Read Online The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit) by Christina Courtenay - Free Book Online
Authors: Christina Courtenay
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would? It wasn’t as if she was a beauty like Kate.
But she wasn’t flattered. Not in the slightest.
‘There you are, my sweet. Your mother told me I’d find you out here, basking in the summer sunshine.’
Hannah stifled a gasp as her betrothed joined her on the bench against the far wall of the garden where she’d been sitting. It was hidden from the house by some overlarge jasmine bushes and she’d hoped to remain undetected for the rest of the afternoon. Obviously that was not to be.
‘Yes, uhm, isn’t it glorious?’ she stammered, feeling her face heat up the way it always did when Mr Hesketh was too close. He’d asked her to call him Ezekiel now, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. It seemed too familiar somehow.
‘Glorious, indeed,’ he murmured, staring at her the way she imagined a hungry wolf might look at its prey. His gaze travelled from the top of her head down to her waist and even lower, then up again. Those strange moss-green eyes of his were lit by some emotion Hannah unconsciously understood, but shied away from. The intensity of it made her break into a cold sweat.
She felt her breathing quicken and wondered what excuse she could give in order to flee back to the safety of the house. Before she had time to come up with anything, however, he suddenly put his arms around her and pulled her close. His mouth came down on hers with some force and when she uttered a squeak of protest, he took the opportunity to insert his tongue between her lips. Hannah almost gagged.
She tried to push him off and managed to twist her face away from his, but he grabbed her chin with one hand in a vice-like grip and turned it back. ‘Don’t fight me, sweeting,’ he whispered. ‘No need for maidenly modesty now, we’re as good as married.’
His lips descended on hers again and he clamped his other arm round her back so there was no escape. Hannah began to panic and a very real lack of air made black spots dance in front of her eyes. She tried again to fight him, but he was so much stronger than her and her arms were pressed tight against her sides. She didn’t stand a chance.
When Hannah thought she might be on the verge of fainting, he stopped kissing her mouth at last, but it was only a short reprieve. Instead his lips travelled across her cheek and down her neck, leaving a snail’s trail of slime that made her want to retch. His hands began to roam over her body. Hannah pushed them away, but they only moved to some other part of her anatomy. He squeezed one of her breasts, making her moan with pain. ‘No, please, don’t,’ she protested, but he seemed to take this as encouragement rather than the opposite and only mauled her further.
‘Knew you’d like it,’ he muttered thickly, his other hand pushing her skirts up so he could gain access to her naked thighs. ‘You have such spirit.’
A sob escaped Hannah, and she tried again to free herself using both nails and fists, but to no avail. She looked about for some kind of weapon to use in her defence, but there was nothing to hand. ‘Please, stop!’ she pleaded, but Mr Hesketh seemed not to hear her. He was making strange noises deep in his throat that frightened her even more.
‘Ahem! Oh, I do beg your pardon. Am I interrupting something?’
Hannah looked up and saw to her unbridled relief the welcome face of Jacob, his eyes narrowed at the scene he’d stumbled upon. Mr Hesketh swore under his breath, but removed his hands from Hannah and pushed her skirt back down. ‘What do you want?’ he snarled, breathing heavily and scowling at his future brother-in-law. ‘My betrothed and I were hoping for a little privacy.’
‘So sorry, but I was sent out to find Hannah. She’s needed at the house.’ Jacob shrugged. ‘Something to do with female apparel, you know how it is.’ Hannah noticed his expression was grim, but he kept up the pretence that everything was normal.
Hannah heard Mr Hesketh take a deep breath and mutter
But she wasn’t flattered. Not in the slightest.
‘There you are, my sweet. Your mother told me I’d find you out here, basking in the summer sunshine.’
Hannah stifled a gasp as her betrothed joined her on the bench against the far wall of the garden where she’d been sitting. It was hidden from the house by some overlarge jasmine bushes and she’d hoped to remain undetected for the rest of the afternoon. Obviously that was not to be.
‘Yes, uhm, isn’t it glorious?’ she stammered, feeling her face heat up the way it always did when Mr Hesketh was too close. He’d asked her to call him Ezekiel now, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. It seemed too familiar somehow.
‘Glorious, indeed,’ he murmured, staring at her the way she imagined a hungry wolf might look at its prey. His gaze travelled from the top of her head down to her waist and even lower, then up again. Those strange moss-green eyes of his were lit by some emotion Hannah unconsciously understood, but shied away from. The intensity of it made her break into a cold sweat.
She felt her breathing quicken and wondered what excuse she could give in order to flee back to the safety of the house. Before she had time to come up with anything, however, he suddenly put his arms around her and pulled her close. His mouth came down on hers with some force and when she uttered a squeak of protest, he took the opportunity to insert his tongue between her lips. Hannah almost gagged.
She tried to push him off and managed to twist her face away from his, but he grabbed her chin with one hand in a vice-like grip and turned it back. ‘Don’t fight me, sweeting,’ he whispered. ‘No need for maidenly modesty now, we’re as good as married.’
His lips descended on hers again and he clamped his other arm round her back so there was no escape. Hannah began to panic and a very real lack of air made black spots dance in front of her eyes. She tried again to fight him, but he was so much stronger than her and her arms were pressed tight against her sides. She didn’t stand a chance.
When Hannah thought she might be on the verge of fainting, he stopped kissing her mouth at last, but it was only a short reprieve. Instead his lips travelled across her cheek and down her neck, leaving a snail’s trail of slime that made her want to retch. His hands began to roam over her body. Hannah pushed them away, but they only moved to some other part of her anatomy. He squeezed one of her breasts, making her moan with pain. ‘No, please, don’t,’ she protested, but he seemed to take this as encouragement rather than the opposite and only mauled her further.
‘Knew you’d like it,’ he muttered thickly, his other hand pushing her skirts up so he could gain access to her naked thighs. ‘You have such spirit.’
A sob escaped Hannah, and she tried again to free herself using both nails and fists, but to no avail. She looked about for some kind of weapon to use in her defence, but there was nothing to hand. ‘Please, stop!’ she pleaded, but Mr Hesketh seemed not to hear her. He was making strange noises deep in his throat that frightened her even more.
‘Ahem! Oh, I do beg your pardon. Am I interrupting something?’
Hannah looked up and saw to her unbridled relief the welcome face of Jacob, his eyes narrowed at the scene he’d stumbled upon. Mr Hesketh swore under his breath, but removed his hands from Hannah and pushed her skirt back down. ‘What do you want?’ he snarled, breathing heavily and scowling at his future brother-in-law. ‘My betrothed and I were hoping for a little privacy.’
‘So sorry, but I was sent out to find Hannah. She’s needed at the house.’ Jacob shrugged. ‘Something to do with female apparel, you know how it is.’ Hannah noticed his expression was grim, but he kept up the pretence that everything was normal.
Hannah heard Mr Hesketh take a deep breath and mutter
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