Read Online With His Ring (Brides of Bath Book 2) by Cheryl Bolen - Free Book Online

bring him to the altar, she
banished her pride and begged to be his mistress. In the year since
she had been under his protection, there had been no occasion when
she had not eagerly welcomed him into her bed no matter what time
day or night. I live to be in your arms, my darling, she had
often huskily whispered to him during their heated lovemaking.
    From across the small, linen-topped table,
Gregory watched the lovely Carlotta with her radiant black hair,
his eyes traveling to the rising and falling of her generous
breasts that spilled into her purple gown.
    "What's the matter, my love?" Carlotta asked
with a trembling voice.
    "What makes you think something is
wrong?"
    "Your actions. I've never known you to
prefer a tearoom to my bed."
    The serving lady brought their tea and set
it and two cups and saucers on the table.
    Gregory's heart pounded. He would have to
tell her. "I have some news to share."
    Her lashes lifted seductively to reveal
lavender eyes wide with fear.
    "I'm afraid it's not very good news, my
dear." Had he ever called Carlotta my dear before? He
fleetingly thought of Glee. Whom he had called my love . In
both instances, his words were far from the truth. "First, I shall
tell you about my father's disappointing will. I get nothing,
unless. . ."
    "Unless what?" Carlotta asked, not able to
remove her frightened gaze from him.
    "Unless I'm married on my twenty-fifth
birthday."
    Now a smile hitched across her exotically
beautiful face.
    He frowned. "I'm to marry Glee
Pembroke."
    An anguished gasp broke from her throat.
"No! You can't!" Her eyes quickly filled with tears which began to
spill down her ivory cheeks. She did nothing to check them. "Why
can't you marry me? You said yourself we suit very well. And best
of all, you don't want children, and I abhor the sniveling brats.
Don't you see that Pembroke child can never love you in the ways I
have?"
    He was stunned over her hatred of children.
After all, she had a child of her own. It was fortunate the poor
lad did not reside with his mother.
    Then Gregory remembered Carlotta's question.
Why had he never considered marrying Carlotta? She was the most
compatible bed partner he had ever possessed. She was beautiful and
of good birth. And without a doubt, she loved him.
    The thing of it was that he honestly had
never wanted to marry any woman. His aversion to matrimony had been
schooled by years of staunch avowal.
    Had he to make his decision over again,
though, he would still choose Glee Pembroke over Carlotta Ennis.
Even if Glee proved to be a cold fish in bed. Now why had he gone
and thought about Glee in bed? Hadn't he firmly decided he would
never touch her? Resisting Glee's charms could prove most
difficult, he realized as he remembered the intensity of their
farewell kiss. Oddly, it had stirred him in ways Carlotta's kisses
never had.
    His reasons for deciding on marrying Glee
had nothing to do with sex and nothing to do with her nobility of
birth but everything to do with William Jefferson and others of his
ilk. Throwing Glee to the likes of them was akin to coaxing lambs
to slaughter.
    Unlike the innocent Glee, Carlotta could
easily handle herself—with or without his protection. Though he
clearly meant to settle her well.
    How could he explain all this to Carlotta?
"I have made it clear to Miss Pembroke that our marriage is to be a
marriage in name only. I have no intentions of relinquishing my
ties to you, my lovely Carlotta." He picked up her icy hand and
brushed his lips across it.
    Still, her tears flowed unchecked. Now that
the tea had steeped, she poured it into their cups, but instead of
drinking hers, she wrapped her hands around the cup for warmth.
"Why her?" she asked in a low voice not devoid of pain.
    He shrugged.
    "It's because I bring shame now that I've
allowed myself to become your mistress. You've lost all respect for
me. And now---" she broke off, sobbing, "you've lost your desire
for me."
    "No, that's not it at all!" he