TemptedByHisKiss by Tempted By His Kiss Read Free Book Online Page A

pleased to discover a mutual preference for the Whig method of governing. One thing was certain—she was never bored. And she did not believe Lord Cade to be either. He’d certainly appeared to enjoy himself last night.
    She smiled inwardly as she remembered the laughter she’d coaxed out of him with stories about a pair of her father’s more colorful officers and their antics, as well as a few tales of her own life as a navy man’s daughter.
    In those fleeting moments, Cade’s whole face had changed, lines of pain and fatigue melting away beneath the humor. She’d watched as a glimpse of another man emerged—a lighter, more easygoing self, which made her wonder about the person he’d been before he was wounded in the war.
    And then he’d smiled, sending her pulse into a dangerous rhythm, her breath catching as a pair of dimples appeared in his cheeks. She’d wanted to stroke one, reach out and trace a fingertip across the long, beautiful groove. Just the idea turned her all warm and shivery inside, and she’d had to glance away. When she looked again, the old Cade was back, his usual serious expression making her question she’d ever seen anything else.
    She wished she could get him to smile again, smile more, but time, she knew, was growing short. The weather was moderating; the great drifts of snow giving way to sunshine and shovels and horse-drawn plows. Another day or two and she would once again be on her way. She should be glad to resume her journey and her life.
    And I will be, she assured herself, when the time comes.
    Leaning forward, she smoothed her hair one last time and straightened the lace fichu at her neck. Noticing thepale cast to her cheeks, she pinched them to add a bit of color. Abruptly, she fell still.
    Gracious, am I preening? For Cade Byron?
    No, she decided. She was merely trying to look presentable, no more than she would under any circumstance. I like him, nothing more. Cade Byron was a fascinating, dynamic man, to be sure, but she knew there could never be anything between them. Such ideas would only lead to discontent and unhappiness. And Lord knows she’d had enough sorrow in recent years without deliberately courting more. Instead, she would enjoy the remainder of her time with Lord Cade, then travel on. Once she departed, she would forget him, just as, she was sure, he would forget her. With a sigh, she stood and crossed to the door.
     
    “What would you say to a walk?” Cade suggested after nuncheon was concluded. “Harvey tells me the paths around the house are cleared, and if you’re anything like me, you could do with a bit of fresh air.”
    Meg glanced up in surprise. “Oh, but your leg…are you sure—”
    “My leg is fine,” Caid said. “I’m not a cripple, you know.”
    “No, of course, you are not. I only meant that the ground may be slick in places and—” She broke off, then gave him a deliberate smile to ease the tension. “A walk would be most welcome, thank you. Pray allow me to retrieve my cloak and we shall be on our way.”
    When she came down the stairs five minutes later, it was to discover him dressed in a heavy, many-caped black wool greatcoat, a beaver top hat on his head. He held an elegant cane in one gloved hand, the solid goldknob on top fashioned in the shape of a fox. A pair of rich emerald eyes winked out of the metal, their shade reminding her of Lord Cade’s own unique gaze.
    “Ready?” he asked.
    She gave a nod, a fluttering sensation curling inside her belly. “Yes.”
    Despite the crisp sunshine and buoyant blue sky, a frosty chill hung in the air as they walked. She shivered and huddled deeper inside her mantle.
    “Cold?” he inquired. “We can go back if you wish.”
    She shook her head and cast him a glance from beneath her bonnet. “I am fine. It’s only that I’m not used to the cold weather. It’s what comes, I suppose, of being acclimated to warmer climes.”
    “What do you mean? I can think of nowhere in England