Secrets of Seduction by Nicole Jordan Read Free Book Online

have stayed. A flash of lightning lit up the bedchamber with a bright glare, and was soon followed by another clap of thunder. The storm seemed just as ferocious as before. It would not be easy, sleeping there in the strange bedchamber in the eerie house. At least Lord Hawkhurst would be nearby if her dreams grew too terrifying.
    Chiding herself for her missishness, Skye distracted herself by pulling the holland covers off the bed and folding them neatly, then sorting through the linens and pillows in the cupboard. She was glad when Lord Hawkhurst returned, however, with an armful of logs.
    Depositing his burden beside the hearth, he knelt to begin building a fire. It still astounded her that a nobleman of his caliber was willing to perform such menial tasks for her sake. Most aristocrats wouldn’t deign to dirty their hands with servants’ work.
    When he glanced over his shoulder at her, he seemed rather surprised as well that she was capable of makingup her own bed. He used a tinderbox to light the fire, and by the time she finished her task, flames had started to lick the logs.
    He watched his handiwork for a moment, while Skye found herself watching
him
. Firelight poured over him, highlighting the sculpted bones of his face. Carved in simple planes, it contained a stark beauty that held no trace of prettiness but was striking all the same.
    Feeling enchanted, Skye held her breath. The spell remained as he rose to his feet and brushed his hands against his breeches.
    “Thank you, my lord,” she murmured, unconsciously moving toward him.
    “Is there anything more you need tonight?” he asked.
    I need you
, was her unbidden thought. “No. You have done more than enough.”
    Realizing her voice had instinctively turned husky, Skye cleared her throat and halted a few steps from him. “I am sincerely grateful.”
    “Then I will leave you now.”
    For a moment, however, he remained unmoving as he stared down at her. The dark fringe of his lashes defined eyes that had turned to silver—a look that was spellbinding.
    In response, Skye went totally still. Butterflies had suddenly returned to riot her stomach—a nervous agitation that had nothing to do with anxiety about the storm or fear of bad dreams. Rather, it was intense sexual awareness.
    Being alone with Lord Hawkhurst in the bedchamber, with the golden glow of firelight highlighting his masculine beauty, sent pinpricks of lightning rippling over her skin to penetrate deep inside her.
    It was amazing what this man did to her, how easily his nearness made her forget all about her alien surroundings. She had been kissed before by ardent suitors, passionately and at great length. But not one of them had ever affected her the way a simple look from Hawkhurst did.
    She was not a complete novice about carnal relations, either. She had learned enough from her aunt about the arts of seduction to know theoretically what happened between a man and a woman during lovemaking. And she was prepared for resistance from Lord Hawkhurst to even her simplest advances.
    Yet she wasn’t at all prepared for his impact on her. He made her pulse race and her body burn. Sensual images flashed in her mind, begetting a myriad of emotions … pleasure, heat, anticipation.
    Skye took another step closer, drawn toward him like a helpless moth to a beckoning flame.
    When his gaze dropped to her mouth, her own lips parted but no sound emerged. She could picture herself kissing him, embracing him. She could envision sharing this bedchamber with him, this bed … how it would feel if they undressed each other and lay side by side … bare, warm skin touching.…
    She thought he might be sharing the same fantasies, for his hand started to lift, as if he might reach up and touch her face. But, just as quickly, the moment ended.
    The delectable images abruptly faded when Hawkhurst stepped back and crossed to the door without another word. Turning back to her briefly, he sketched her a slight