And Then He Kissed Her Read Online Free

manuscript, well, Harry would rather go to the dentist and have teeth drawnthan read a guide to life for plain spinsters in shirtwaists who lived in respectable flats. He had no doubt other people felt the same. And that was the problem.
    He published books and newspapers to make money, not to teach people how to behave. “Miss Dove, we have discussed this before,” he reminded her. “Etiquette books are not profitable enough to be worth the bother. There are so many nowadays, it’s difficult for any particular one to stand out.”
    She nodded. “That is why I took quite a modern approach with this manuscript. Given the success of The Bachelor’s Guide , and taking into consideration your views that women ought to be allowed to work in any profession for which they are qualified, I hope you will see the appeal of my idea. Girl-bachelors are a growing segment of our British population. The statistics…”
    Harry felt a headache coming on as she trotted out the number of girl-bachelors currently living in London. He didn’t care about statistics. He cared about his instincts, and his instincts told him that no matter what approach Miss Dove took with her manuscripts, she would never be able to write anything that would stand out, for she was so innocuous in reality. A bit like her name, really. With her brown hair, hazel eyes, and dulcet voice, Miss Dove was soft agreement personified.
    He had originally hired her on a whim, tickled by the chance to prove his theory thatwomen were fully capable of earning their keep, just as most men were forced to do. She had gone beyond all his expectations. She was exemplary at her job, far superior to any male secretary he’d ever had. She was never late, never sick, and always efficient.
    Most important, she had that quality so often attributed to females and yet so often absent in their character: Miss Dove was compliant. Hers not to reason why. If Harry had ordered her to get on a ship, go to Kenya, and bring him back a one-pound sack of coffee beans, she would have glided out of his office and headed to Thomas Cook & Son to book passage.
    While convenient for his own life, Miss Dove’s compliancy made her seem a bit unreal, not like any flesh-and-blood woman Harry had ever known. Having an interfering mother, an even more interfering grandmother, three interfering and woefully disobedient sisters, as well as a personal weakness for tempestuous lovers, including—alas—his former wife, Harry’s lifetime of experience with the fair sex told him that real women were anything but compliant.
    It was Miss Dove’s lack of passion, he supposed, more than her unremarkable looks, which made employing her so uncomplicated. An enticing, defiant female secretary, now, that would have been an impossible situation, much more fun but very short-lived. No, as secretaries went, he preferred Miss Dove, and from the beginning he had vowed never to entertain amorous notions about her. It was fortunate she’d always made that resolution so easy to keep.
    “There,” she said and stepped back, bringing Harry’s observations about her to an end. She studied him for a moment, then gave a nod. “I hope you will find that satisfactory, sir.”
    Harry didn’t bother to verify her handiwork in a mirror. He had no doubt whatsoever that his tie was now a perfect bow, and probably the one most fashionable for gentlemen at the moment.
    “Miss Dove, you are a treasure.” He folded his collar down, picked up his hat, and once again started for the door. “I don’t know what I should do without you.”
    “About my new book,” she began, her words impelling him to walk toward the door at an even faster pace. “Will you—”
    “Have it delivered to my house before I leave tomorrow morning,” he said quickly, cutting her off before she could cite him any more statistics about girl-bachelors. “I’ll have a look at it while I’m in the country.”
    “Thank you, my lord.”
    Harry departed with