Read Online Whirlwind Wedding by Jacquie D'Alessandro - Free Book Online Page B

relief when she'd retired shortly before eleven. But his relief was short lived because he couldn't get the damn woman—her eyes, her smile, her luscious mouth—out of his mind. It galled him that he had to keep reminding himself that she knew things she shouldn't know, couldn't know, without a reason other than the "visions" explanation she'd given him.
    But every time he tried to convince himself she was up to something with her talk of visions, that she might be involved with the blackmail scheme and couldn't be trusted all his instincts rebelled. There was a kindness, an innocence, and damn it, a trustworthiness about her that kept trying to stomp down his suspicions every time they cropped up.
    Was it possible that she was merely placing too much credence in her own undeniable intuitiveness, calling it "visions"? Could her words and actions truly be no more than what she claimed—an attempt to help him?
    He entered the stables, making his way toward Myst's stall, but halted when a subtle scent wafted to him, a scent out of place with the smell of leather and horse. Lilacs.
    Before he could react, she emerged from the shadows and stepped into a shaft of moonlight. "Good evening, your grace."
    Much to his annoyance, anticipation skittered down his spine. She still wore the cream silk gown she'd worn to dinner, and that same long, tempting auburn curl drew his gaze. "We meet again, Miss Matthews."
    She stepped closer to him, and he noticed her expression. She appeared distinctly annoyed.
    "Why are you here, your grace?"
    "I might ask the same of you, Miss Matthews."
    "I am here because of you."
    And I am here because of you . . . because I cannot stop thinking about you.
    Crossing his arms over his chest, he contemplated her with studied detachment. Damn it, he wished he knew what to make of this woman.
    "What about me draws you to the stables at such an hour?"
    "I suspected you might plan to ride." She raised her chin a notch. "I'm here to stop you."
    He couldn't contain his bark of disbelief. "Indeed? And how do you intend to do that?"
    Her eyes narrowed. "I don't know. I suppose I was hoping you'd be intelligent enough to heed my warning about danger befalling you should you choose to ride at night. Clearly I was mistaken."
    Bloody hell, who did this woman think she was? Approaching her slowly, he didn't stop until only two feet separated them. She didn't retreat so much as an inch, just stood her ground watching him with a single raised brow that irked him further.
    "I don't believe anyone has ever dared question my intelligence, Miss Matthews."
    "Indeed? Then perhaps you weren't listening, your grace, because I just did that very thing."
    Full-blown anger struck him like a slap. He'd had more than enough of this damn woman. Before he could give her the scathing set down she deserved however, she reached out and pressed his hand between both of hers.
    A tingle sizzled right up his arm, effectively cutting off his angry words.
    "I still see it," she whispered her eyes huge, trained on his. "Danger. You hurt." Releasing his hand she laid her palm against his cheek. "Please.
    Please do not ride tonight."
    Her soft hand lying against his face ignited his skin, overwhelming him with the desire to turn his head and brush his lips over her palm. Instead he grasped her wrist and pushed her hand away from him.
    "I do not know what game you're playing—"
    "I am not toying with you! What can I do, what can I say, to convince you?"
    "Let's start by you telling me what you know about my brother and how you know it. Where did you meet him?"
    "I never met him."
    "Yet you knew about his scar." He allowed his gaze to roam over her in an unmistakably insulting fashion. "Were you his lover?"
    Her eyes widened with shock too real to be forced. Relief swept through him, a reaction he did not care to examine.
    "Lovers? Are you mad? I had a vision about him. I—"
    Yes, yes, so you've said. And you can read minds as well. Tell me, Miss