Emma Lane Read Online Free Page A
Author: Dark Domino
felt comforted for some reason and rested against him with her lips pressed close. He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her closer.
Sarah almost swooned with the feelings that overwhelmed her senses. The Dark Domino suddenly increased the intensity of the kiss, roaming his lips around hers almost hungrily. He pulled her so tightly against him, she gasped for breath. As she opened her lips, his tongue probed desperately into her mouth.
“Sir, you forget yourself!” Sarah pulled away almost reluctantly. Why had she felt so at home there in a stranger’s arms?
He stumbled backwards and reached his hand up to rest against his brow.
“Beg pardon. Forgot myself, Sarah. It won’t happen again, I promise. Lost my head there for a minute. It’s been a long time.”
Her heart dropped into her dancing slippers. Instantly she realized why this stranger felt so familiar. Because he was familiar. Six years gone and he comes to me as a stranger. Blinding anger ripped through her body leaving her almost stuttering in its intensity.
“Ethan! You are the most complete hand! I cannot believe you would treat me this way. Why did you never write? I know I was a very young girl, but young girls can get their hearts broken just the same as — ” She plopped down on the bench behind her and took a deep breath. “You have no right to come to me like this. Not a single letter in six long years. Did you think I was made of stone? How could you treat me like this? I do not want to ever see you again. You are a beast!”
She burst into noisy tears, ripped the mask off, and hid her face with her hands. She said something muffled through her tears.
“What, sweetling? What are you saying to me?” Ethan removed his mask and pulled her hands away from her face. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she looked at him with misery.
“I thought you were dead! I thought your parents were trying to be kind to me and not tell me. I thought you were dead.” She practically screamed the last sentence. He tried to pull her up to him, but she pushed him away.
“Go away, Ethan. I’ve made peace with my feelings. I’ve learned to live without you. I have made a nice life for myself. I have good friends and a nice home here in town. Who needs you? Go away! I am going to be married soon anyway.”
“Sarah,” he said, anguish in his voice. “Sarah, I love you. Please listen to me. Please forgive me.”
“Go away, Ethan. You are too late.”
Ethan backed away still holding his arms out to her, but she sat shaking her head. Tears rolled continuously down her cheeks. Finally he muttered an oath, turned, and disappeared into the shrubbery.
Sarah sat on the bench alone staring into the night. She could hear laughter coming from the ball room. A couple appeared from the darkness of the garden, arms wrapped around each other. They stopped to kiss, then walked slowly back up the steps into the party. Still she sat.
“Sarah, are you out here?” Her aunt was calling to her. She stood up, feeling as if her limbs were made of wood, wiped the tears from her eyes, and pushed an errant curl underneath her ribbon.
“I’m here, Aunt Susan. I came out for a breath of fresh air.”
She walked forward and managed a slight smile. Her aunt fussed at her for a minute then mentioned that it was time for them to take their leave. Sarah did not demur. She straightened her back, greeted her friends, said good night to her hosts, and left the ball with her favorite aunt. For some reason she remained quiet about the visit from her old love.
It was too difficult to explain that she had fallen in love with a man when she was only fourteen and now could not love another. That night she cried as she had not in years. She cried quietly into her pillow for the young girl whose heart was broken and the young woman who lived with that affliction still.
Chapter Five
“A RE Y OU G OING O VER to check on the progress of the new cottages?”
“No, Father. I am going
Sarah almost swooned with the feelings that overwhelmed her senses. The Dark Domino suddenly increased the intensity of the kiss, roaming his lips around hers almost hungrily. He pulled her so tightly against him, she gasped for breath. As she opened her lips, his tongue probed desperately into her mouth.
“Sir, you forget yourself!” Sarah pulled away almost reluctantly. Why had she felt so at home there in a stranger’s arms?
He stumbled backwards and reached his hand up to rest against his brow.
“Beg pardon. Forgot myself, Sarah. It won’t happen again, I promise. Lost my head there for a minute. It’s been a long time.”
Her heart dropped into her dancing slippers. Instantly she realized why this stranger felt so familiar. Because he was familiar. Six years gone and he comes to me as a stranger. Blinding anger ripped through her body leaving her almost stuttering in its intensity.
“Ethan! You are the most complete hand! I cannot believe you would treat me this way. Why did you never write? I know I was a very young girl, but young girls can get their hearts broken just the same as — ” She plopped down on the bench behind her and took a deep breath. “You have no right to come to me like this. Not a single letter in six long years. Did you think I was made of stone? How could you treat me like this? I do not want to ever see you again. You are a beast!”
She burst into noisy tears, ripped the mask off, and hid her face with her hands. She said something muffled through her tears.
“What, sweetling? What are you saying to me?” Ethan removed his mask and pulled her hands away from her face. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she looked at him with misery.
“I thought you were dead! I thought your parents were trying to be kind to me and not tell me. I thought you were dead.” She practically screamed the last sentence. He tried to pull her up to him, but she pushed him away.
“Go away, Ethan. I’ve made peace with my feelings. I’ve learned to live without you. I have made a nice life for myself. I have good friends and a nice home here in town. Who needs you? Go away! I am going to be married soon anyway.”
“Sarah,” he said, anguish in his voice. “Sarah, I love you. Please listen to me. Please forgive me.”
“Go away, Ethan. You are too late.”
Ethan backed away still holding his arms out to her, but she sat shaking her head. Tears rolled continuously down her cheeks. Finally he muttered an oath, turned, and disappeared into the shrubbery.
Sarah sat on the bench alone staring into the night. She could hear laughter coming from the ball room. A couple appeared from the darkness of the garden, arms wrapped around each other. They stopped to kiss, then walked slowly back up the steps into the party. Still she sat.
“Sarah, are you out here?” Her aunt was calling to her. She stood up, feeling as if her limbs were made of wood, wiped the tears from her eyes, and pushed an errant curl underneath her ribbon.
“I’m here, Aunt Susan. I came out for a breath of fresh air.”
She walked forward and managed a slight smile. Her aunt fussed at her for a minute then mentioned that it was time for them to take their leave. Sarah did not demur. She straightened her back, greeted her friends, said good night to her hosts, and left the ball with her favorite aunt. For some reason she remained quiet about the visit from her old love.
It was too difficult to explain that she had fallen in love with a man when she was only fourteen and now could not love another. That night she cried as she had not in years. She cried quietly into her pillow for the young girl whose heart was broken and the young woman who lived with that affliction still.
Chapter Five
“A RE Y OU G OING O VER to check on the progress of the new cottages?”
“No, Father. I am going