Read Online For Desire Alone by Jess Michaels - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jess Michaels
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cannot , be my protector. And yet today he swept in out of nowhere and rescued me from Lord Rossington.”
“I wondered if Rossington had become a bit too forceful with you,” Vivien said with a frown. “The viscount was furious when he returned to the party.”
Mariah pursed her lips. Although she had no intentions of ever allowing Rossington near her again, it wasn’t a good idea to anger a man of title and such wealth.
“Will he make things difficult for me?”
Vivien shook her head. “I smoothed his ruffled feathers. But I shall not attempt to make a match for him again.”
Mariah sighed in relief. “Your smoothing is most appreciated. And I wouldn’t match Rossington again. He is…not as kind as he appears.”
A flash of anger darkened Vivien’s face, but then she shook it away. “So John rescued you, took you somewhere and…?”
“Well, we made love again,” she sighed. “We have entered into an affair.”
Vivien clapped her hands together. “Oh, quite excellent! After these recent events, I hoped that would be so. John will make an excellent protector, especially of you. Though I do caution you, he is exactly the sort of man I believe you might develop feelings for. You have been friends a long time and clearly, you share a powerful connection. I would hate to see you hurt once more, and perhaps more deeply than you were thanks to Owen.”
Mariah allowed her friend to finish before she shook her head. “I—John is not my new protector.”
Vivien stared for a moment and then pushed to her feet and paced away as she muttered, “Oh dear God.”
“Please don’t take such a tone!” Mariah insisted. “You know that John is the unattainable man, by lady or by mistress. He refuses to bind himself to just one woman.”
Vivien snorted a sound of perturbed frustration.
“But we want each other,” Mariah continued. “Apparently desperately enough that he has suggested this affair.”
Vivien spun on her. “Mariah! You must see the very large numbers of reasons to worry over this arrangement.”
“I know,” she began, but Vivien would not allow it.
“If Owen had settled you with enough funds that you could live comfortably off the interest, as you had believed he would, then yes, you could enter into frivolous affairs. In fact, I would encourage you to do so, as they can be quite invigorating. But he didn’t.”
Mariah pursed her lips. “Yes, I realize—”
Vivien lifted a hand to silence her. “You need a protector, and sooner rather than later. Some kind of affair will only hinder that process.”
Mariah pushed to her feet. “If you will let me get a word in edgewise, I will tell you that John understands that I must continue looking for a protector.”
Vivien stopped and stared at her. “John Rycroft accepts the fact that you must look for a protector during the time that he is taking you in every way his wicked mind can imagine? I cannot picture that kind of arrangement is in his nature. To share you without it being in some kind of pleasurable way.”
Mariah swallowed hard at the image her friend created, but shook her head. “It is an arrangement we can both live with.”
Her friend continued to keep her gaze evenly on Mariah’s face. “He must like you a great deal.”
Mariah barked out a laugh. “No, he wants me. And I admit, I do want him. What he has offered me is pleasure, just for me. There are no expectations or boundaries. I am not expected to only give. And that is entirely bewitching.”
Vivien’s brow wrinkled and for a moment there was a flash of understanding on her face. Mariah wasn’t entirely certain she liked what she saw. It was something akin to… pity .
But then Vivien nodded. “I can understand that,” she said softly. “And perhaps this will lead to something more permanent.”
Mariah shook her head. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“Only that if anyone could change a man’s mind, it would be you,” Vivien said with a
“I wondered if Rossington had become a bit too forceful with you,” Vivien said with a frown. “The viscount was furious when he returned to the party.”
Mariah pursed her lips. Although she had no intentions of ever allowing Rossington near her again, it wasn’t a good idea to anger a man of title and such wealth.
“Will he make things difficult for me?”
Vivien shook her head. “I smoothed his ruffled feathers. But I shall not attempt to make a match for him again.”
Mariah sighed in relief. “Your smoothing is most appreciated. And I wouldn’t match Rossington again. He is…not as kind as he appears.”
A flash of anger darkened Vivien’s face, but then she shook it away. “So John rescued you, took you somewhere and…?”
“Well, we made love again,” she sighed. “We have entered into an affair.”
Vivien clapped her hands together. “Oh, quite excellent! After these recent events, I hoped that would be so. John will make an excellent protector, especially of you. Though I do caution you, he is exactly the sort of man I believe you might develop feelings for. You have been friends a long time and clearly, you share a powerful connection. I would hate to see you hurt once more, and perhaps more deeply than you were thanks to Owen.”
Mariah allowed her friend to finish before she shook her head. “I—John is not my new protector.”
Vivien stared for a moment and then pushed to her feet and paced away as she muttered, “Oh dear God.”
“Please don’t take such a tone!” Mariah insisted. “You know that John is the unattainable man, by lady or by mistress. He refuses to bind himself to just one woman.”
Vivien snorted a sound of perturbed frustration.
“But we want each other,” Mariah continued. “Apparently desperately enough that he has suggested this affair.”
Vivien spun on her. “Mariah! You must see the very large numbers of reasons to worry over this arrangement.”
“I know,” she began, but Vivien would not allow it.
“If Owen had settled you with enough funds that you could live comfortably off the interest, as you had believed he would, then yes, you could enter into frivolous affairs. In fact, I would encourage you to do so, as they can be quite invigorating. But he didn’t.”
Mariah pursed her lips. “Yes, I realize—”
Vivien lifted a hand to silence her. “You need a protector, and sooner rather than later. Some kind of affair will only hinder that process.”
Mariah pushed to her feet. “If you will let me get a word in edgewise, I will tell you that John understands that I must continue looking for a protector.”
Vivien stopped and stared at her. “John Rycroft accepts the fact that you must look for a protector during the time that he is taking you in every way his wicked mind can imagine? I cannot picture that kind of arrangement is in his nature. To share you without it being in some kind of pleasurable way.”
Mariah swallowed hard at the image her friend created, but shook her head. “It is an arrangement we can both live with.”
Her friend continued to keep her gaze evenly on Mariah’s face. “He must like you a great deal.”
Mariah barked out a laugh. “No, he wants me. And I admit, I do want him. What he has offered me is pleasure, just for me. There are no expectations or boundaries. I am not expected to only give. And that is entirely bewitching.”
Vivien’s brow wrinkled and for a moment there was a flash of understanding on her face. Mariah wasn’t entirely certain she liked what she saw. It was something akin to… pity .
But then Vivien nodded. “I can understand that,” she said softly. “And perhaps this will lead to something more permanent.”
Mariah shook her head. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“Only that if anyone could change a man’s mind, it would be you,” Vivien said with a
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