As an Earl Desires Read Online Free

it.”
    What he did comprehend was that it angered him beyond all reason that she sought something
that mattered so little.
    â€œWhen searching for a wife for me, do not
apply your standards in acquiring a duke. I want a woman I cannot
live without, a woman whose death would cause my heart to
break.”
    He stepped toward her. “I require a woman who
makes me smile and causes me to laugh with abandon. A woman with
whom I may be comfortable in silence, but whose voice will delight
me and whose conversations will bring me joy. A woman who will stir
my blood to the point of boiling. She must care deeply about all
things and not shy away from revealing that she does so.”
Another step.
    â€œShe will be compared to fire, not ice. She
will embrace all that life has to offer, not hold it at bay. She
will love me with every fiber of her being, hope for a thousand
years to be held within my embrace, and mourn my passing as though
she truly regrets that I am no longer by her side.”
    â€œYou have unrealistic expectations regarding
a wife.”
    â€œI know of a queen who loved her prince
exactly like that.”
    â€œI find that sort of love to be cruel. I
think it better not to experience it. Then one never has to deal
with the depth of loneliness and despair that comes from mourning
so great a love.”
    â€œBut then one must also live with never
knowing so great a passion.”
    Before she could argue further or he could convince
himself that he was making a terrible mistake, he took her within
his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. She released a tiny,
muffledsqueak. Her arms were stiff, wedged
between their bodies, but her lips were plaint, urging him on. But
he had no desire to rush this moment that he’d waited months
to experience.
    She’d taunted him with her constant nearness,
her faint rose fragrance teasing his senses, her sultry voice
whispering etiquette and protocol near his ear, her warm breath
wafting along his chin and neck. He’d watched her eat
countless meals, studied the way she ran her tongue over her lips
as though she feared wasting a bit of sauce. He’d reveled in
the dreaminess that came to rest within her eyes whenever he read
to her—and had imagined the emotions flitting across her face
were for him rather than the story.
    Slowly he deepened the kiss, exploring the confines
of a mouth that was quick to issue a tart response with a voice
cold enough to freeze water. But he found no chill. Only heat.
Shimmering between them as their tongues welcomed the dance of
seduction.
    He relished the taste of her. Sweet and
so…salty. He became vaguely aware of the warmth pooling
around his lips, seeping into the kiss. He drew back.
    Tears welled within her eyes, washed along her
cheeks, gathered at the corners of her mouth. He’d never seen
her appear so young, so vulnerable, so terrified.
    Her gaze dipped to his trousers, the tight cut
revealing the unmistakable evidence that he’d not only
desired her, but had been prepared to go well beyond a kiss. She
was panting, trembling as though she could find no air to
breathe.
    â€œDamn you, Archie, damn you!” she
rasped.
    Before he could respond, she spun on her heel and
dashed from the room. Frustration bit into him because he was
hardly in a condition to give chase. And even if he were, what good
would it do him?
    He turned to the desk, grabbed the inkwell, and
flung it with all his might, sending it crashing through the window
and into the garden. Grabbing the edge of the desk, he bowed his
head.
    What in God’s name had just happened?
    He’d never in his life lost control of
himself, of his emotions, of his desires. And yet in the space of a
heartbeat, he’d managed to do all three.
    Worse yet, now that he had tasted the sweet nectar
of her mouth, how in God’s name could he ever forget that he
had?

Chapter 2
    C amilla continued to tremble as her carriage
clattered along the London