Read Online When It's Perfect by Adele Ashworth - Free Book Online Page B

it hurt to get to

    know a unique member of his staff a little better?
    After one deep breath and a long exhalation, he ran his palms along his jacket front, then reached out and pushed down on the brass latch.
    The door clicked open and he stepped inside.
    One small lamp on a side table dimly shone on row after row of filled bookcases, floor to ceiling, to his left and right. Directly in front of him, beyond a crushed velvet, tasseled settee and two matching chairs, stood the shadowed figure of Mary Marsh, her back to him as she gazed out a tall window.
    Slowly she turned, when the light from the hallway cast a glow on the oak floor, and stared at him with wide eyes.
    “Are you thinking about which book to read, Miss Marsh?” he asked, venturing into the library, hands clasped behind him.
    She blinked as if unsure of the reason for his presence. Then she answered softly, “I was just admiring the room—the view, I mean. The garden is lovely from this window.” Her shapely brows creased in a frown. “What are you doing here, Lord Renn?”
    He stopped just to the side of the settee, his chin tilting a fraction.
    “Admiring the view.”
    She licked her lips, and his eyes followed the movement. Lovely lips.
    Full and pink.
    “I beg your pardon?”
    Marcus almost smiled. Clearly, she wasn’t used to flirtations. Or maybe he wasn’t as good at it as he used to be. He skipped over an explanation.
    “The sky has cleared, I see,” he said, stepping toward her once more.
    She turned back to the window. “Yes, but no moon, unfortunately. I can’t see the path and flowers. Or the sea in the distance.”
    “Ah.” He stood beside her, gazing at her profile. “But the advantage of having no moon is that you can see more stars.”
    For a moment she stared out to the infinite beyond, her arms to her sides, the hue of the lamp behind them reflecting off the sheen of her plum-colored gown.
    “And they are beautiful tonight,” she offered, her voice sounding strangely detached.
    “Lovely.” He leaned his hand on the sill and finally peered out at them as well. “I haven’t seen stars in the English sky in four long years.”
    “Do they look different in Africa?”
    He could swear he smelled roses and forced himself to keep from

    leaning in closer to her. “A bit, I suppose. I’m no expert in astronomy, though, so I couldn’t tell you what the differences are.”
    “As in where the constellations are located?”
    “Precisely. But the whole universe seems to shine… brighter in the desert sky. Sometimes I’d stay awake for hours just staring at them, wondering at their source.”
    “Me, too,” she returned, wistfully. “It’s all so vast.”
    Roses mixed with fresh, clean bath water. “Mmm.”
    “Still, I’m rather surprised at you, Lord Renn,” she murmured, absentmindedly stroking the exposed skin above her deep neckline with her long fingers.
    The movement seemed highly erotic to him, especially as her breasts pushed up from the tightness of her evening gown. Everything about the moment made him uncomfortably hot.
    He rubbed the back of his neck. “Surprised?”
    She didn’t look at him directly; she continued to gaze out the window. But he thought he might have seen the slightest lift of her lovely pink lips. “Christine seemed to think you knew everything. I would only expect you to have a superb knowledge of astronomy. I must say I’m a bit disappointed.”
    He flushed. Are you teasing me, Mary Marsh ?
    “Really.” He drew that word out, long and quietly.
    Suddenly the intimate mood lifted. She stepped back a foot, angling her body toward him and clasping her palms together in front of her, her expression turning to one of formal inquiry. “I’m sorry I’m babbling.
    Did you wish to speak to me about tea at the Coswells’ today, my lord?”
    Marcus actually felt deflated, but he didn’t let it sway him. She couldn’t possibly know that his heart was racing, and she waited, watching him with