Read Online Red Snow Bride (Wolf Brides Book 2) by T. S. Joyce - Free Book Online
Authors: T. S. Joyce
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strangled even to myself. “Yes.”
“All of them?” she asked.
“I don’t know which rumors you’re referring to, but it’s true I’m recently divorced and denounced from society.”
Besides the completely inappropriate chuckle that came from behind Luke’s clenched fist, the room was as still as a graveyard.
As the moment dragged on, I fought the stinging tears that tried their best to wrench themselves from my downturned eyes. I couldn’t bear to look at Jeremiah. Sure he already knew, but my shame could only be shared with him once in a day. It was Kristina and her wide, blue eyes my gaze settled on.
She downed the glass of wine in one long chug and set it down. Gulping, she blurted, “I’m a whore.”
A wash of gratefulness and shock washed over me. Her dress and manner made so much sense now. My soon to be sister-in-law was a whore and the insanity of my own situation pulled a giggle from my lips. Luke frowned but I waved him down in apology before another fit of giggles took me.
“I’m so sorry,” I wheezed. “It’s just I can’t imagine what you must be thinking when your sons bring a divorcé and a whore to family dinner.”
It was Kristina who cracked the smile first and then snorted a laugh, soon to be joined by Luke and the rest one by one.
A deep, booming laugh sounded from behind me and Jeremiah’s dark eyes closed as he threw his head back. He was a beautiful creature in full laughter. Pulling the chair out for me, he leaned into my ear. There was a delicious, lingering smile in his voice when he said, “I don’t care about where you come from, Lorelei. I care about where you’re going.”
That claim loosened something inside of me I’d clenched from the moment I’d been shamed. This giant of a man was willing to marry me despite the scandal that’d curdled my life. His reward was that I didn’t flinch away from the brush of his jaw against my neck.
“Thank you,” I said shyly as he took the seat beside me.
“I should clarify I don’t whore anymore,” Kristina said, putting a plate of sliced roast in the middle of the table. “Luke’s good enough for me,” she said with a wink.
Luke grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Growling he nipped at her neck and she giggled and leaned into him. I couldn’t take my eyes from their scandalous manner. Never in a million years would I have carried on so with Daniel. My gaze collided with Jeremiah’s and he shook his head good naturedly at their antics.
Clearly, I was running off to live with a family of heathens.
The smell of dinner was heavenly to my nostrils. If the baguette earlier had been the best food I’d eaten since my fall, the rich roast, potatoes and ham flavored snap beans rivaled for best meal in my existence. The meat was tender enough I didn’t even have to use a knife, and I hefted a healthy dollop of gravy where that would’ve been frowned upon at the lavish dinner parties of my old life. Women were encouraged to keep their figures after all, but no one at this table went sparing with the seconds and thirds.
The women couldn’t keep up with the sheer amount of food the men inhaled and I found myself enamored with watching Jeremiah eat out of the corner of my vision. I supposed it was only natural for a man his size to require that much sustenance but good gracious! Was a country wife expected to cook? If so, Jeremiah better enjoy the good food while he could, because the man was about to starve.
“What happened to your neck, dear,” Jeremiah’s mother asked.
“Well, Mrs. Dawson—”
“Margery, please. Both of you girls are family now. It’ll be best if you call me Margery.”
Kristina beamed. “Well, Margery, they’re burns and those are the best looking ones of the bunch.”
“How much of your skin was marred?”
The frank way in which this family conversed had me praying no one asked more questions of me.
“Down this part of my body,” she said, pointing to her side.
Luke
“All of them?” she asked.
“I don’t know which rumors you’re referring to, but it’s true I’m recently divorced and denounced from society.”
Besides the completely inappropriate chuckle that came from behind Luke’s clenched fist, the room was as still as a graveyard.
As the moment dragged on, I fought the stinging tears that tried their best to wrench themselves from my downturned eyes. I couldn’t bear to look at Jeremiah. Sure he already knew, but my shame could only be shared with him once in a day. It was Kristina and her wide, blue eyes my gaze settled on.
She downed the glass of wine in one long chug and set it down. Gulping, she blurted, “I’m a whore.”
A wash of gratefulness and shock washed over me. Her dress and manner made so much sense now. My soon to be sister-in-law was a whore and the insanity of my own situation pulled a giggle from my lips. Luke frowned but I waved him down in apology before another fit of giggles took me.
“I’m so sorry,” I wheezed. “It’s just I can’t imagine what you must be thinking when your sons bring a divorcé and a whore to family dinner.”
It was Kristina who cracked the smile first and then snorted a laugh, soon to be joined by Luke and the rest one by one.
A deep, booming laugh sounded from behind me and Jeremiah’s dark eyes closed as he threw his head back. He was a beautiful creature in full laughter. Pulling the chair out for me, he leaned into my ear. There was a delicious, lingering smile in his voice when he said, “I don’t care about where you come from, Lorelei. I care about where you’re going.”
That claim loosened something inside of me I’d clenched from the moment I’d been shamed. This giant of a man was willing to marry me despite the scandal that’d curdled my life. His reward was that I didn’t flinch away from the brush of his jaw against my neck.
“Thank you,” I said shyly as he took the seat beside me.
“I should clarify I don’t whore anymore,” Kristina said, putting a plate of sliced roast in the middle of the table. “Luke’s good enough for me,” she said with a wink.
Luke grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Growling he nipped at her neck and she giggled and leaned into him. I couldn’t take my eyes from their scandalous manner. Never in a million years would I have carried on so with Daniel. My gaze collided with Jeremiah’s and he shook his head good naturedly at their antics.
Clearly, I was running off to live with a family of heathens.
The smell of dinner was heavenly to my nostrils. If the baguette earlier had been the best food I’d eaten since my fall, the rich roast, potatoes and ham flavored snap beans rivaled for best meal in my existence. The meat was tender enough I didn’t even have to use a knife, and I hefted a healthy dollop of gravy where that would’ve been frowned upon at the lavish dinner parties of my old life. Women were encouraged to keep their figures after all, but no one at this table went sparing with the seconds and thirds.
The women couldn’t keep up with the sheer amount of food the men inhaled and I found myself enamored with watching Jeremiah eat out of the corner of my vision. I supposed it was only natural for a man his size to require that much sustenance but good gracious! Was a country wife expected to cook? If so, Jeremiah better enjoy the good food while he could, because the man was about to starve.
“What happened to your neck, dear,” Jeremiah’s mother asked.
“Well, Mrs. Dawson—”
“Margery, please. Both of you girls are family now. It’ll be best if you call me Margery.”
Kristina beamed. “Well, Margery, they’re burns and those are the best looking ones of the bunch.”
“How much of your skin was marred?”
The frank way in which this family conversed had me praying no one asked more questions of me.
“Down this part of my body,” she said, pointing to her side.
Luke
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