Lady Blue by Helen A Rosburg Read Free Book Online Page B

to Harmony that it was ridiculous for her to agree. Yet she did.
    “Besides,” Anthony continued, “having acquired all the gentlemanly attributes will only make it that much easier for me to take my place in society when I have finally amassed enough money to retire.”
    “Is that your purpose in being a thief? To buy your way into society?”
    “At least until I can think of something else I’d rather do.” Anthony looked amused. “Why do you ask? Don’t tell me you’re worried about the morals of the man who’s just kidnapped you?”
    Harmony winced and quickly looked away. She was making a fool of herself and she knew it, questioning Anthony as if he were an intimate acquaintance instead of the man who had stolen her in order to extort money from her sister.
    “I … I’m sorry,” she stammered finally. “I certainly didn’t mean to be so personal.”
    The smile, all traces of amusement, vanished from Anthony’s features. He placed his glass on the mantle over the hearth and crossed to the sofa.
    “No.
I’m
the one who is sorry,” he said quietly, and sat at Harmony’s side.
    Harmony stiffened as her heart started to pound.
    She continued to stare into the fire, completely unable to look at the man beside her.
    “Please,” he said, voice softly urgent. “I’m sorry. I was teasing you and I shouldn’t have.”
    It felt like her heart was going to burst from her throat. Harmony forced herself to turn her head and look Anthony in the eye. She was faintly alarmed to note his brow was furrowed and his eyes had narrowed. Though he looked at her, his attention seemed inwardly directed, as if he fought some inner battle. He leaned forward, bringing his face mere inches from hers.
    “Perhaps, Harmony,” he whispered, “I said what I did because I’d like to think you might … you might care what happens to me, if only a little. In spite of what I’ve done.”
    He was too close, too near. She stared at his lips and licked her own. The pounding of her heart had heated her blood uncomfortably. In a nervous gesture, she played with the heavy chignon at the nape of her neck. Her finger caught in one of the pins and pulled it loose. Her hair tumbled free.
    The indrawn hiss of Anthony’s breath was the only sound in the room besides the dying crackles of the fire. He stared at the red satin curtain of hair that ran like a cascade of bright water over her shoulders and breast to pool in her lap. With it unbound, he was able to see the myriad of colors in it, light reds and dark, and strands the color of teak. Unable to help himself, he reached out to touch it, and it was as fine as he had imagined it would be. He raised his eyes to her face, captured at once by the stunning, gemlike blue of her eyes. He longed to touch the tip of her small, feminine nose, the shallow valley beneath it, the cupid’s bow of her upper lip and its generous, pouting partner …
    “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
    And you are the most handsome man,
Harmony sighed silently. She no longer cared about the details of her circumstances. And her dim and dismal future seemed very far away. She cared about nothing except that his lips were coming nearer, and nearer still. Her lids grew heavy and her own lips parted in anticipation. Her entire being was concentrated on the sensations she would experience in the next moments, when their flesh touched at last …
    “Damn!” Anthony swore softly at the sound of a knock.
    He rose slowly from the sofa and Harmony had to force herself to try and breathe normally. Especially when she gazed up at the deerskin-clad figure standing right in front of her.
    She had, apparently, had the same effect on Anthony as he had on her. Except that the results of his arousal were far more apparent.
    Harmony’s very blood and bones turned to water as she stared at the impressive bulge at the crotch of Anthony’s breeches. Oblivious, he looked toward the door.
    “A fine time Maggie