Read Online Man of My Dreams by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online
Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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had no call to say that. He hadn’t had to be vulgar every time he opened his mouth, either, but he had. And he certainly hadn’t had to attack her.She was not going to take the blame for that, too. But maybe she ought to.
Hadn’t he told her that staring at him like that was just like touching him? No! Megan wouldn’t believe that she had provoked him. Nor would she believe his threat about kissing her again if he caught her staring at him like that. He wouldn’t dare—would he? A low, despicable rogue like that? Of course he would. She never would have believed he’d have the audacity to do it in the first place, but he had. And why couldn’t she stop thinking about it?
If only he hadn’t kissed her that second time, which had been so different from the first, and so incredibly nice. She’d felt so dizzy, her stomach such a swirl of sensation. To her shame, she hadn’t wanted him to stop. But he had, and no wonder. He’d told her right out that she didn’t know how to kiss.
She frowned, remembering that. It was true that she had no experience in that area. The one kiss she’d had previously had been stolen by one of her local suitors, a mere peck on the lips, so brief that it was over and done with before she could decide if she liked it or not.
But she was going to be married soon. Shouldn’t she know a little more about it before she did any kissing with her duke? She didn’t want him to find her as lacking as Devlin did. Only now that she knew whom she was going to marry, it wouldn’t be fair to encourage any other suitors who might try to kiss her, so she’d lost the opportunity to learn how to goabout it. And she hadn’t even paid attention when Devlin was kissing her, too caught up in what she was feeling for the first time to take note of what he was doing to make her feel that way. Nor was she about to let him kiss her again. That was out of the question. A horse breeder! That he had dared…
She was still standing there at the window when he returned shortly thereafter, his hair wet, his shirt now clinging to his damp chest. He’d gone for a swim, then? Not to her pond, she hoped. The very thought of him in her own private swimming hole infuriated her. It was bad enough that he was living in her stable.
Bristling anew over the man’s audacity, she realized a moment later that he’d noticed her. He had stopped the stallion far short of the stable, right below her window, in fact, and was staring up at her. She stared back despite his warning, deliberately, defiantly, knowing that in her room she was safe from him and his threats. She even smiled smugly to herself.
But he continued to stare also. Even as he dismounted and moved to stand at the front of the stallion, he didn’t take his eyes off her window. She began to think he was going to make a damn contest out of it, until he suddenly reached down and pulled his shirt off.
Megan gasped and yanked her draperies closed, but she could hear his husky male laughter, which was worse than his whistle yesterday—telling her he’d won anotherround. This was utterly intolerable. He was utterly intolerable. She would have to speak to her father about him. The man had to be put in his place.
Chapter 8
Megan had the opportunity to speak to her father over breakfast later that morning. She even worked out in her mind exactly what she would say, partial truths mostly, but damaging enough to get Devlin Jefferys a blistering setdown without actually warranting a dismissal, which would lose them the stallion. All she had to do was insert her account of Devlin’s behavior between talk of her upcoming trip to London and her plans for today. She chickened out. She was afraid, and rightly so considering his insolence, that he would have his own accounting to give, which would paint her as culpable as he was.
She decided instead to warn Devlin of her intention if it became necessary, which she hoped it wouldn’t, since she hoped not tohave to speak
Hadn’t he told her that staring at him like that was just like touching him? No! Megan wouldn’t believe that she had provoked him. Nor would she believe his threat about kissing her again if he caught her staring at him like that. He wouldn’t dare—would he? A low, despicable rogue like that? Of course he would. She never would have believed he’d have the audacity to do it in the first place, but he had. And why couldn’t she stop thinking about it?
If only he hadn’t kissed her that second time, which had been so different from the first, and so incredibly nice. She’d felt so dizzy, her stomach such a swirl of sensation. To her shame, she hadn’t wanted him to stop. But he had, and no wonder. He’d told her right out that she didn’t know how to kiss.
She frowned, remembering that. It was true that she had no experience in that area. The one kiss she’d had previously had been stolen by one of her local suitors, a mere peck on the lips, so brief that it was over and done with before she could decide if she liked it or not.
But she was going to be married soon. Shouldn’t she know a little more about it before she did any kissing with her duke? She didn’t want him to find her as lacking as Devlin did. Only now that she knew whom she was going to marry, it wouldn’t be fair to encourage any other suitors who might try to kiss her, so she’d lost the opportunity to learn how to goabout it. And she hadn’t even paid attention when Devlin was kissing her, too caught up in what she was feeling for the first time to take note of what he was doing to make her feel that way. Nor was she about to let him kiss her again. That was out of the question. A horse breeder! That he had dared…
She was still standing there at the window when he returned shortly thereafter, his hair wet, his shirt now clinging to his damp chest. He’d gone for a swim, then? Not to her pond, she hoped. The very thought of him in her own private swimming hole infuriated her. It was bad enough that he was living in her stable.
Bristling anew over the man’s audacity, she realized a moment later that he’d noticed her. He had stopped the stallion far short of the stable, right below her window, in fact, and was staring up at her. She stared back despite his warning, deliberately, defiantly, knowing that in her room she was safe from him and his threats. She even smiled smugly to herself.
But he continued to stare also. Even as he dismounted and moved to stand at the front of the stallion, he didn’t take his eyes off her window. She began to think he was going to make a damn contest out of it, until he suddenly reached down and pulled his shirt off.
Megan gasped and yanked her draperies closed, but she could hear his husky male laughter, which was worse than his whistle yesterday—telling her he’d won anotherround. This was utterly intolerable. He was utterly intolerable. She would have to speak to her father about him. The man had to be put in his place.
Chapter 8
Megan had the opportunity to speak to her father over breakfast later that morning. She even worked out in her mind exactly what she would say, partial truths mostly, but damaging enough to get Devlin Jefferys a blistering setdown without actually warranting a dismissal, which would lose them the stallion. All she had to do was insert her account of Devlin’s behavior between talk of her upcoming trip to London and her plans for today. She chickened out. She was afraid, and rightly so considering his insolence, that he would have his own accounting to give, which would paint her as culpable as he was.
She decided instead to warn Devlin of her intention if it became necessary, which she hoped it wouldn’t, since she hoped not tohave to speak
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