Unveiled (Undone by Love Book 3) by Kristina Cook Read Free Book Online

as water trickled from a stone cherub down to the trough below.
    Indeed, they were decidedly alone .
    “Whatever are you doing?” she asked, her voice a husky whisper .
    “I thought perhaps to kiss you,” he answered, unable to suppress a smile as her eyes widened a considerable fraction .
    “Kiss me ? Have you lost your wits?”
    “I’m fairly certain I’ve my wits about me.”  He inched his mouth closer to hers, her breath caressing his lips, tantalizing him . “Shall I show you how it’s done? I touch my lips, thus,” he brushed his lips slowly, seductively, across hers, “to yours.”  Her deep blue eyes, inky in the moonlight, widened a fraction more. “Like so.”
    Then she startled him by reaching a hand up to his head . “Here,” she whispered. “You’ve got something...a bit of a leaf...”
    He felt her fingers brush above his ear and he shuddered at the contact . With a quick movement, he reached up and caught her hand, brought it to his mouth as he breathed in her scent, an intoxicating mingling of spices. Cinnamon, perhaps, mixed with anise? His gaze sought hers as he pressed his lips against her palm. Her breath caught but her eyes didn’t leave his face.
    Damn propriety –he had to kiss her. His head dipped toward hers and he captured her mouth with his own, his heart hammering in his chest. He reached down to her throat, felt her pulse jump beneath his thumb as her lips parted, allowing access to his plundering tongue. She tasted like champagne mixed with the sweetest honey, and he feasted on her like a starving man.
    With a shudder, he felt her hands tangle in his hair, drawing him closer still . He pressed himself fully against her, his urgent erection firm against her hip.
    She pulled back at once from the intimate contact . In a flash her hand flew out and struck him solidly across the cheek. “How dare you!”
    His hand rose to his stinging cheek, his mind reeling in shock . Most marriageable ladies would eagerly allow him to kiss them senseless if he’d taken a notion to it, the threat of being caught nothing more than an enticement. Which is precisely why he hadn’t made a habit of it. What a foolish, imprudent thing to have done. Next thing he knew she’d be measuring windows for drapes at Richmond Park.
    “I assure you it will never happen again.”  He would make damn sure of it .
    She opened her mouth as if to speak, then snapped it shut .
    “Come now, after eight Seasons it’s surely not the first time you’ve been kissed,” he drawled, still smarting with annoyance . At himself. At her.
    “I’ll have you know it is ,” she replied with surprising vehemence. “I am a lady, sir, and I don’t go about kissing men thither and yon. Dear God, what if someone came upon us?”  She looked around wildly, her face suddenly a mask of panic and confusion. “What if we were forced to wed? How could I be so stupid, so impulsive?”  Her voice rose a pitch to near hysteria.
    “We’ve been yelling with no response for more than an hour . It’s obvious there’s no one about to witness your ruin.” 
    She nodded mutely, visibly gathering her composure .
    “I said it would never happen again, and you have my word as a gentleman that it won’t . Now let’s get out of here and find Tolland.”
    “Fine,” she replied tartly, walking on ahead of him.
    Toward the right .
    He followed her silently, a bit shaken by the terror he’d seen in her eyes . Damnation, he’d only kissed her. He’d said it would never happen again, and by God, he’d make bloody sure it didn’t.
    “To think I actually listened to you,” she muttered as he caught up to her . “Good sense of direction, indeed. I think perhaps you must have dozed off during lessons explaining the difference between left and right.”
    “I can assure you I’m perfectly capable of telling left from right, Miss Rosemoor . Here, allow me to demonstrate. The lady to my right claims not to have fits of temper in