With His Ring (Brides of Bath Book 2) by Cheryl Bolen Read Free Book Online

wildly about her. Then she lowered the
bodice of her gown until the top of her pink nipple showed.
    Now she would wait for her brother to find
them.
     

Chapter 5

    She saw the top of George's blond head as he
climbed the knoll toward them, and she quickly turned her face
away. With scorched cheeks, she softly wound one arm behind Blanks
and settled the other on his sizable shoulder. He stirred, at first
resting one possessive hand at her waist.
    She had to act with haste. She began to
plant soft kisses on his mahogany hair, his rugged cheek, then his
mouth.
    "What the deuce?" Blanks mumbled. He grabbed
her by the waist and, by leaning back and studying her with a
puzzled look, lengthened the distance between their upper torsos.
She solemnly watched, her cheeks hot, as Blanks's shocked glance
fell on her exposed breast.
    At the very same instant George called his
greetings to them.
    That was her signal to make a great scene
for the sake of her brother. Her glance swung to her brother as she
shrieked and in great, exaggerated sweeps crossed her arms in front
of her to hide her breasts, each hand hugging the opposite arm.
    George mounted the steps to the folly. She
gazed up at him, her cheeks still scarlet. He glanced from her to
Blanks. There wasn't so much as an inch separating Blanks from her
as they sat on the cold stone bench. "Blanks. . ." George trailed.
"She's my sister, for God's sake."
    Blanks shot her a hard stare then glanced
back at her brother. Strangely, he made no effort to defend
himself.
    Like an actress on center stage, she turned
her back to both of them and gathered up the bodice of her moist
gown to cover her breasts. Then she turned back to look
remorsefully at her brother.
    His flaring eyes were on Blanks. "My
sister's a virgin. A mere babe where such matters are
concerned."
    There was no sign of Blanks's perpetual
smile, only grim acceptance of his fate. "I sincerely beg your
pardon," he said in a contrite voice. "It's only that Miss Pembroke
has done me the goodness of consenting to be my wife." His angry
eyes shifted back to Glee.
    Anger still flashed in George's eyes as his
gaze settled on Blanks. "See me in the library when you return."
Then he spun on his muddied boots and stormed from the folly.
    Gregory watched until George was out of his
vision. Without facing Glee, he spoke. "So you've succeeded in
trapping me."
    Her voice was soft, pleading. "Please don't
be angry, Blanks. I did it for you. I knew you'd never relent.
You'd lose your fortune and come to regret that you had spurned
marriage."
    "So you did it for me," he mocked bitterly.
"Why is it meddling women always think they know what's best for
men? They always believe they can change us."
    She faced him defiantly. "I'm not going to
say I'm sorry."
    "So now my best friend is to believe I'm
using his baby sister. A fine kettle of fish you've put me in." He
had an overwhelming desire to wring her graceful little neck.
    Miss Glee Pembroke had made her bed, and he
would see to it that she lie in it. No love match. No lovemaking.
No children. How was she going to like that? He got to his
feet.
    She scurried to catch up with him as he left
the folly, and as she silently fell into step beside him, two of
her steps to every one of his.
    When they got to the thicket, he spoke to
her. "If I'm to be burdened with you for a wife, you're to
understand the rules."
    "What rules?" she asked in a voice
breathless from trying to keep up with his hurried pace.
    He slowed. "First, it's to be a marriage in
name only. You will not share my bed. We will not have children."
He looked down on her. The afternoon sun highlighted her emerald
eyes. Her cheeks hot, she gazed up at him and cleared her throat.
"Does that mean I'm free to take lovers?"
    Rage swept through him. "It does not." The
very idea set his blood to boiling. But how could he expect to keep
his mistress and not allow Glee to enjoy other men? Especially when
he had no plans to exercise his conjugal