Read Online A Sister's Quest by Jo Ann Ferguson - Free Book Online Page B

impossible. “Certainly you are not offering marriage.”
    He chuckled. “Certainly not. I am what the Germans call a Hagestolz , a confirmed bachelor. I might like hooking up a pretty lady, but that does not mean I wish it to be the same one night after night.”
    Michelle did not answer. This personal, very frank conversation unnerved her. He had hinted that they might be in Vienna for several months. Alexei was a virile man. While she portrayed his mistress, he would have fewer opportunities to become involved with another woman. Only fewer, she acknowledged, because she did not doubt that Alexei could do anything he set his mind to.
    â€œI did not mean to embarrass you, Liebchen .”
    At the unexpected apology, Michelle looked into the mirror and saw his face too close to hers. She could taste his mouth again if she tilted her head so very slightly. Lowering her eyes to stare at the reflection of her clenched hands, she said, “You must remember that I am still Fraulein D’Orage of St. Bernard’s School for Girls.”
    â€œOnly if you want to be.” He traced the curve of her lips. “Look at these, and tell me what man could resist them.” His finger continued along her jaw to pause just below her ear. He twisted a strand of her hair around it. “This black silk is obscured within your conservative bun.” His lips seared fire against her nape. “But to think of it loose and flowing along you when—”
    â€œAlexei, stop!” She had intended to chide him, but the words came out as a desperate plea. With so few words, he was creating captivating fantasies, fantasies in which the man sampling her lips was Alexei Vatutin.
    â€œWhy, Liebchen ?”
    She remained silent, knowing she risked speaking the truth if she opened her mouth. Would he laugh if she told him how much she wanted him to kiss her now?
    He sighed, stepping away. “When this is finished, I shall find you a list of suitable suitors.”
    â€œA list?” Facing him, she asked, “Do you think I wish to go from mistress to courtesan?”
    He began to chuckle. When she asked what was so amusing, his answer was nearly lost amid his laughter. “You are so fetching when you endeavor to be a proper lady, Michelle. Why don’t you be yourself?”
    â€œThis is me.”
    â€œNo,” he stated, abruptly serious. “No, the prim Fraulein D’Orage is just what you have learned to be. Inside you is a woman who is as fierce as a dragon, snorting fire at anyone who gets in her way.”
    Her eyebrows arched. “Is that so? I did not realize that you were such an expert on me, but I should have known that Alexei Vatutin is an expert on everything. At least, in his own mind.”
    â€œThere.” He grinned. “St. Bernard’s language mistress would never say such a thing.” He held out his arm. “Let’s go downstairs. We can argue just as easily there, and I can find something to stanch the wounds left by your glare.”
    When he started to lead her toward the door, she said, “Wait. I need to put on my shoes and stockings.”
    He scooped them up and handed them to her with a bow. Sitting on the bed, she put her thick stockings on her lap. “Now ’tis your turn to turn around, Alexei.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œYou have already seen too much of my limbs this evening.”
    Leaning forward, he gave her a roguish leer. He picked up one stocking and dangled it in front of her. Snatching it from him, she reached up to shove him aside. As she touched his chest, she froze, aching to explore its breadth. The mirth vanished from his eyes, disclosing a fierce glow. His mouth lowered toward hers.
    With a curse, he turned his back. “Get dressed! I am thirsty.”
    â€œAlexei—”
    â€œGet dressed!”
    Hurt by his harsh tone, she drew her stockings up beneath her skirt. What had happened? What she had seen on his