Read Online The Count's Prize by Christina Hollis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christina Hollis
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hair and his long, lingering kisses setting her senses on fire all over again …
She tried to tell herself he was a distraction she couldn’t afford. That might have worked for her after Andy left, but it sure as hell didn’t work with Dario.
Although their paths had somehow stopped crossing after their encounter in the wood, Josie wanted Dario to know it was because she was working, and not just hiding away from him. Whenever she was out on the estate she tried to forget him, but spent half her time looking over her shoulder. She was as wary as a gazelle on the African plains, on the alert for the lion that might pounce at any time.
As time went on and he didn’t appear, she began to settle back into her normal routine, managing, for the most part, to push her frustrated desires back into hiding—and then one evening Dario rode out of the sunset while she was busy brushing the fine, dry soil away from her latest find. From being lost in her thoughts, Josie was thrown into confusion. With desperate movementsshe stood up, shoving her hair behind her ears and brushing the worst of the dust from the legs of her overalls. Then she rubbed her sleeve over her brow, before realising it was as grimy as her knees had been. Desperately she grabbed the towel from the table where she washed her finds. Without a mirror, she had to hope it made any smudges better and not worse. Trying to look absorbed in her work for the agonising minutes it took him to ride up to her was impossible. It was only when she stopped trying that he smiled.
‘Dario,’ she greeted him quietly.
‘Josie,’ he replied in kind as he jumped down from his horse.
Despite her apprehension, she couldn’t help checking his saddle for another picnic basket. There wasn’t one.
‘I wondered what you were doing here,’ she said to cover her embarrassment when he noticed what she was looking at.
‘I live here, remember?’
‘When you aren’t roaring around the countryside by night,’ she said before she could stop herself.
He raised his eyebrows, strolling past her to investigate her finds table. ‘You noticed?’
‘I can’t help it … er … because the sound of your engine disturbs my work every night, that is.’
‘But your suite is always in darkness,’ he said casually, picking up one of her site sketches. ‘I’m here to deliver a message, by the way. I thought you’d like to know that Antonia rang—she’s coming home tomorrow. Hmm … I like this drawing. It’s artistic as well as being accurate. You’re clearly a woman of many talents.’
Josie tried not to feel smug, but it didn’t work. In the face of his obvious appreciation, she felt horribly tongue-tied.
‘You learn to be a jack of all trades in this job,’ she muttered. ‘Art used to be a bit of a hobby of mine. Not that I ever get a chance to do anything about it these days, apart from site sketches,’ she said wistfully.
He made a disapproving noise. ‘Have you ever thought of working some of these drawings up into full-sized paintings? They would add something unique to your coursework.’
‘It’s tempting …’ she said, stealing a long look at his beautiful profile as he studied her work, ‘.but there’s no point. Effort like that would be wasted on the academics who read my stuff.’
‘Come on, Josie—don’t be so defeatist! You’re a highly qualified woman with a lot of talent, both inside and outside of your usual sphere. Why be content with such a small market for your skills?’
‘You sound very sure of yourself. Who’s to say anybody else would share your opinion?’
‘I’ve studied art for long enough to know good work when I see it—you should have more confidence in yourself!’
His voice tailed off, as though he’d just heard his own enthusiasm. Josie glanced at him, but he looked away at almost the same instant. She almost caught herself smiling. According to Antonia, her brother Dario was a famous seducer but, standing in front
She tried to tell herself he was a distraction she couldn’t afford. That might have worked for her after Andy left, but it sure as hell didn’t work with Dario.
Although their paths had somehow stopped crossing after their encounter in the wood, Josie wanted Dario to know it was because she was working, and not just hiding away from him. Whenever she was out on the estate she tried to forget him, but spent half her time looking over her shoulder. She was as wary as a gazelle on the African plains, on the alert for the lion that might pounce at any time.
As time went on and he didn’t appear, she began to settle back into her normal routine, managing, for the most part, to push her frustrated desires back into hiding—and then one evening Dario rode out of the sunset while she was busy brushing the fine, dry soil away from her latest find. From being lost in her thoughts, Josie was thrown into confusion. With desperate movementsshe stood up, shoving her hair behind her ears and brushing the worst of the dust from the legs of her overalls. Then she rubbed her sleeve over her brow, before realising it was as grimy as her knees had been. Desperately she grabbed the towel from the table where she washed her finds. Without a mirror, she had to hope it made any smudges better and not worse. Trying to look absorbed in her work for the agonising minutes it took him to ride up to her was impossible. It was only when she stopped trying that he smiled.
‘Dario,’ she greeted him quietly.
‘Josie,’ he replied in kind as he jumped down from his horse.
Despite her apprehension, she couldn’t help checking his saddle for another picnic basket. There wasn’t one.
‘I wondered what you were doing here,’ she said to cover her embarrassment when he noticed what she was looking at.
‘I live here, remember?’
‘When you aren’t roaring around the countryside by night,’ she said before she could stop herself.
He raised his eyebrows, strolling past her to investigate her finds table. ‘You noticed?’
‘I can’t help it … er … because the sound of your engine disturbs my work every night, that is.’
‘But your suite is always in darkness,’ he said casually, picking up one of her site sketches. ‘I’m here to deliver a message, by the way. I thought you’d like to know that Antonia rang—she’s coming home tomorrow. Hmm … I like this drawing. It’s artistic as well as being accurate. You’re clearly a woman of many talents.’
Josie tried not to feel smug, but it didn’t work. In the face of his obvious appreciation, she felt horribly tongue-tied.
‘You learn to be a jack of all trades in this job,’ she muttered. ‘Art used to be a bit of a hobby of mine. Not that I ever get a chance to do anything about it these days, apart from site sketches,’ she said wistfully.
He made a disapproving noise. ‘Have you ever thought of working some of these drawings up into full-sized paintings? They would add something unique to your coursework.’
‘It’s tempting …’ she said, stealing a long look at his beautiful profile as he studied her work, ‘.but there’s no point. Effort like that would be wasted on the academics who read my stuff.’
‘Come on, Josie—don’t be so defeatist! You’re a highly qualified woman with a lot of talent, both inside and outside of your usual sphere. Why be content with such a small market for your skills?’
‘You sound very sure of yourself. Who’s to say anybody else would share your opinion?’
‘I’ve studied art for long enough to know good work when I see it—you should have more confidence in yourself!’
His voice tailed off, as though he’d just heard his own enthusiasm. Josie glanced at him, but he looked away at almost the same instant. She almost caught herself smiling. According to Antonia, her brother Dario was a famous seducer but, standing in front
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