Read Online Everything Forbidden by Jess Michaels - Free Book Online
Authors: Jess Michaels
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moment she met their eyes?
It seemed like that was possible. She felt different. Even now, her body ached from what she’d done with Ethan, like it was mocking her with the memory of his hands and mouth on her. His body invading and claiming her own in the most primal way possible.
She shivered at the memory and was shocked that behind the deep ache were tingles of pleasure. What a little wanton she was to still need more after all she’d already done. And now she would repeat that experience over and over again. Once a week for three long months. Twelve full days that would belong entirely to Ethan and his whims.
It hadn’t seemed like so much to bargain away when she began…but now…now it was an overwhelming prospect.
“Miranda, there you are!”
Miranda jolted as her fog was pierced by mother’s voice from the veranda above. She looked up to see her mother and sister Beatrice coming down toward her. Her mother did not look especially pleased, not that she had for months.
With a sigh, Miranda prepared herself for the onslaught just as the two women reached her.
“Where have you been, child? And why in the world do you look like such a wreck?” her mother barked.
Miranda’s hands went reflexively to her hair. She’d done her best to smooth her appearance on the long walk home from Ethan’s estate, but she’d known it wouldn’t be enough.
“I know where she’s been,” Beatrice said with a smirk.
Miranda’s eyes went wide as she shifted her gaze to her younger sister. Surely that wasn’t true! Even Penelope didn’t know where she’d gone, Beatrice couldn’t! But if she did…
“Penelope said she went on one of her walks. Looks like she went through a bog,” her sister finished.
Their mother pursed her lips. “For heaven’s sake, girl, why do you insist on those long walks through the woods? You know you could better spend your time making calls and garnering invitations for us.”
Miranda sighed, partly in relief and partly in annoyance. It seemed her secret was safe, but only in exchange for the same speech she’d heard a hundred times before.
“The fresh air is good for me,” she argued as she made her way around her mother and sister and headed up the steps to the veranda.
“It makes you freckly,” her mother insisted. “And what if someone had seen you looking like this?”
“Who could have seen me, Mother?” Miranda sighed as she stepped inside the parlor.
“What about Lord Rothschild?” Beatrice offered.
Miranda skidded to a halt and spun on her sister. “Lord Rothschild?” she repeated past a suddenly dry throat. Her head was beginning to pound.
“Oh, is he back?” their mother asked with a groan.
Beatrice nodded. “I heard from Susanna Carlton that he is back in the county for his annual visit. Sometimes he roams about the woods.”
“Likely looking for unsuspecting young girls to seduce,” their mother said with a tsking of her tongue. “You see, Miranda, if you had stumbled into his path, you might not think the outdoor air was so very good for you after all.”
Miranda folded her arms, overcome by a sudden desire to defend Ethan against her family. “You dislike him, yet you always accept his invitations.”
Her mother blinked like she didn’t understand the point. “Of course. He may be a scoundrel, but he’s a well-connected one. And until he has the decency to quit the country, why shouldn’t we take advantage?”
“Oh, Mother!” Miranda cried as she began to rub her temples.
Her mother caught her hands and drew them together, squeezing almost to the point of pain. Miranda looked at her in surprise and caught just the faintest hint of fear in her mother’s wild stare. She’d never seen that before, not in all the times they discussed their financial problems. Miranda had always assumed Dorthea really didn’t understand the straights they were in.
Perhaps she did, after all.
“Miranda, you may judge me and my methods, but I do not
It seemed like that was possible. She felt different. Even now, her body ached from what she’d done with Ethan, like it was mocking her with the memory of his hands and mouth on her. His body invading and claiming her own in the most primal way possible.
She shivered at the memory and was shocked that behind the deep ache were tingles of pleasure. What a little wanton she was to still need more after all she’d already done. And now she would repeat that experience over and over again. Once a week for three long months. Twelve full days that would belong entirely to Ethan and his whims.
It hadn’t seemed like so much to bargain away when she began…but now…now it was an overwhelming prospect.
“Miranda, there you are!”
Miranda jolted as her fog was pierced by mother’s voice from the veranda above. She looked up to see her mother and sister Beatrice coming down toward her. Her mother did not look especially pleased, not that she had for months.
With a sigh, Miranda prepared herself for the onslaught just as the two women reached her.
“Where have you been, child? And why in the world do you look like such a wreck?” her mother barked.
Miranda’s hands went reflexively to her hair. She’d done her best to smooth her appearance on the long walk home from Ethan’s estate, but she’d known it wouldn’t be enough.
“I know where she’s been,” Beatrice said with a smirk.
Miranda’s eyes went wide as she shifted her gaze to her younger sister. Surely that wasn’t true! Even Penelope didn’t know where she’d gone, Beatrice couldn’t! But if she did…
“Penelope said she went on one of her walks. Looks like she went through a bog,” her sister finished.
Their mother pursed her lips. “For heaven’s sake, girl, why do you insist on those long walks through the woods? You know you could better spend your time making calls and garnering invitations for us.”
Miranda sighed, partly in relief and partly in annoyance. It seemed her secret was safe, but only in exchange for the same speech she’d heard a hundred times before.
“The fresh air is good for me,” she argued as she made her way around her mother and sister and headed up the steps to the veranda.
“It makes you freckly,” her mother insisted. “And what if someone had seen you looking like this?”
“Who could have seen me, Mother?” Miranda sighed as she stepped inside the parlor.
“What about Lord Rothschild?” Beatrice offered.
Miranda skidded to a halt and spun on her sister. “Lord Rothschild?” she repeated past a suddenly dry throat. Her head was beginning to pound.
“Oh, is he back?” their mother asked with a groan.
Beatrice nodded. “I heard from Susanna Carlton that he is back in the county for his annual visit. Sometimes he roams about the woods.”
“Likely looking for unsuspecting young girls to seduce,” their mother said with a tsking of her tongue. “You see, Miranda, if you had stumbled into his path, you might not think the outdoor air was so very good for you after all.”
Miranda folded her arms, overcome by a sudden desire to defend Ethan against her family. “You dislike him, yet you always accept his invitations.”
Her mother blinked like she didn’t understand the point. “Of course. He may be a scoundrel, but he’s a well-connected one. And until he has the decency to quit the country, why shouldn’t we take advantage?”
“Oh, Mother!” Miranda cried as she began to rub her temples.
Her mother caught her hands and drew them together, squeezing almost to the point of pain. Miranda looked at her in surprise and caught just the faintest hint of fear in her mother’s wild stare. She’d never seen that before, not in all the times they discussed their financial problems. Miranda had always assumed Dorthea really didn’t understand the straights they were in.
Perhaps she did, after all.
“Miranda, you may judge me and my methods, but I do not
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