Read Online Regency 02 - Betrayal by Jaimey Grant - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jaimey Grant
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caring.
If she were to tell him right this moment
that she had found somebody new, he would let her go with nothing
more than a thought as to if the man would treat her as she
deserved. If so, he would be happy to let her go. It was a strange
realization to have about the woman one was holding so closely in
one’s arms at the very moment the thought occurred.
Her eyes opened and her pain was visible and
deeply touching. Why had he ever agreed to take her on? he wondered
again. He had known beforehand that she was innocent. All he’d had
to do was tell her he had no dealings with virgins.
You didn’t believe her, a voice
taunted him.
Of course, he hadn’t believed her. She was a
woman, after all. All women lied to achieve their goals. Look at
Lady Rothsmere. She was a prime example of scheming womankind. And
he didn’t believe a word she said about her family.
Or so he told himself.
“Do you love me?” he asked abruptly.
Raven started. “Do I love you?” she repeated
numbly, her emotions still whirling from his unusual kiss. “I
suppose I do, in a way. Why?”
“I don’t know,” Adam replied thoughtfully.
“It just seemed important to ask, that’s all.”
Raven laid her head on his shoulder. His hand
came up to rest on the back of her neck and just stayed there, his
thumb stroking the side of her neck in a comforting pattern. They
stood like that for a while before Raven sighed and stepped away
from him.
“I am very disappointed in myself,” she told
him tartly. “I came here to beard the lion in his den and then
allowed said lion to distract me from my task. Shame on me.” She
smiled.
Adam steered her to a chair and then sat down
himself. “Beard away,” he replied with a little less than his usual
cynicism.
“What are your plans for Miss Bri?”
“Miss Bri? Has she still not told you who she
is, then?”
“No she has not. But I think she will, given
time.”
“What makes you think that?” he asked, truly
perplexed.
Raven favored him with an amused, mysterious
grin. “Just a feeling I have.”
Adam quirked an eyebrow at her and his lips
curled into a half-smile. “Indeed?”
“Indeed,” she replied confidently. “I have a
feeling we are bound to be friends.”
Adam’s smile disappeared. “No, you’re
not.”
“I hardly think you have any right to decide
my friends, Adam.”
“But I do have a right to decide who may or
may not associate with my guest.” He sighed and shoved a hand
through his dark locks. “Damn it, I knew it was a bad idea to bring
you here,” he muttered half to himself.
Raven controlled her temper. She had to know
what Adam planned to do with Bri. “All of that aside,” she replied
in a tone that suggested they would argue about her choice in
friends later, “what do you plan to do with her?”
Adam looked at her and for the first time
felt like throwing her out on her ear. He had never found her
particularly annoying before but now he felt like giving the woman
her congé . Blast, women were the devil! What would she do if
he told her that Bri must go back?
He couldn’t take any chances in losing the
chit again. “I will tell you when I’ve reached a decision,” he
replied evasively.
Raven could tell that was the only answer she
was going to receive at that moment. “Fine,” she capitulated. She
had some doubts that he would tell her, but there was nothing else
she could do for the time being. “But as her nurse, I must ask you
to please refrain from tiring her out as you did today.”
Lady Rothsmere plucked nervously at the
coverlet on the bed. She eyed her companion with some
misgiving.
She didn’t know why she was so uncertain
about asking this particular woman questions. She had, after all,
spent the past week doing little more than converse with her and
laugh with her and become closer and closer. So why did she feel so
reluctant to ask her what she really wanted to know?
Probably because it would be rude, vulgar,
and
If she were to tell him right this moment
that she had found somebody new, he would let her go with nothing
more than a thought as to if the man would treat her as she
deserved. If so, he would be happy to let her go. It was a strange
realization to have about the woman one was holding so closely in
one’s arms at the very moment the thought occurred.
Her eyes opened and her pain was visible and
deeply touching. Why had he ever agreed to take her on? he wondered
again. He had known beforehand that she was innocent. All he’d had
to do was tell her he had no dealings with virgins.
You didn’t believe her, a voice
taunted him.
Of course, he hadn’t believed her. She was a
woman, after all. All women lied to achieve their goals. Look at
Lady Rothsmere. She was a prime example of scheming womankind. And
he didn’t believe a word she said about her family.
Or so he told himself.
“Do you love me?” he asked abruptly.
Raven started. “Do I love you?” she repeated
numbly, her emotions still whirling from his unusual kiss. “I
suppose I do, in a way. Why?”
“I don’t know,” Adam replied thoughtfully.
“It just seemed important to ask, that’s all.”
Raven laid her head on his shoulder. His hand
came up to rest on the back of her neck and just stayed there, his
thumb stroking the side of her neck in a comforting pattern. They
stood like that for a while before Raven sighed and stepped away
from him.
“I am very disappointed in myself,” she told
him tartly. “I came here to beard the lion in his den and then
allowed said lion to distract me from my task. Shame on me.” She
smiled.
Adam steered her to a chair and then sat down
himself. “Beard away,” he replied with a little less than his usual
cynicism.
“What are your plans for Miss Bri?”
“Miss Bri? Has she still not told you who she
is, then?”
“No she has not. But I think she will, given
time.”
“What makes you think that?” he asked, truly
perplexed.
Raven favored him with an amused, mysterious
grin. “Just a feeling I have.”
Adam quirked an eyebrow at her and his lips
curled into a half-smile. “Indeed?”
“Indeed,” she replied confidently. “I have a
feeling we are bound to be friends.”
Adam’s smile disappeared. “No, you’re
not.”
“I hardly think you have any right to decide
my friends, Adam.”
“But I do have a right to decide who may or
may not associate with my guest.” He sighed and shoved a hand
through his dark locks. “Damn it, I knew it was a bad idea to bring
you here,” he muttered half to himself.
Raven controlled her temper. She had to know
what Adam planned to do with Bri. “All of that aside,” she replied
in a tone that suggested they would argue about her choice in
friends later, “what do you plan to do with her?”
Adam looked at her and for the first time
felt like throwing her out on her ear. He had never found her
particularly annoying before but now he felt like giving the woman
her congé . Blast, women were the devil! What would she do if
he told her that Bri must go back?
He couldn’t take any chances in losing the
chit again. “I will tell you when I’ve reached a decision,” he
replied evasively.
Raven could tell that was the only answer she
was going to receive at that moment. “Fine,” she capitulated. She
had some doubts that he would tell her, but there was nothing else
she could do for the time being. “But as her nurse, I must ask you
to please refrain from tiring her out as you did today.”
Lady Rothsmere plucked nervously at the
coverlet on the bed. She eyed her companion with some
misgiving.
She didn’t know why she was so uncertain
about asking this particular woman questions. She had, after all,
spent the past week doing little more than converse with her and
laugh with her and become closer and closer. So why did she feel so
reluctant to ask her what she really wanted to know?
Probably because it would be rude, vulgar,
and
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