Read Online Wicked Temptations by Patricia Watters - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Watters
Ads: Link
gossip column and bulletin where women can air personal grievances. I'll solicit women writers for essays and editorials, and if they submit a piece suitable for publication, I'll include it. I won't be able to pay them, but they should find satisfaction in seeing their work in print. And they will not be forced to take a man's name in order to be recognized. They'll be allowed to publish under their own names."
As she expanded on her ideas, Adam saw the fervor in Priscilla's eyes. He'd seen that look in a woman's eyes before, and there was no stopping them. But he was not looking to marry Priscilla, only to install her in his house to monitor his children.
When she'd finished her spiel about her paper, she nibbled the crust of a fruit tart, chewed thoughtfully, and said, "I plan to pull the first edition at the beginning of next week and post it at the town hall for everyone to see. In the meantime, my ladies are learning to set type." She clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, and said in an animated voice, "I can hardly believe that The Town Tattler is about to become a reality."
Adam fought the urge to funnel all that passion into another kiss. From now on, he'd kiss her only in private, where she would be free to unleash her passionate nature.
After they finished eating, Adam reclined on the blanket with his legs stretched out and his upper body propped against his elbow and studied Priscilla's face. She had nibbled away the reddening on her lips while eating, the golden tips of her eyelashes were peeking through the sooty dust that had been there, and her freckles were beginning to emerge through the powder on her face. And he liked what he saw. In fact, he wanted to scrub off all that stuff and see the fresh, pretty woman she was. He hadn't realized it until now, but she was pretty, with a straight nose, firm chin, and luminous eyes as changeable as the clouds. And when she talked, her lips were a marvel to observe, tipping up in amusement at one moment, flattening with consternation the next. And there were those moments like now, when they parted and she ran her tongue over them, leaving a trail of moisture... when he could barely suppress the desire to kiss her again...
"Adam?" she said, anxious eyes, pure green with the reflection from her dress and the greenery around them. "What happened to your wife?"
Adam stiffened. The last person he wanted to talk about was Rachael. Just the thought of her left a bitter taste in his mouth. "She left me shortly after we arrived in Cheyenne . She's in New York pursuing a stage career. She's not part of our lives."
"Was she pretty?" Priscilla asked.
"She was a beautiful and cunning bitch."
"Oh." After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Priscilla said, "Do you still want to move me into your house?"
The way she was looking at him, eyes wide with expectation, lips parted in anticipation, Adam wanted to move her into his bed. A patently stupid idea. "Yes," he replied. "It would give me peace of mind, knowing Trudy was away from that young buck, Tom Rafferty. I have a housekeeper to handle the staff, so your only duty would be to keep a watchful eye on my children. I'd stay there a few nights a week at first to make sure things were running smoothly."
"I think I'd like that." Priscilla stared at him, a frown gathering on her brow as if reconsidering, and said, "But if I need to work late to get the paper out, could the children come with me, maybe help around the place? I could even pay them some."
Adam had not considered that. But it would keep Trudy occupied. All Alice needed was a place to curl up so she could read her books, and Weldon could be Priscilla's printer's devil. "An excellent idea," he said, "But I'll take care of paying them as part of our arrangement. When would you be ready to move in?"
"In about a week," Priscilla replied. "That's when the women will be moving into the boarding house." She smiled her beautiful smile, and a small
As she expanded on her ideas, Adam saw the fervor in Priscilla's eyes. He'd seen that look in a woman's eyes before, and there was no stopping them. But he was not looking to marry Priscilla, only to install her in his house to monitor his children.
When she'd finished her spiel about her paper, she nibbled the crust of a fruit tart, chewed thoughtfully, and said, "I plan to pull the first edition at the beginning of next week and post it at the town hall for everyone to see. In the meantime, my ladies are learning to set type." She clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, and said in an animated voice, "I can hardly believe that The Town Tattler is about to become a reality."
Adam fought the urge to funnel all that passion into another kiss. From now on, he'd kiss her only in private, where she would be free to unleash her passionate nature.
After they finished eating, Adam reclined on the blanket with his legs stretched out and his upper body propped against his elbow and studied Priscilla's face. She had nibbled away the reddening on her lips while eating, the golden tips of her eyelashes were peeking through the sooty dust that had been there, and her freckles were beginning to emerge through the powder on her face. And he liked what he saw. In fact, he wanted to scrub off all that stuff and see the fresh, pretty woman she was. He hadn't realized it until now, but she was pretty, with a straight nose, firm chin, and luminous eyes as changeable as the clouds. And when she talked, her lips were a marvel to observe, tipping up in amusement at one moment, flattening with consternation the next. And there were those moments like now, when they parted and she ran her tongue over them, leaving a trail of moisture... when he could barely suppress the desire to kiss her again...
"Adam?" she said, anxious eyes, pure green with the reflection from her dress and the greenery around them. "What happened to your wife?"
Adam stiffened. The last person he wanted to talk about was Rachael. Just the thought of her left a bitter taste in his mouth. "She left me shortly after we arrived in Cheyenne . She's in New York pursuing a stage career. She's not part of our lives."
"Was she pretty?" Priscilla asked.
"She was a beautiful and cunning bitch."
"Oh." After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Priscilla said, "Do you still want to move me into your house?"
The way she was looking at him, eyes wide with expectation, lips parted in anticipation, Adam wanted to move her into his bed. A patently stupid idea. "Yes," he replied. "It would give me peace of mind, knowing Trudy was away from that young buck, Tom Rafferty. I have a housekeeper to handle the staff, so your only duty would be to keep a watchful eye on my children. I'd stay there a few nights a week at first to make sure things were running smoothly."
"I think I'd like that." Priscilla stared at him, a frown gathering on her brow as if reconsidering, and said, "But if I need to work late to get the paper out, could the children come with me, maybe help around the place? I could even pay them some."
Adam had not considered that. But it would keep Trudy occupied. All Alice needed was a place to curl up so she could read her books, and Weldon could be Priscilla's printer's devil. "An excellent idea," he said, "But I'll take care of paying them as part of our arrangement. When would you be ready to move in?"
"In about a week," Priscilla replied. "That's when the women will be moving into the boarding house." She smiled her beautiful smile, and a small
Similar Books
