Read Online Prince Of Dreams by Lisa Kleypas - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lisa Kleypas
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he had left St. Petersburg for the last time. Sometimes he dreamed he was still there, and he awoke with an unbearable ache of longing.
“Why tell me?” Emma asked, interrupting his bleak thoughts. “You never do anything without a reason. Why did you want me to know?”
Nikolas looked at her, smiling sardonically into her serious face. “Don't friends confide in each other?”
“How do you know I won't tell anyone?”
“I'll just have to trust you, dushenka .”
Emma stared at him intently. “Are you sorry you killed Shurikovsky?”
Nikolas shook his head. “I don't believe in regret. It doesn't change the past.”
“You're an amoral man,” Emma said, her blue eyes fixed on his. “I should be afraid of you. But I'm not.”
“How brave you are,” he mocked, amused by her bravado.
“I even think…if I had been in your place, I might have done the same thing.”
Before Nikolas could reply, he felt her touch his wrist. He froze, realizing that he had unconsciously been rubbing the scars on his chest as they talked. His hand stiffened beneath her slim fingers. There was no pity in Emma's face. She regarded him with a strange acceptance, as if he were a savage creature who couldn't be faulted for his own nature.
“Then you don't blame me for the murder?” he asked, his voice gruff.
“It's not my place to judge you. But I understand why you did it.” Her bare hand rested lightly on his. “I'll keep your secrets, Nikki.”
Nikolas didn't move. His muscles locked against a sudden shiver of feeling. He had no idea why her touch, her words, had such power over him. All he knew was that he wanted to hold her, hurt her, kiss her…he wanted to bear her down to the ground, here, and tug her red hair loose, and take her in the field as if she were a peasant girl. Instead he drew back and pulled his hand from hers. His voice was pleasant, friendly, as he replied, “I believe you will, Emelia.”
She gave him a cautious smile and began to walk again, her skirts brushing through the clods and wheel ruts on the dusty path. Nikolas kept pace with her, his hands jammed in his pockets. She hadn't reacted as he'd expected. She had accepted his story too easily. Her family had sheltered her too much, allowing her to live her life as if it were something out of a novel. She was even more unworldly than he'd suspected. You poor little fool , he thought, glancing at her through the amber screen of his lashes. Why must you make it so easy for me to take advantage of you ?
“May I see you again tomorrow?” he asked.
Emma hesitated, her teeth catching on her bottom lip. “No,” she finally said. “I'll be in London for the rest of the week.”
“A social engagement?”
“Actually, I'm attending a meeting of the R.S.H.T.A. I've been asked to say a few words about the most recent animal protection laws.”
“Will your family be accompanying you?”
Emma's jaw hardened. “No. They have no interest in my crusades, and even if they did, I wouldn't want them there.”
“Ah,” he said softly. “So you haven't yet made peace with your father.”
She shook her head. “My father drove away the love of my life. If someone did that to you, I doubt you'd be so quick to forgive them!”
“Perhaps not. But I need no one, whereas you…you've lost your love and your family all at once.” Nikolas watched for a reaction from her, but she concealed her emotions well. He made one more soft-voiced comment, well timed and carefully aimed. “It's not easy to be lonely, is it? Emptiness, silence, unwelcome solitude…it can turn a palace into a prison.”
Emma turned a wondering gaze toward him, her blue eyes wide. Heedless of where she was walking, she stumbled on the edge of a deep wheel rut. Nikolas reached for her immediately, lending her his balance. Before she could protest, he grasped her hand and drew it through the crook of his elbow. An easy smile curved his mouth as he stared into her flushed face. “Take
“Why tell me?” Emma asked, interrupting his bleak thoughts. “You never do anything without a reason. Why did you want me to know?”
Nikolas looked at her, smiling sardonically into her serious face. “Don't friends confide in each other?”
“How do you know I won't tell anyone?”
“I'll just have to trust you, dushenka .”
Emma stared at him intently. “Are you sorry you killed Shurikovsky?”
Nikolas shook his head. “I don't believe in regret. It doesn't change the past.”
“You're an amoral man,” Emma said, her blue eyes fixed on his. “I should be afraid of you. But I'm not.”
“How brave you are,” he mocked, amused by her bravado.
“I even think…if I had been in your place, I might have done the same thing.”
Before Nikolas could reply, he felt her touch his wrist. He froze, realizing that he had unconsciously been rubbing the scars on his chest as they talked. His hand stiffened beneath her slim fingers. There was no pity in Emma's face. She regarded him with a strange acceptance, as if he were a savage creature who couldn't be faulted for his own nature.
“Then you don't blame me for the murder?” he asked, his voice gruff.
“It's not my place to judge you. But I understand why you did it.” Her bare hand rested lightly on his. “I'll keep your secrets, Nikki.”
Nikolas didn't move. His muscles locked against a sudden shiver of feeling. He had no idea why her touch, her words, had such power over him. All he knew was that he wanted to hold her, hurt her, kiss her…he wanted to bear her down to the ground, here, and tug her red hair loose, and take her in the field as if she were a peasant girl. Instead he drew back and pulled his hand from hers. His voice was pleasant, friendly, as he replied, “I believe you will, Emelia.”
She gave him a cautious smile and began to walk again, her skirts brushing through the clods and wheel ruts on the dusty path. Nikolas kept pace with her, his hands jammed in his pockets. She hadn't reacted as he'd expected. She had accepted his story too easily. Her family had sheltered her too much, allowing her to live her life as if it were something out of a novel. She was even more unworldly than he'd suspected. You poor little fool , he thought, glancing at her through the amber screen of his lashes. Why must you make it so easy for me to take advantage of you ?
“May I see you again tomorrow?” he asked.
Emma hesitated, her teeth catching on her bottom lip. “No,” she finally said. “I'll be in London for the rest of the week.”
“A social engagement?”
“Actually, I'm attending a meeting of the R.S.H.T.A. I've been asked to say a few words about the most recent animal protection laws.”
“Will your family be accompanying you?”
Emma's jaw hardened. “No. They have no interest in my crusades, and even if they did, I wouldn't want them there.”
“Ah,” he said softly. “So you haven't yet made peace with your father.”
She shook her head. “My father drove away the love of my life. If someone did that to you, I doubt you'd be so quick to forgive them!”
“Perhaps not. But I need no one, whereas you…you've lost your love and your family all at once.” Nikolas watched for a reaction from her, but she concealed her emotions well. He made one more soft-voiced comment, well timed and carefully aimed. “It's not easy to be lonely, is it? Emptiness, silence, unwelcome solitude…it can turn a palace into a prison.”
Emma turned a wondering gaze toward him, her blue eyes wide. Heedless of where she was walking, she stumbled on the edge of a deep wheel rut. Nikolas reached for her immediately, lending her his balance. Before she could protest, he grasped her hand and drew it through the crook of his elbow. An easy smile curved his mouth as he stared into her flushed face. “Take
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