Scarlet Kisses by Tish Westwood Read Free Book Online

midnight hair but that was it. If he kissed Alyssum or even dared to rub his body against hers she would scream in outrage and slap him. Then Harry would have to kill him. He watched as his Scarlet fisted her hands. He grinned, curious to see what she would do.
    “If I reveal myself, will you tell me who you are?” He stepped closer to her, moving her back against the railing.
    She stared up at him for a long moment then Robert watched as she nodded faintly, hesitantly. He raised his hand, grabbed his black mask and pulled it off, revealing his identity. His hair now disheveled, he dropped his hand to his side, holding the mask and staring down at her, waited.
     
     
      He saw no recognition light her features as he revealed his identity. For some reason that confounded him and he found he was nervous. He stood waiting for some kind of reaction from her. Maybe she didn’t know him. He doubted it. His name was everywhere. Not being able to wait any longer to know the identity of his Scarlet, he took a step toward her and reached for her mask. She slapped his hands away, hard. He frowned and reached again. She side-stepped him and began making her way past him. She was trying to escape him. His hand whipped out and caught her before she could run. He swung her back around and reached for her mask with a newfound determination.
    Dread caused Alyssum’s heart to race. She felt Robert’s hand at her mask.
    Robert’s . After years of playing cards with Harry, she had learned how to hide her expressions. Right now, as she looked up at Robert, her mind screamed in denial. But the truth was before her.
    Robert . She had kissed Robert . Her neighbor. The boy who used to throw mud at her and drop frogs down her dress. The man she had just kissed and wanted to kiss again. Robert.
    She couldn’t allow him to find out it was she behind the mask. She couldn’t bear to see his expression of horror when he found out that he had kissed her…and more. Remembering one of Harry’s lessons in protecting her virtue, she raised her knee hard between his legs.
    Robert hit the ground with a cry of agony.
     
    Alyssum stared down at him in shock. She lowered her knee and watched as he squirmed on the floor, cupping himself between his legs. Turning, she quickly ran back into the ballroom and began making her escape.
    Robert stayed down. Groaning in agony, he listened to the sound of Scarlet’s feet run across the balcony.
    She had kneed him. Right in the bollocks. He raised his head as he heard laughter.
    “Guess you didn’t get her garter,” Tucker laughed as he and Jackson walked towards him.
    “Saw your girl running through the ballroom.” Jackson knelt beside Robert. “Are you doing all right?” He set his hand on Robert’s back. “She kicked you in your treasures?”
    “Yes,” Robert snapped while clenching his jaw against the pain.
    Tucker laughed and knelt down on the other side of him. “I guess we’re all losing it,” Tucker muttered.
    “I haven’t lost it.” Jackson defended himself. “Rosy and I were doing just fine until I brought my tongue out and she slapped me.”
    Tucker laughed.
    “Careful, that black eye is going to be more prominent tomorrow,” Jackson warned him.
    Tucker stopped laughing.
    “You got hit as well?” Robert asked with a grimace.
    “Jackson got slapped,” Tucker pointed out.
    “And Robert got kicked.” Jackson smiled.
    “What about Duke?”
    “Too busy playing nice with the ton. He didn’t even get a chance with all the mothers surrounding him,” Jackson told Robert.
    “So no one gets the hundred pounds.” Tucker clapped his hands together.
    Robert groaned and rose to his knees. He had planned to lie to his friends and say he hadn’t obtained a garter. Not after having that passionate embrace with his Scarlet, but now, after that kick… Hell, he was getting his hundred pounds. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the black garter.

Chapter Four
    The morning after Lady