Quick, Amanda by Scandal Read Free Book Online Page A

fabric of his coat. He smelled
    good, she thought. A combination of leather and horse and masculine
    heat. The scent of him was curiously intoxicating and she found herself burrowing closer into his warmth.
    "Part your lips for me," Simon urged softly.
    Emily obeyed instinctively. Without any warning, his tongue slid boldly into her mouth. The shock of it
    made Emily gasp and pull back. She was suddenly aware of the heavy bulge of his manhood under her
    thigh. She knew she was turning a bright pink.
    "My God, Emily."
    For a moment the world seemed to halt. She could barely breathe, let alone respond.
    "Emily, open your eyes and look at me."
    Dreamily, Emily lifted her lashes and looked up into Simon's harshly carved face. He was so close that
    she could see him without the aid of her spectacles. She was fascinated by the glittering heat that had
    washed away the coldness in his eyes. Fire lit the beautiful golden gaze now, a wild flame of masculine
    desire held under rigid control.
    "Dragon," she whispered softly, touching his hard cheek with gentle fingers. "My very own golden-eyed
    dragon."
    He narrowed his eyes as he stared down at her. "Dragons have a dangerous reputation around fair
    maidens."
    She smiled softly up at him. " 'Tis no use breathing fire and smoke in an attempt to frighten me, my lord. I
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    know I am quite safe with you."
    "What makes you so certain of that?"
    "I know you very well. I have read and reread every letter you have ever sent to me. Still, I must admit, I
    cannot quite believe this is happening."
    "Nor can I." He shifted position abruptly, sliding her off his lap. He raked a hand through his dark hair.
    "Good God. I must have lost my wits."
    "I know what you mean. I feel certain this is what the poets refer to as a wild, sweet excess of emotion. It
    is rather exciting, is it not?" Emily straightened, feeling a little shy and shaky, but otherwise wonderful.
    "Exciting is one word for it. I can think of a few others."
    "Such as?"
    "Stupid."
    Emily frowned at the sardonic tone. "Is something wrong, my lord?" She groped for her spectacles
    because he had moved too far away to enable her to see clearly the expression in his eyes.
    "Here." Impatiently he thrust the spectacles into her hands and she put them on.
    Emily saw at once that Simon was scowling fiercely. "There is something wrong. What is it, my lord?"
    He gave her a derisive, sidelong glance. "You ask me that? After what almost happened a moment ago?"
    Emily tilted her head to one side, studying him. "You kissed me. It was wonderful. The most wonderful
    experience of my life. Why should anything be wrong?"
    "Damn it, woman, another five minutes and we would have been… Hell. Never mind."
    "Another five minutes and we would have been cast adrift upon love's transcendent, golden shore,
    perhaps?"
    "Good God. This is no time for poetic euphemisms." Simon glared at the quiet waters of the pond. He
    started to say something else and then his lips twitched. An instant later a wicked grin came and went on
    his hard mouth. "Cast adrift upon love's transcendent, golden shore? From whose works did you glean
    that line?'"
    "I invented it myself," Emily told him, not without some pride. " 'Tis a line from the epic poem I told you I
    am currently working on, The Mysterious Lady. I am still searching for the proper rhyme for 'shore.' "
    "Have you tried 'bore'?"
    She grinned. "Now you are teasing me. Tell me the truth, sir. What do you think of the line?"
    He glanced back at her over his shoulder, golden eyes gleaming with what should have been passion but
    which Emily was very much afraid was amusement. "It is most apt, Miss Faringdon. Come here."
    She went willingly back into his embrace but this time he merely kissed her lightly on the forehead and
    then on the tip of her nose before setting her a short distance away from him again. "Now, pay attention,
    Miss Faringdon, for I