Lady of Desire by Gaelen Foley Read Free Book Online

square, and put the peachlike ripeness of her round, lovely breasts on wonderful display. His mouth watered as he stared at their upper curves, and the first thought that finally formed in his mind was that her nipples were almost visible. It was enough to drive a man mad.
    “Blade!”
    The effect, he saw, was not lost on his men, either. Not a moment too soon, he came crashing back to his senses.
    Letting out an explosive oath, he threw the door wide open and stalked into the workroom. “Get the hell away from her! Out of my way! Back to work!” he bellowed, shoving his way between them to reach her.
    He grasped her arm and thrust her behind him. Clinging to him, she peered out from behind him as he blocked them from her with his body.
    “I said get back to work,” he ordered in a warning growl, but they held their ground, a restless, uneasy mob.
    “Fine bit o‘ sparkle, Blade. You plan on keepin’ that for yourself?”
    “No one touches her.”
    “Why don’t
you
keep the girl and give
us
the diamonds?”
    “Aye, and nap us her fancy dress, too, eh? Could fetch a fine price at the pawn shop. Why don’t you strip it off ‘er for us?”
    Behind him, the blonde let out an appalled gasp.
    “We promise not to look!” another said.
    They guffawed, but a murderous quiet came into Blade’s voice.
    “I’m gonna tell you buggers one more time. If you’re goin‘ to act like animals instead of men, you might as well go join the bloody Jackals, ”cause I got no use for you here. Now, I want that wagon loaded. We got a shipment due tomorrow mornin’. Unless you want to make somethin‘ of it?“
    A few of them grumbled, but slowly they backed down, turning away with surly looks. As they slouched back to their task, Blade turned to the girl with an exasperated glower. Giving her scarcely a second to grab her satchel off the table, he grasped her hand and pulled her out of the room toward the narrow, dingy stairwell.
    “Where are you taking me?” she exclaimed, tripping along after him on her long skirts.
    “Be quiet,” he growled. “Come with me before they bloody mutiny.”
    He marched up the steps, his implacable grip wrapped around her hand. She picked up her skirts with her free hand and hastened to keep up with him.
    “I cannot believe they threatened to take my gown!”
    “Can’t you?” he retorted. At the top of the stairs, he stalked down the cramped corridor, pulling her after him, then threw open a door on the right.
    At once, a breathless feminine voice greeted them, tinged with a torrid accent. “Billy!”
    He stopped at the threshold. “Damn it, Carlotta, what the hell are you doing here? Get out.”
    “Billy!”
    “Out!” he ordered.
    His fair captive waited in the hallway, rather wide-eyed, as his unceremonious command was met with a stream of hotheaded foreign curses. A moment later, his latest conquest flounced out of the room, hastily tying her cottage-style bodice. Carlotta was an exotic-looking, olive-skinned Gypsy girl with long black hair.
    When she saw the blonde, she whirled to him, her tanned face flushing with rage. “Who is this? You bought yourself some high-priced harlot?”
    “I beg your pardon!” the blonde exclaimed in haughty indignation.
    Carlotta turned on her. “He is mine, you little—”
    In the nick of time, Blade caught Carlotta’s hand as she raised it to strike the unsuspecting girl. “Do
once
try to act like a lady, would you? ”
    Wide-eyed, Miss “Smith” gazed at the Gypsy girl, looking astonished and quite fascinated by the notion of fisticuffs between women. Blade took the wild creature in hand and sent her on her way. Carlotta’s vulgar, hotheaded curses trailed after her as she stormed off down the hallway. Turning to his guest with a long-suffering look, he could not have been more acutely aware of the contrast between the two women. Carlotta fairly steamed with exotic allure, but her foul language and crude manners embarrassed him as he stood