Must Have Been The Moonlight by Melody Thomas Read Free Book Online Page B

seemed to fret that two proper English women had gawked at him while he shaved. Her gaze slid past his tanned throat to touch the firm square of his jaw and she focused on his slightly parted lips, which showed the edges of straight white teeth. Her feelings were potent because he’d kept her safe, and he was risking his life to continue to keep them safe. What woman wouldn’t find that a weight on her emotions? It wasn’t as if she were attracted to him. Completely, swooningly attracted, anyway.
    She knew when he became aware of her eyes on his mouth. Her lashes lifted another notch, and she found herself staring into eyes the color of fine sterling. A smile was in his gaze and on his lips. Her mind had turned carnal. Curiosity more than anything kept her legs immobile.
    “Stay with Abdul,” he said, his voice laced with gentle humor. “I don’t want to get back to Cairo and learn that you’ve been thrown into someone’s harem.”
    “I’ll do my best, Major,” she said, her guilty thoughts making her response testy. “Though I have no idea how I’ll possibly control my urge to fraternize. I mean, it’s an awfully long trip.”
    His gaze slid over her lips. In the silver glitter of his eyes, she recognized the challenge that she’d thrown at him last night. Indeed, ever since she’d told him that she wasn’t easily shocked, it seemed as if he went out of his way to shock her on purpose. Now that her ladyship wasn’t present, he was behaving obnoxiously.
    He splayed his chin. “I did wash and shave.”
    “Now you wish me to tell you if your kiss is memorable?” she brazened, unwilling to allow him to intimidate her.
    A charged silence filled the empty space between them, forged on her part by recognition that unlike Stephan Williams, this man was not afraid of Christopher. The shock was exciting.
    Dangerous.
    Unexpected.
    She knew she was insane to find him attractive, or to even think about involving herself with someone the khedive called the Barracuda. Yet, she’d discovered to her horror that she wanted him to kiss her.
    “How old are you?” he suddenly asked.
    “Excuse me?” Her head oddly dizzy, she only knew that she was old enough to kiss a man. “Twenty-two. In six months. Why?” She thought she’d heard an oath. “How old are you?”
    “Much older than you are.”
    “How much?”
    “Eleven years. A decade…”
    Her eyes widened in mock horror. “Four thousand days, plus or minus a few weeks.” She despised the implication that she was a child. More so now, because she was feeling her inexperience. Maybe it came from being the youngest in a family, and having to fight for every inch of respect she’d ever received. Or getting no respect at all. “Goodness, Major Fallon.” Stepping away, she put the space of the desk between them. “I still would have been wearing pinafores when you were off doing…whatever it is boys who think they are men do.”
    He was leaning against the desk. “While you were wearing pinafores, I was fighting with Gordon in China.”
    “I see.” Lord, how had they gotten to this point anyway? “I’m quite capable of making my mind up about men, Major.”
    “No doubt you are.”
    “It isn’t as if I haven’t seen enough pictures and statues in my lifetime to know what happens between a man and a woman. Christopher collects some of the most erotic eastern artwork I’ve ever seen.” Finding new purpose for her turban, she raised the heavy cloth over her mouth. “It is only art, after all.”
    Major Fallon had not responded except to arch one brow.“And here I was thinking, with the ten minutes we have left, we could have all-out lusty sex in the back room, just me and the desert breeze against your hot naked skin.” Exuding potent sexuality, he leaned toward her. Brianna flushed to the roots of her dark hair. Only her blue eyes shone above the tagilmust. “Trust me, Miss Donally, I may be a cad, but I am somewhat discriminating about the women I