Read Online Too Dangerous to Desire by Cara Elliott - Free Book Online
Authors: Cara Elliott
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“But…”
Need speared through him, momentarily cutting through all the carefully crafted cynicism he had wrapped around his heart. Oh, how he missed her warmth and her laughter caressing his skin.
With a desperate growl, Cameron cupped her breasts, reveling in their soft, yielding ripeness beneath her corset. “God help me, but I want to rip away this cursed fabric…” His fingers hooked into the top of her bodice, sending her shawl slithering to the mossy ground. “And tear the laces free.”
“Cam…Cam.” Sophie shuddered and broke off his kiss. “Whatever my own desires, I can’t give in to wild urges. It’s too dangerous.” She pulled back, blinking a beading of tears from her lashes.
“Ah, yes. Danger,” he said evenly, forcing himself to regain a grip on his emotions. “That is, after all, what’s brought us back together. I don’t know how you’ve become involved with Lord Dudley, but be assured that he is dangerous.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I know.”
He tipped up her chin. “I take it you have not willingly sought out his acquaintance?”
“Good God, no!” Her eyes squeezed shut for a moment. “But how in the world did you uncover the connection…and my mother’s earrings?”
“I often pay a visit to The Wolf’s Lair—not for the reasons you might think, I might add. The former owner is a friend. As is Sara, the current proprietor. I happened to observe your exchange with Dudley and saw the package change hands. Let us just say that curiosity is another one of my many failings. I picked his pocket—”
Her gasp interrupted his words. “You speak of danger! Good Lord, you ought not have taken such a terrible risk.”
“Trust me, Sophie, danger and I are on intimate terms. You have no idea what terrible risks and terrible things I’ve done since we parted ways,” replied Cameron.
The color drained from her face, leaving her pale as a wisp of smoke.
“But for the moment we are discussing Dudley. And as he is careless and I am clever, there was never a cause for concern,” he went on. “However, I fear the same cannot be said for your contact with that viper. Now it’s your turn for explanations.”
Her heavy sigh stirred the surrounding leaves. “Around six months ago, Lord Dudley and his friend Mr. Morton came to visit the…” A hint of hesitation. “…the Marquess of Wolcott.”
Cameron stiffened at the mention of the name. Wolcott. His most implacable enemy.
“He sought me out at one of the local Assemblies.” Her voice dropped to a taut whisper. “And threatened my family with public ruin if I did not pay his price.”
A frown tugged at his mouth. “That makes no sense. Why blackmail an obscure country rector? Surely he must know that your father has naught but a very modest income.”
“And alas, naught but badly wandering wits.” Sophie bit her lip. “Papa’s hold on reality has faded badly. Even if he wanted to answer Lord Dudley’s questions, he couldn’t.”
“First of all, what information is he seeking?” asked Cameron.
Sophie averted her eyes. “It had something to do with a long-ago church document.”
She still wasn’t a very good liar. The hitch in her voice told him that she was holding something back. But for the moment he let it pass. “More importantly, what deep dark secret do Dudley and Morton hold over the Lawrance family? I can’t imagine any of you engaged in the sort of skullduggery worthy of blackmail.”
She forced a bleak smile. “Neither could I. But apparently a half-dozen years ago, my father signed some church documents that make it appear as if he embezzled money from the bishop’s private charity. He was already becoming confused, and as the head of the household, I can assure you not an unearned penny came into our hands.”
“Surely the bishop’s secretary can vouch for his honesty.”
“Unfortunately, Mr. Perkins died a year ago, and his replacement is a martinet who goes by the letter of
Need speared through him, momentarily cutting through all the carefully crafted cynicism he had wrapped around his heart. Oh, how he missed her warmth and her laughter caressing his skin.
With a desperate growl, Cameron cupped her breasts, reveling in their soft, yielding ripeness beneath her corset. “God help me, but I want to rip away this cursed fabric…” His fingers hooked into the top of her bodice, sending her shawl slithering to the mossy ground. “And tear the laces free.”
“Cam…Cam.” Sophie shuddered and broke off his kiss. “Whatever my own desires, I can’t give in to wild urges. It’s too dangerous.” She pulled back, blinking a beading of tears from her lashes.
“Ah, yes. Danger,” he said evenly, forcing himself to regain a grip on his emotions. “That is, after all, what’s brought us back together. I don’t know how you’ve become involved with Lord Dudley, but be assured that he is dangerous.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I know.”
He tipped up her chin. “I take it you have not willingly sought out his acquaintance?”
“Good God, no!” Her eyes squeezed shut for a moment. “But how in the world did you uncover the connection…and my mother’s earrings?”
“I often pay a visit to The Wolf’s Lair—not for the reasons you might think, I might add. The former owner is a friend. As is Sara, the current proprietor. I happened to observe your exchange with Dudley and saw the package change hands. Let us just say that curiosity is another one of my many failings. I picked his pocket—”
Her gasp interrupted his words. “You speak of danger! Good Lord, you ought not have taken such a terrible risk.”
“Trust me, Sophie, danger and I are on intimate terms. You have no idea what terrible risks and terrible things I’ve done since we parted ways,” replied Cameron.
The color drained from her face, leaving her pale as a wisp of smoke.
“But for the moment we are discussing Dudley. And as he is careless and I am clever, there was never a cause for concern,” he went on. “However, I fear the same cannot be said for your contact with that viper. Now it’s your turn for explanations.”
Her heavy sigh stirred the surrounding leaves. “Around six months ago, Lord Dudley and his friend Mr. Morton came to visit the…” A hint of hesitation. “…the Marquess of Wolcott.”
Cameron stiffened at the mention of the name. Wolcott. His most implacable enemy.
“He sought me out at one of the local Assemblies.” Her voice dropped to a taut whisper. “And threatened my family with public ruin if I did not pay his price.”
A frown tugged at his mouth. “That makes no sense. Why blackmail an obscure country rector? Surely he must know that your father has naught but a very modest income.”
“And alas, naught but badly wandering wits.” Sophie bit her lip. “Papa’s hold on reality has faded badly. Even if he wanted to answer Lord Dudley’s questions, he couldn’t.”
“First of all, what information is he seeking?” asked Cameron.
Sophie averted her eyes. “It had something to do with a long-ago church document.”
She still wasn’t a very good liar. The hitch in her voice told him that she was holding something back. But for the moment he let it pass. “More importantly, what deep dark secret do Dudley and Morton hold over the Lawrance family? I can’t imagine any of you engaged in the sort of skullduggery worthy of blackmail.”
She forced a bleak smile. “Neither could I. But apparently a half-dozen years ago, my father signed some church documents that make it appear as if he embezzled money from the bishop’s private charity. He was already becoming confused, and as the head of the household, I can assure you not an unearned penny came into our hands.”
“Surely the bishop’s secretary can vouch for his honesty.”
“Unfortunately, Mr. Perkins died a year ago, and his replacement is a martinet who goes by the letter of
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