Read Online The Earl of Her Dreams by Anne Mallory - Free Book Online Page A

silhouetted in the low light of the hall. He looked weary.
    “Where have you been?” she asked tiredly.
    He shut the door and walked toward the bed. “Nowhere interesting. Pretty curious for someone who is not sharing my bed. You ready to give up your chair?”
    She was more than ready to give up the chair.
    “No.”
    “You are going to be cramped by morning.”
    That was probably true. And she could use a trip to the common room’s chamber pot. There was no way she was using one in front of Christian.
    Making sure her head wrap was in place, she stood and hobbled to the door. Christian’s chuckle followed her. “A bit stiff, Kate?”
    Although pins and needles stung her feet and she thought she could hear her knees creaking, she ignored him and ambled to the common room at the end of the hall. Smug, irritating man. Thought he knew everything.
    No one was in the room so she ducked behind the privacy screen and quickly took care of things.
    On her return she noticed two figures standing on the gallery; one looked like Janson, but she couldn’t be sure from the distance. Shrugging, she hurried back to their room and slid inside.
    “Where did you go, Kate?”
    “Nowhere interesting. Pretty curious for someone who is not sharing my chair.”
    There was a pause. “I could be, you know. There is plenty of room for the both of us to get off.”
    “Why would you get on a chair if you were only planning on getting right back off?”
    A snort was her only answer. “Good night again, Kate.”
     
    When Kate next opened her eyes it was to find them inches from another pair, a dark blue pair calmly studying her.
    Shrieking, she pushed backward and promptly fell on the floor, the covers tangled around her.
    Christian leaned over. “Graceful too, I see.”
    “What are you doing in my bed?”
    He raised a brow.
    “What am I doing in the bed?” she amended at a lower volume.
    “You were moaning and I figured if you weregoing to be moaning that sexily, you might as well do it in bed so that I could get maximum enjoyment from it as well.”
    “What?!”
    “Quite a deep tenor you have when you moan.” He winked down at her. “Not quite the same as a man’s though, to the pity of your disguise, but not to my ears. Quite the sexy sounds you make when you sleep, Kate. Passion veritably lashing at its bindings.”
    Kate’s mouth worked in silent starts, her legs still wrapped tightly in the bedcovers. Sometime during the night Christian had removed his shirt and was lounging half naked on the bed, idly tapping a finger on the sheet and lazily inspecting her.
    She took a deep breath. “Let me repeat my question. What am I doing in this bed?”
    “Seems to me you are on the floor. And have taken most of the bedcovers with you. Not very hospitable.”
    The edges of the covers remained tucked under the mattress, while the rest were either draped over the edge of the bed or wrapped tightly around her body. She tugged at the covers on the bed, attempting to unwrap herself, but Christian grabbed them before she could complete the task.
    She tugged again. “Let go.”
    “No.” He smiled, his teeth even and white in the morning light.
    “Why did you move me?”
    “You don’t believe you wandered over here and curled against my lovely body on your own? I’m wounded.”
    “I’ll just bet you are.”
    He flopped on his back, staring toward the ceiling, one arm covering his face. “Crushed.”
    “Black!”
    “Irreparably damaged.”
    “Christian!”
    “Yes, sweetest?” He turned over, propped his head on his elbow, and peered down at her, the same lazy, heavy-lidded gaze in place.
    “You are the biggest blackguard imaginable.”
    “Why, thank you. Although I’m not sure you should grant me that title yet. There are plenty of blackguards you have yet to meet. But that you think of me that way…well, it is an honor.”
    “I’ll bet,” she muttered, finally slithering out from between the twined sheet and blankets,