The Devil To Pay by Unknown Read Free Book Online

bitten out her tongue before speaking.
    When Julian returned to the living room it was with a platter of sandwiches, two bowls of heated soup and a small
    salad. The speed with which it arrived made Emelina realize that it must have been ready before she had knocked on
    his door.
    “You were expecting me?“ she inquired rather
    diyly, helping herself to a cheese and lettuce sandwich, even though she hadn’t planned on accepting his food.
    “Let’s just say I was hoping you’d show up this evening.“
    They ate slowly, saying little. Emelina found die flames on the hearth unusually fascinating, and Julian seemed to
    think the same of her tightly drawn profile. Neither of them was inclined to go back to the business at hand.
    “You’re scared to death of me, aren’t you, Emmy?“ Julian said at last as they finished off the sandwiches.
    “Hardly,“ she found the gumption to retort. She flicked a crust of bread in Xerxes’s direction. “I’m just naturally
    cautious!“
    He laughed at that, surprising her. It was die first time she’d heard him give way to humor to such an extent It was
    at her expense, of course, she reminded herself crossly. Xerxes downed the bread crust and licked his chops politely.
    “I don’t think you’re cautious at all, Emelina Stratton. Not when you’re out to protect your brother. Would you
    offer that same loyalty to a lover, I wonder?“
    “What?“ Her head came up quickly as she stared at him in astonishment The expression on his face held her
    absolutely still. She saw the deep, masculine curiosity and the restrained flicker of desire that had invaded the
    compelling dark eyes, and every instinct she possessed came abruptly to life. The result was a
    chaos of emotion and crossed signals that left her easy prey.
    Julian Colter reached across the short space that divided them and tugged her effortlessly into his lap.

Three
    “You’ve already found the courage to dine with the devil,“ Julian whispered deeply, his mouth hovering above hers.
    “Let’s see if you have the courage to let him kiss you.“
    Emelina lay cradled across his thighs, one of his arms locked warmly around her. She was fiercely aware of a
    hypnotizing wonder. The attraction she had briefly recognized earlier in the evening was very real. My God, she
    thought bleakly, why does it have to be with this man?
    Before she could summon the protest she knew she ought to make, Julian’s hand lifted to frame the side of her face
    and hold her still for his kiss. She was aware of the heat of his fingers alongside her cheek and then came the far more
    intimate heat of his mouth.
    How could a kiss be at once marauding and persuasive? Demanding, yet coaxing? How could a man like this kiss a
    woman as if she were an infinitely valuable and precious creature? Where Emelina expected rough aggression she
    received sensual insistence. Where she expected dominance she received warm inducement.
    The dichotomy was spellbinding. Emelina closed her eyes, not daring to move as his lips teased hers. She felt his
    fingers slide upward into her braided hair, pressing her head close to his shoulder. Then came the tip of his tongue
    outlining her trembling mouth. Gently, insistently, persuasively, that tongue moved, his lips nibbling at hers until, with
    a soft little moan, Emelina succumbed to the sensual demand and allowed him into her warmth.
    She felt rather than heard the growl deep in his throat as he hungrily invaded the territory she had ceded. The
    fingers in her hair began to thread and twist until she was vaguely aware that her braid had been undone. Beneath the
    searching impact of his kiss she stirred at last, instinctively seeking safety when it was far too late.
    As if sensing her belated wariness, Julian deepened the embrace, filling her mouth with the provocative taste of his
    own. When her hand fluttered anxiously to his shoulder he released his grip on her hair to catch her fingers and guide
    them up to the coal