Read Online To Wed a Scandalous Spy by Celeste Bradley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Celeste Bradley
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you?"
He was not going to turn around. "Am I what?"
"Are you sufficiently interested?" Her tone was conversational. "In me?"
Nathaniel stopped again and turned to look at her. "You are
so
odd."
"You repeat yourself. My mother said that only people with no imagination settle for repeating themselves."
"I shall endeavor to improve. You are
incredibly
odd."
"Yes, I believe we have established that. It isn't my fault, you know. I'm an orphan."
"Ah, that explains all." Nathaniel gave his gelding a subtle nudge to speed his walk slightly. Surely she would grow weary of shouting over a distance.
The dainty clip-clop of the trotting mare came up next to his gelding, but Nathaniel refused to acknowledge it.
"It won't work to ignore me. It never does."
Nathaniel heaved a great sigh, although he despised sighing on principle. "No, I don't suppose it does. What was it that you asked?"
"Are you sufficiently interested in copulating with me?"
Copulating? Where did she get that word
? "No."
Silence. Nathaniel couldn't believe it. He stole a look sideways, only to make sure she wasn't dead or some such. She still breathed, but there was such a look of concentration on her face that Nathaniel began to fear in earnest.
"I am considered attractive enough in Derryton. I've had no end of suitors, you realize. None as attractive as you, of course, although you are well on your way to being a bit pretty for my taste."
"I am not pretty!" Damn, she was doing it again. Nathaniel took a deep breath and held it for the count of ten. Then another, for the count of twenty. His mood eased and he began to hope she'd finished—
"I shall have to cut my hair, then," she said thoughtfully.
Nathaniel was beginning to see why the village had been so eager to get rid of Willa. The girl was as mad as a caged cat. Nathaniel edged his horse to the side, just in case she carried any concealed weapons.
"How's that?" he asked, keeping his tone mild.
"I shall cut my hair and wear trousers to entice you, since you prefer boys."
That tore it.
In one deadly motion, Nathaniel leaped from his horse and scraped the little snip off her mount. Holding her tightly, he bent her over his arm despite her squeak of dismay.
"I do
not
prefer boys," he growled into her startled face, then kissed her half-open mouth before she could say one more maddening word.
I'm going to catch fire
. Her heart jumped through her ribs. Kisses were
much
better with cooperation.
It was all new tastes and sensations and hot breath. It was strange and invasive and intimate.
It was marvelous. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Willa threw her whole spirit into returning the kiss.
His lips were hard and forceful at first, his beard stubble coarse against her face. He drove his tongue into her repeatedly, startling her and exciting her, and chewed roughly on her lips.
Then his mouth softened and gentled, and his angry grip turned to a caressing embrace, until Willa began to shiver from the pangs of arousal that shot through her.
When his mouth left hers to bury itself in her neck, she gasped but couldn't slow down her racing breaths. All she could taste and feel was him.
His hard hands slid to her backside and pressed her close to his harder body. Pressure built within Willa, until she feared bursting from it. She rubbed restlessly against him, trying to combat that hungry ache that consumed her, that ache to be touched all over.
"Wildflower…" he murmured into her neck, his breath hot on her skin.
"Oh, Nathaniel," she sighed.
Nathaniel came to himself with a jolt and sprang away from the girl in his arms. Breathing hard, he backed away from her as if she were venomous. What was he doing? He had only meant to prove his point, and to shut her up for a moment.
How had she aroused him so completely and mindlessly that he had nearly taken her on the dusty road?
Nathaniel turned away from temptation and shoved his hands through his hair. He still found himself attuned to her,
He was not going to turn around. "Am I what?"
"Are you sufficiently interested?" Her tone was conversational. "In me?"
Nathaniel stopped again and turned to look at her. "You are
so
odd."
"You repeat yourself. My mother said that only people with no imagination settle for repeating themselves."
"I shall endeavor to improve. You are
incredibly
odd."
"Yes, I believe we have established that. It isn't my fault, you know. I'm an orphan."
"Ah, that explains all." Nathaniel gave his gelding a subtle nudge to speed his walk slightly. Surely she would grow weary of shouting over a distance.
The dainty clip-clop of the trotting mare came up next to his gelding, but Nathaniel refused to acknowledge it.
"It won't work to ignore me. It never does."
Nathaniel heaved a great sigh, although he despised sighing on principle. "No, I don't suppose it does. What was it that you asked?"
"Are you sufficiently interested in copulating with me?"
Copulating? Where did she get that word
? "No."
Silence. Nathaniel couldn't believe it. He stole a look sideways, only to make sure she wasn't dead or some such. She still breathed, but there was such a look of concentration on her face that Nathaniel began to fear in earnest.
"I am considered attractive enough in Derryton. I've had no end of suitors, you realize. None as attractive as you, of course, although you are well on your way to being a bit pretty for my taste."
"I am not pretty!" Damn, she was doing it again. Nathaniel took a deep breath and held it for the count of ten. Then another, for the count of twenty. His mood eased and he began to hope she'd finished—
"I shall have to cut my hair, then," she said thoughtfully.
Nathaniel was beginning to see why the village had been so eager to get rid of Willa. The girl was as mad as a caged cat. Nathaniel edged his horse to the side, just in case she carried any concealed weapons.
"How's that?" he asked, keeping his tone mild.
"I shall cut my hair and wear trousers to entice you, since you prefer boys."
That tore it.
In one deadly motion, Nathaniel leaped from his horse and scraped the little snip off her mount. Holding her tightly, he bent her over his arm despite her squeak of dismay.
"I do
not
prefer boys," he growled into her startled face, then kissed her half-open mouth before she could say one more maddening word.
I'm going to catch fire
. Her heart jumped through her ribs. Kisses were
much
better with cooperation.
It was all new tastes and sensations and hot breath. It was strange and invasive and intimate.
It was marvelous. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Willa threw her whole spirit into returning the kiss.
His lips were hard and forceful at first, his beard stubble coarse against her face. He drove his tongue into her repeatedly, startling her and exciting her, and chewed roughly on her lips.
Then his mouth softened and gentled, and his angry grip turned to a caressing embrace, until Willa began to shiver from the pangs of arousal that shot through her.
When his mouth left hers to bury itself in her neck, she gasped but couldn't slow down her racing breaths. All she could taste and feel was him.
His hard hands slid to her backside and pressed her close to his harder body. Pressure built within Willa, until she feared bursting from it. She rubbed restlessly against him, trying to combat that hungry ache that consumed her, that ache to be touched all over.
"Wildflower…" he murmured into her neck, his breath hot on her skin.
"Oh, Nathaniel," she sighed.
Nathaniel came to himself with a jolt and sprang away from the girl in his arms. Breathing hard, he backed away from her as if she were venomous. What was he doing? He had only meant to prove his point, and to shut her up for a moment.
How had she aroused him so completely and mindlessly that he had nearly taken her on the dusty road?
Nathaniel turned away from temptation and shoved his hands through his hair. He still found himself attuned to her,
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