You Belong to My Heart by Nan Ryan Read Free Book Online

lantern-lighted party’s perimeter. Alone and apart from the crowd, he stood in the shadows and watched every move Mary made. Every move Daniel Lawton made.
    His cold eyes never leaving the white-skinned girl in the ruffled white dress, Clay was utterly miserable. For the first time in his life he experienced the immeasurable agony and frustration of jealousy. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. His entire body was rigid with tension. His hands clenched into fists inside his trouser pockets, he imagined all kinds of horrible things.
    Mary would forget him; she would forget he existed, and there was nothing he could do about it. He was no match for a rich, older college man. He couldn’t possibly compete with Daniel Lawton.
    Mary was charmed and thrilled; he could tell. She would laugh and dance and flirt for the rest of the evening with Lawton. And when the evening ended, when the party was over, it would be Lawton who held her in his arms. It would be Lawton’s mouth capturing Mary’s lips for sweet kisses. Lawton’s hands on Mary’s pale flesh. Lawton’s body pressing against her…
    “Are you pouting or are you just bored?”
    Coming out of his tortured trance with a jerk, Clay turned to see the dark-haired Brandy Templeton standing beside him.
    He smiled. “Neither,” he lied. “Just taking a breather.”
    “Mmmm.” She swayed a half step closer, plucked the red rose from his lapel, lifted it to his face, and drew the fragrant blossom slowly along the rigid line of his jaw. “A good idea. There’s a summerhouse down on the lower terrace. Why don’t we walk down there and”—she paused, smiled wickedly—“rest.”
    “Ah…no, I…thanks all the same, but…”
    “Why not?” she said, smiling seductively. “No one would miss us. See for yourself.” She inclined her dark head toward the crowded dance floor.
    Clay glanced again at the spinning couple. Just then Daniel Lawton bent his golden head and whispered something against Mary’s ear. She nodded and laughed with delight.
    Clay ground his even white teeth.
    Brandy smiled, wrapped long, red-nailed fingers around Clay’s biceps, and squeezed. “Come with me.”

6
    T HE RAPIDLY WILTING RED rose plucked from Daniel’s lapel lay forgotten on the seat of the long white settee. Near the rose was a pair of kid leather dancing slippers, sheer silk stockings tucked into the toes. Draped over the settee’s high back was the most intimate of ladies’ apparel: delicate lace-trimmed underpants.
    Thrown carelessly over the settee’s wooden arm was a pair of finely tailored dark trousers. White linen underwear tossed hurriedly after the trousers had missed and lay on the ground between the facing white settees.
    “Oh, God, my…God.” His hoarse voice hissed through clenched teeth, and the veins bulged on his neck. “Yes…oh, yes…”
    Knees spread wide, shirt and jacket unbuttoned and open, he sat there bare-assed on the white wooden settee, his long fingers clasping the gleaming head bent to him, his heart hammering in his chest, the tendons pulling on the insides of his bare hair-dusted thighs.
    Mindless of the music and laughter and people less than a hundred yards away up the terraced lawn, he surrendered completely to the building erotic pleasure. He’d never experienced anything like this. Never dreamed such wild ecstasy was possible. Couldn’t believe his unexpected good fortune.
    This incredibly beautiful young woman had kissed him until he was putty in her hands. Then she had opened his trousers and touched him and teased him until he was so totally aroused, he was throbbing and surging and so impressively huge that it surprised even him. He was immensely proud of his erection.
    And rightly so.
    She admired it as though she’d never seen anything to match, praising him for being so much of a man. Never, she told him, had she been with such a virile stud. Why, the size of him, the hardness: he was awesome. So awesome, she wanted to