Bound by Bliss Read Online Free Page A

flower, but never rising above her ankles no matter how fast the dance. That was one mistake Bliss never intended to make again.
    Lady Perse clearly did not see the sense of the design. Her eyes glided up Bliss’s body until their eyes met.
    Lady Perse gave one sharp shake of her head, her eyes narrowed, her rejection clear.
    Evidently there was one person who could refuse Bliss.
    The boulder crashed down, almost bringing Bliss to her knees.
    And then she stiffened. She’d never let public opinion bring her down before, and she would not allow the opinion of one old woman sway her, even if that woman was Lady Perse.
    “I need to dance,” she said, turning back to Angela. “Fast and then faster. I want to spin until I cannot stand.”
    “Bliss…”
    She ignored the concern in her friend’s tone and turned into the crowd. She would find a man, any man, and flirt and dance until her feet ached. She would not think of the future, she would not.

    —
    She was looking for trouble. As usual.
    From the moment he’d arrived at the ball and discovered she was here, Duldon’s attention had been consumed by Bliss, consumed by her lush curves contained in the tight pink gown, consumed by the soft glint of her corn silk hair in the light of the hundred candles, consumed with the carefree smile that couldn’t quite hide the shadows in her eyes. He drew in a deep breath as he watched those eyes flit over the gathering, looking, seeking.
    A deep sigh. He hadn’t yet even greeted his aunt. Duty must be attended to before he could begin his own search—for the attention of certain delicate blonde.
    He smiled as he observed Bliss rise on her toes as her eyes continued to wander—and then he frowned. He knew that furrow of brow far too well. He’d first seen it when Bliss was six and her father had told her she couldn’t have a cat because he wanted to raise rabbits and was afraid the cat might eat them. Bliss had nodded her agreement and come home with a puppy, one that grew to be the size of a small cow. She’d stared up at her father with just that narrowing of lips and glare of eyes, daring anybody to put the pup out.
    The duke had merely shrugged. Swanston might have sent the pup away if he’d been at home, but he’d been in London. Duldon, feeling the man at the grand age of fourteen, had considered removing the pup himself, but he’d never been able to resist that stubborn vulnerability, that look that dared the world while begging for affection.
    He hadn’t been able to resist it then, and he doubted he could now.
    Only he had to.

    He intended to marry the girl and nothing was going to stand in his way. Nothing—not even Bliss herself.
    Not even overhearing the minx call him Dull-Don. He’d heard it from her before and it always brought a smile to his lips. He wondered what she’d say if she knew the truth of how he had spent the earlier portion of the evening. He’d seen her gaze run over him on more than one occasion, seen the look that let him know she found him pleasing. Bliss might never admit it, not even to herself, but he knew she found him far from dull.
    He smiled again, although only the barest crook of a lip made it to his mouth. Society might say many things if his full life, his full interests, were ever revealed, but he doubted “dull” would be among them.
    Indulging himself, he allowed his eyes to follow Bliss as she slipped through the crowd. Her dress was dreadful, but then most often they were. He’d heard her give expert advice to others on fashion, so why did the chit insist on choosing the worst patterns for herself, dresses that hid every hint of her feminine shape? The dark rose monstrosity looked like she’d stepped into the middle of a molded aspic, the slick silk glistening like gelatin. And it moved the same way, disguising the graceful motion of her body.
    Watching, he saw her approach a young man, stopping a few feet from him and shooting him an inviting glance with her deep