As an Earl Desires Read Online Free Page A

streets. Whatever had possessed Archie
to kiss her?
    Certainly she’d sensed a spark of anger in
him as he’d rattled off his expectations for a wife, but it
was the passion in his voice that had held her mesmerized. His
words had seemed to flow from his heart, as though he truly
believed that love such as he’d described not only existed,
but should be available to him. His determination to possess it
left no doubt that one day he would. A man who cared so deeply
about love was a rare occurrence, and she found herself envying the
woman he’d take as his wife.
    But why had he placed his mouth against hersafter speaking about great love and great passion when
she was a stranger to both? What had she done to give any
indication that she would welcome his advances when she tried so
hard to keep a wall in place so he wouldn’t realize that she
was fascinated by him?
    There had been no love lost between her and her
husband. And there most certainly had been no passion. He’d
acted as though he could barely tolerate being between her legs,
and she’d certainly never enjoyed his presence there. Often
the pain had been unbearable, but she’d stoically endured it
because not to do so resulted in worse consequences. She’d
learned the hard way that displeasing him in the least was to be
avoided at all costs.
    Shuddering with thoughts of her late husband, she
shoved them back into the corner of her mind where nightmares
dwelled and concentrated instead on the present earl and the flavor
of his kiss. He tasted of mint. Or perhaps she’d only
imagined that he did. She could barely remember the specifics. Only
that his arms had been like taut rope, not flabby like her
husband’s, which had always reminded her of bread soaked in
milk. She should have been frightened by the strength she felt
within Archie. But she wasn’t. From him, she felt no threat
of physical harm. But the harm to her heart?
    She dared not contemplate the possibilities there.
Because they did exist.
    Archie was undoubtedly the most kind and generous
man she’d ever known. When he looked at her as he had just
before he pressed his mouth to hers, she wished that she was anyone
other than who she was, that she was deserving of a man such as
he.
    She fought not to remember how her stomach had
quivered and her heart had fluttered. He unsettled her. He caused
her to want things she couldn’t have, to be willing to risk
discovery of the truth for a few moments in his arms—for
surely a man such as he would discern the truth with ease. When in
his presence, she was forced to keep her guard up, to remain ever
vigilant against revealing her weaknesses.
    How was she to have known that he would become a
weakness, like a box of chocolates that once opened was impossible
to close until its contents had been devoured.
    â€œMy lady, are you all right?”
    She glanced over at her secretary, who’d been
waiting in the earl’s foyer. Everyone knew Camilla
didn’t believe that a lady of her status should be bothered
with the mundane tasks of her position, and so she kept her
secretary near as much as possible to handle inconsequential
matters.
    Lillian was only a little older than Camilla. The
fifth daughter of a merchant, Lillian had been educated, but all
the education in the world couldn’talter
her appearance. Camilla didn’t like to be cruel or speak ill
of those she favored, and she was fond of Lillian, but the dear
woman was little more than bones and points jutting here and there.
No matter how much she ate, she never seemed to gain weight so she
rather resembled a stick walking along the street, but refused to
pad her clothing. She had an angular face. A pointed nose that held
her spectacles in place. Even her front teeth came together to form
an unattractive angle that led one’s gaze down to her sharply
pointed chin.
    Camilla forced herself to smile and hoped that
Lillian couldn’t tell