Read Online Sins of a Wicked Princess by Anna Randol - Free Book Online

just as easily. Why had he chosen the truth?
    “My mother was nothing more than a bigamist in the eyes of the law. The first wife, of course, refused to pay her anything. We had no money to pay for the house or the servants. Or even food eventually for that matter. A few weeks later, she packed our few remaining things. She had me wait in the entry hall.”
    Juliana had begun shaking. Or was that him?
    “I waited for her for over an hour before the butler went up to check on her. She’d blown her brains out.”
    Juliana gasped and turned to him. She reached for him but he stepped out of reach.
    “Ah-ah, Princess. No reaction, remember?”
    “To hell with no reaction.” She walked to him and cupped his face.
    He focused on a spot past her shoulder so she couldn’t see into his eyes. Gads, some teacher he was. He was practically bawling like an infant.
    “What did you do?” she asked.
    “Took care of myself.” Canterbury had tried to watch after him. But even at seven, Ian had known Canterbury would never find a position with a child in tow. And Ian wanted no reminder of what he’d just lost. “But once again you’ve allowed me to manipulate you.”
    “Perhaps I don’t care.”
    “Perhaps what I told you is all a lie.”
    Her hand dropped away. “It wasn’t.”
    But there was a hint of uncertainty in her face.
    “I told you I was good at this, didn’t I?”
    “No.” She sounded more certain this time. “It was the truth.”
    “And how do you know that?”
    “You wouldn’t meet my eyes. That is one of your signs, isn’t it?”
    “Or did I fake one of my signs to trick you?”
    She forgot to school her own face and her determination was unmistakable. The clenching of her jaw, the slight narrowing of her eyes. “I am a princess. I believe what I choose to believe.”
    He tapped her on the nose. “Good for you. Next test.” Ian peeled off his coat, then his waistcoat, and finally his shirt.
    Ian knew he had a rather fine body, but his innocent little princess looked as if she would devour him bite by bite.
    “Your face, Your Highness,” he reminded her before the hunger in her gaze caused him to do something rash. This was supposed to have been a test for her, not for him. He’d thought to tease her a bit. This, he supposed, was his punishment for that conceit.
    She almost succeeded in banishing the lust from her gaze. But not from the way her body angled toward him. And the way her breasts had tightened in that accused garment.
    Ian strode over to the bellpull and gave it a firm tug before flopping in her bed.
    “What—what are you doing?”
    “You need to be able to talk yourself out of the situation if you get caught retrieving the letters.”
    “If my maid finds a half-naked man in my bed—”
    “Talk yourself out of this.”
    “But you haven’t taught me what to do.”
    “So don’t open the door. Convince her you pulled the bell by accident.”
    B y accident? Was he mad? Juliana suddenly couldn’t breathe. Or was this how he sought to punish her for recognizing the truth in his story?
    Her maid would be here in less than a minute. Juliana called her enough to know.
    If he’d only put on his shirt she’d be able to think. Heavens, but he was delicious. Sculpted muscles and sinews. Little wonder he’d swung to the top of her bed with no effort the other night. He could probably scale a castle wall without a single drop of sweat.
    Focus .
    What would she say to her maid?
    A knock reminded her the door was locked. “Your Highness, are you all right?” Another knock.
    “Yes, Darna. I am fine.”
    But the doorknob rattled. “Shall I come in and straighten your sheets for you?”
    Juliana had to think of something before the woman summoned help. She opened the door a crack. “I rang on accident. I had a nightmare about, um, bells. But now I’m fine.” She knew she wasn’t making any sense, but she couldn’t keep herself from rambling.
    Darna frowned. “Let me fetch you some of