her wrist.
    She shook her head and looked away from him again, as if embarrassed. Duncan’s eyes adjusted to the dim light and he looked over her to make sure she was uninjured. He gaped. She wore a white nightgown, but her entireform was visible through the nearly transparent material. The perfection of her form did not surprise him, but seeing her nipples harden and the dark triangle between her legs was about to undo him. She was an angel who could tempt the devil himself.
    He gently placed his hand on her shoulder and said, “Stay here.”
    His voice sounded much harsher than he intended, but he watched Lily shake her head.
    “No. I will be safer with you.”
    Duncan opened his mouth to protest, but his stomach tightened at the confidence of her words.
    “Fine. Stay behind me and try to be quiet.”
    He moved forward and then reached behind him as he felt her delicate hand move into his. Staying close to the wall, they moved together towards the kitchen. They went behind a wall near the library and he saw someone moving towards them. He put his finger to his lips to signal Lily to be silent as he crotched down and then leapt on the person, slamming them down