Read Online A Gentleman Says "I Do" by Amelia Grey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amelia Grey
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She felt flushed and a little disconcerted. “That is how you followed me here, but why were you coming to my house today?”
Mr. Brentwood bowed and smiled at two young ladies and a chaperone who walked past them, and then gave his attention back to her. “I wanted to see if your father had returned after I left last night. I’ve not hidden from you the fact that I want to speak with him as soon as possible. When I saw you leaving today, I knew if there was any chance you were on your way to meet him, I wanted to be there.”
“When we stopped in front of this building, it should have been your first clue that we were not meeting my father, yet you chose to stay out here and wait. Why?”
“To see you. I wanted to talk to you again.”
His gentle gaze fluttered softly down her face, lingered on her lips before tipping over her chin and sailing down her neck to the hollow of her throat. Catalina’s heart drummed. His gaze took a lazy path up to her eyes again, and she felt a quickening of awareness curl, tighten, and then open and blossom inside her. At that moment, she wondered again if Mr. Brentwood was not only a danger to her father but also to her. She had danced, laughed, and flirted with gentleman after gentleman all last Season, waiting, hoping, and wanting to meet a man who could make her feel all the sensations this man stirred inside her, but none had come close.
Trying to counter her betraying body, she said, “We don’t have anything more to say to each other, Mr. Brentwood. I think it would be best if you stayed away from me and from my house.”
“That’s going to be hard to do, Miss Crisp. You can lead me to something I want.”
“My father.”
He nodded. “I won’t rest until I’ve spoken with him and had my say.”
Catalina took a step toward him, intent on demanding he stay away from her father, when on the other side of the street she saw Mrs. Hildegard Whipple staring at her as she strolled down the boardwalk. Catalina cringed. That woman was the biggest gossip bag in London. The last thing Catalina wanted was to have her name linked with Mr. Brentwood’s.
Knowing she needed to get away from him before more people saw them talking, she took a deep breath and simply said, “Good day, Mr. Brentwood.”
“Allow me to help you into your carriage?” He held out his hand for her.
Catalina looked at his strong hand and was tempted to reach for it. She remembered how gentle his touch had felt on her cheek and lips, and how inviting the scent of shaving soap was to her senses. She would love to know just how much strength that hand held, but she didn’t need any more disturbing memories of him to keep her awake at night. He had already left her with quite enough.
She met his gaze and said, “Thank you, but my driver will do it.”
“In that case, until we meet again, Miss Crisp.”
He placed his hat on his head and turned and walked away.
On impulse, Catalina called to him. He stopped, removed his hat again, and looked back at her. She lifted her chin. “My aunt spoke out of turn. I will not dance with you at Lady Windham’s.”
Mr. Brentwood gave her a devilishly handsome grin, and her stomach tightened.
“I wasn’t planning on asking you.”
She gasped, stunned he would be so bold to tell her that, even if it was true. As his gaze moved sensually over her face once again, Catalina flushed with heat. And all of a sudden, she realized she felt cheated, bereft. She wanted to dance with him, and she wanted him to want to dance with her.
“Mr. Brentwood, I do believe you pride yourself on seeing just how often you can shock me.”
He bowed. “I do. I would consider it a great loss to miss an opportunity, even though you make so many available to me. However, dancing with an innocent maiden like yourself might ruin my reputation as a rake. I worked hard to earn it. I can’t have anyone thinking I’ve changed my debauched ways.”
“Have no fear of that, sir.”
He
Mr. Brentwood bowed and smiled at two young ladies and a chaperone who walked past them, and then gave his attention back to her. “I wanted to see if your father had returned after I left last night. I’ve not hidden from you the fact that I want to speak with him as soon as possible. When I saw you leaving today, I knew if there was any chance you were on your way to meet him, I wanted to be there.”
“When we stopped in front of this building, it should have been your first clue that we were not meeting my father, yet you chose to stay out here and wait. Why?”
“To see you. I wanted to talk to you again.”
His gentle gaze fluttered softly down her face, lingered on her lips before tipping over her chin and sailing down her neck to the hollow of her throat. Catalina’s heart drummed. His gaze took a lazy path up to her eyes again, and she felt a quickening of awareness curl, tighten, and then open and blossom inside her. At that moment, she wondered again if Mr. Brentwood was not only a danger to her father but also to her. She had danced, laughed, and flirted with gentleman after gentleman all last Season, waiting, hoping, and wanting to meet a man who could make her feel all the sensations this man stirred inside her, but none had come close.
Trying to counter her betraying body, she said, “We don’t have anything more to say to each other, Mr. Brentwood. I think it would be best if you stayed away from me and from my house.”
“That’s going to be hard to do, Miss Crisp. You can lead me to something I want.”
“My father.”
He nodded. “I won’t rest until I’ve spoken with him and had my say.”
Catalina took a step toward him, intent on demanding he stay away from her father, when on the other side of the street she saw Mrs. Hildegard Whipple staring at her as she strolled down the boardwalk. Catalina cringed. That woman was the biggest gossip bag in London. The last thing Catalina wanted was to have her name linked with Mr. Brentwood’s.
Knowing she needed to get away from him before more people saw them talking, she took a deep breath and simply said, “Good day, Mr. Brentwood.”
“Allow me to help you into your carriage?” He held out his hand for her.
Catalina looked at his strong hand and was tempted to reach for it. She remembered how gentle his touch had felt on her cheek and lips, and how inviting the scent of shaving soap was to her senses. She would love to know just how much strength that hand held, but she didn’t need any more disturbing memories of him to keep her awake at night. He had already left her with quite enough.
She met his gaze and said, “Thank you, but my driver will do it.”
“In that case, until we meet again, Miss Crisp.”
He placed his hat on his head and turned and walked away.
On impulse, Catalina called to him. He stopped, removed his hat again, and looked back at her. She lifted her chin. “My aunt spoke out of turn. I will not dance with you at Lady Windham’s.”
Mr. Brentwood gave her a devilishly handsome grin, and her stomach tightened.
“I wasn’t planning on asking you.”
She gasped, stunned he would be so bold to tell her that, even if it was true. As his gaze moved sensually over her face once again, Catalina flushed with heat. And all of a sudden, she realized she felt cheated, bereft. She wanted to dance with him, and she wanted him to want to dance with her.
“Mr. Brentwood, I do believe you pride yourself on seeing just how often you can shock me.”
He bowed. “I do. I would consider it a great loss to miss an opportunity, even though you make so many available to me. However, dancing with an innocent maiden like yourself might ruin my reputation as a rake. I worked hard to earn it. I can’t have anyone thinking I’ve changed my debauched ways.”
“Have no fear of that, sir.”
He
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