Wed Him Before You Bed Him by Sabrina Jeffries Read Free Book Online Page A

stay immune to his charms. “Probably the same company you are attempting to hide from.”
    She thrust out her chin. “I thought you said I wasn’t the sort of woman to hide.”
    A faint smile touched his lips as he gestured for her to enter. “Honestly, I think the devil himself would want to hide from that lot in there.”
    She laughed, relieving whatever tension remained between them.
    One sort of tension, anyway. Now a new sort tightenedher nerves. She’d never been alone with a man. Even Captain Harris had always talked to her with other people about.
    Feeling as jittery as a mare confronted with her first saddle, she reluctantly went inside. She would just stay a moment, long enough to determine his feelings about the marriage their parents wanted to force on them. And to make her own feelings clear.
    David closed the door, then hurried behind the desk to hold out his chair. “There’s only one decent seat, I’m afraid. We lads always preferred the floor.” Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “More manly, you know.”
    Not nearly as manly as the sight of him without a coat, looking perfectly at home in this rustic spot. Setting her candle on his desk, she gazed about her at the bare plank walls, worn rug, and flattened cushions in faded fabrics. A faint scent of mold permeated the air, mingling with the smell of burning wax and lamp oil.
    â€œWhen I used to picture what it looked like in here,” she remarked, “this was not what I imagined. It’s so…so…small.”
    He chuckled. “Go ahead, say it. It’s filthy and wretched and lacking in any creature comforts. But we used to think it a castle.”
    â€œOne devoid of women,” she said archly.
    â€œI hate to tell you, but no boy of nine or ten creates a secret inner sanctum that includes girls.”
    â€œGiven that our fathers are presently ensconced in the study without their wives, secret inner sanctums must continue into adulthood.”
    â€œAh, but the difference is that grown men don’t mind having a woman invade the inner sanctum. Sometimes they rather enjoy it.”
    His sudden, wolfish smile sent her pulse into a wild dance. Heavens, she’d have to watch that. He did have a reputation, after all.
    She gestured to the desk. “What exactly do you do in your inner sanctum?”
    Noticing the direction of her gaze, he flushed, then hurried to shuffle the papers into a stack. “It’s nothing. A hobby of mine, that’s all.”
    â€œWhat sort of hobby?” she persisted.
    â€œIf you must know…” His expression turned belligerent, as if he dared her to make fun of him. “I have an interest in architecture. I realize it’s not considered the thing for a—”
    â€œI think it’s wonderful,” she blurted out. A blush warmed her cheeks. “I-I mean, it’s good for a man to be industrious, no matter who he is.”
    His face lit up. “I’ve been working on a design for a hunting cottage.” He spread out the papers again, his voice rising with enthusiasm. “My friend Stoneville says that if I come up with a decent one, he’ll use it on his estate. After a real architect approves it, of course.”
    Edging closer to the desk, she gazed down at the plans David had meticulously inked. She couldn’t help being impressed. She didn’t know anything about architecture, but they looked like genuine plans for a building. And who’d have guessed that David had such a respectable hobby?
    He shook the chair. “Come, stay awhile.” His gaze burned into hers. “I promise not to tie you up or make you walk the plank or any of those other wretched things we boys did as children.”
    That reference reminded her of the last thing he’d doneto her, and her smile vanished. “I prefer to stand,” she said with a lift of her chin.
    He shot her a searching glance.