When His Kiss Is Wicked by Kaitlin O'Riley Read Free Book Online Page B

Eddington had done with Juliette and he had seemed un-sinterested in her, almost distant. And still he managed to occupy Colette’s thoughts for the remainder of the night.
    However, Juliette’s astute observation could not be denied. Lord Eddington and Lord Waverly were indeed the handsomest men in attendance. And apparently the most wicked, according to her uncle’s claims. She found that information about Lord Waverly easy to believe after their sensual encounter in the bookshop last week, when she thought he wanted to kiss her. Yet if Lord Waverly’s reputation was that of a rogue, she could not help but wonder why he did not kiss her that day. Wasn’t that how rakes behaved?
    Even though he had irritated her with his condescending attitude, for some reason she had spent the remainder of the evening trying to imagine what it would be like if he had kissed her. Perhaps it was his mention of page seventy-four.
    The poem by Christopher Marlowe she had recommended to Lord Waverly that afternoon had always been her favorite. She didn’t even know why she told him about it, but the words had escaped her mouth before she could stop them. The poem was one of many she had committed to memory over the years, and its romantic meaning had always resonated deeply within her.
     
     
    Who Ever Loved, That Loved Not at First Sight?
     
     
    It lies not in our power to love or hate,
    For will in us is overruled by fate.
    When two are stripped, long ere the course begin,
    We wish that one should love, the other win;
    And one especially do we affect
    Of two gold ingots, like in each respect:
    The reason no man knows; let it suffice
    What we behold is censured by our eyes.
    Where both deliberate, the love is slight:
    Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight?
     
     
    Deep within Colette’s practical and responsible being lurked a yearning romantic soul that she kept well hidden from others. As much as she understood and agreed with her uncle’s reasons that she and Juliette must marry for money, such a mercenary approach went against her warm core. She held out a slim hope that she would meet the perfect husband during this Season. A man she could love and be loved by in return. A man who would support her work in the bookshop, yet still take care of her and her family. A man who would be a partner to her in all ways. She felt in her heart that she would know this man at first sight, just as in the poem.
    Recalling that Lord Waverly had said he wanted the book as a gift for a female friend, Colette wondered who this friend was, and if he had read page seventy-four with her. But more importantly, she wondered why he mentioned the poem to her at all.
    The jingling of the bells above the front door brought her back to the present.
    “My, my,” Juliette muttered below her. “Look who the cat dragged in.”
    Colette glanced around from her perch on the ladder and froze in place.
    Lucien Sinclair, the Earl of Waverly, stood there in the shop as if her very thoughts had conjured him to appear.
    “I’ll take care of this,” Juliette whispered low, while Colette remained immobilized.
    “Good afternoon, Miss Hamilton,” he said rather lightly, as Juliette moved forward to greet him. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
    Colette’s heart raced erratically and she clutched the sides of the ladder tightly in her palms. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Honestly, what am I so nervous about? More than likely he was just there to purchase books.
    “Good afternoon, Lord Waverly,” Juliette said.
    Colette detected a slight sarcastic quality in Juliette’s voice as Lucien Sinclair stopped beside the front counter. She suddenly realized he had not noticed her clinging to the ladder near the back of the shop, but she had a clear view of him. And that view was quite nice. In his long black cape and black hat, he appeared extremely tall and imposing. The misty drizzle outside had covered him in little spots of water and he