Read Online Through The Leaded Glass by Judi Fennell - Free Book Online

again.” She
rubbed her temples and sat on the bench. “Now what?”
    “ Now you’ll marry me.”
    Her head shot up. “Uh… no. I told you, I’m not
getting married again. But—”she held up her hand when he opened his
mouth— “it looks like I will have to pretend to be marrying
you. But just until I can find my window.”
    “ And if it’s never
found?”
    Not something she wanted to consider. Besides,
Alicia had found a way to do this; surely she’d show up at some
point to take Kate back with her. She wouldn’t just leave her here.
“It’s not like it vanished into thin air. I’ll offer a reward or
something.”
    Alex sat next to her again, his thigh brushing
hers, and, for a brief moment, she time traveled back a few minutes
to that kiss they’d shared.
    Then she laughed at herself. Stuck in medieval
England, no way of fending for herself, yet her traitorous hormones
zeroed in on him like radar and her libido switched into party
mode.
    “ You have something of value for
this reward, Kate? I fear your plastic will not entice many
people.”
    “ Good point.” And good timing. The
last thing she needed to be noticing was the samba her nerve
endings were doing when she was near him.
    “ As your betrothed, I’ll offer the
reward. You’ll need to provide me with a drawing of the window.” He
picked up her hand and brushed his thumb over the
emerald.
    Subtle he was not. But then, he probably
didn’t have reason to be. For all intents and purposes, he was the
law around here. And it was nice of him to help her out. He
could have her beheaded, or hung, or drawn and quartered, or
whatever they did with people who didn’t go along with their agenda
these days.
    “ Thanks. That’s very generous of
you.” She glanced at him. With that grin and how he looked in
armor, being engaged to him could have its benefits. Then again,
she was done with guys, remember? Especially autocratic,
commanding, medieval ones.
    She pulled her hand back. It was a pretend
betrothal and she’d better remember that. “So, it looks like I’m
going to be marrying some earl in the fifteenth century.” She shook
her head and exhaled. “That’s one I never thought I’d
say.”
    “ I’m not ‘some earl,’ Kate.” Alex’s
grin faded, his peerage bridling in umbrage. “And until you are
able to return to your time, you could do far worse than become my
countess. Marriage to me does have its advantages.” His gaze swept
over her, the lingering glance somewhere below her collarbone a
dead giveaway. She squirmed and he smiled knowingly.
    She crossed her arms. “Typical man. That
hasn’t changed in five hundred years.”
    “ Good to know.” H stood up and
smiled, again offering her his hand. “So, we are agreed? I’ll offer
a reward for the return of your window, help you discover whatever
it is the gypsy feels is missing from your life and, in return,
you’ll continue as my betrothed. Will that do?”
    Do? Do what? She completely forgot the
conversation with that potent, charming and altogether too-sexy
smile of his. A smile to charm, to dazzle, to bewitch. And it
worked. Lord, did it work. All of a sudden, everything that made
her female started humming. She wanted to reach out and caress
those lips with her fingertips, slip her hand through his hair,
press her body—
    Chill, Kate . Vacation flings were not
exactly advisable when the guy was a chauvinistic lord from another
century.
    “ Agreed?” Too bad he had the
requisite sexy voice that did delicious things to her nerve endings
and reminded her just how long it’d been since she’d felt
desired.
    Great. One more thing to pile on the lack of
options she now had.
    Resigned, Kate stuck out her hand.
“Agreed.”
    His fingers closed over hers and he tugged.
Just a bit, but it was enough. “Then we should act the
part.”
    He kissed her. Hard. Demanding. His tongue
swept her lips, their seam, then inside. Her breath caught and she
wrapped her free hand around