Lord Grayson's Bride Read Online Free

are still the same girl.” Though he had glimpsed that girl far more in the first days of his return than he had lately.
    She lifted her gaze to his face. “Just like you are the same boy?”
    His chest tightened at sight of the weariness in her eyes. “Essentially, yes. I still love you. I loved you all along. I told you why I didn’t return as promised.”
    “A dozen times.” She lowered her eyes and heaved a sigh. “You’ve told me everything a dozen times.”
    “And I will keep telling you until you believe me.”
    “I do believe you,” she said. “I know you thought I was to marry. But that was so long ago. I am long over it…over you, Nick, whether you want to believe it or not.”
    “I returned the moment I learned you hadn’t married Helmsley,” he said.
    “You would have done better to stay on your ship.”
    “Why?” he asked.
    “Because I’m not the girl you think I am.”
    A murmur of voices sounded in the hallway.
    She bolted upright. “Someone is coming.”
    “You weren’t this concerned when I found you with Beaumond,” Nicholas said with frustration.
    “You have no notion what my concerns are.” She pushed free of his hold and he released her.
    “It really doesn’t matter if someone catches us,” he said as she jumped to her feet. The afghan slid from her shoulders exposing the stiff rosy areolas beneath the thin white of her chemise. The desire that had hammered through him when he’d had his mouth on her hardened nipple tightened his bollocks. “We are to be married, after all.”
    “To be married.” The murmur of voices drifted past the room and she scooped the corset off the carpet beside the couch. “We are not yet married, and I will not have it said I trapped you with my body.”
    “I wouldn’t mind if you did,” he said.
    Josephine jerked her gaze onto his face. Her nipples seemed to tighten even more under his scrutiny and his mouth went dry.
    She yanked the corset up over her breasts. “Nicholas.”
    He lifted his gaze to her face. “You are very beautiful, Jo. I plan to look at you a great deal over the years.”
    Her cheeks flushed pink. She wasn’t the jaded woman she would have him believe. He’d seen that same blush on her cheeks when he’d kissed her before he left six years ago. She’d been but seventeen, a girl on the cusp of womanhood, and he’d fallen hard. He’d missed seeing that blush, and planned to see her flush that way many a time in the coming years—most especially when he was inside her, bringing her to climax.
    Her blush deepened and he half wondered if she’d read his mind—or perhaps had glimpsed the lift of his kilt. She whirled away from him and fitted the corset around her torso then latched the hooks in front. When she grasped the first sleeve of her dress to slip her arm inside, Nicholas rose and grasped her wrist. Her head snapped up, her eyes on his face as he gently guided her arm into the long, silk sleeve. He helped with the second sleeve, then stepped back. She adjusted the neckline, which dipped lower than most day dresses, but the look had been her fashion of choice since his return—and the neckline had lowered to the point of scandalous since they’d announced their betrothal.
    A lock of her light brown hair fell forward across her cheek. She drew the hair back and ran her fingers along her hair where her chignon had loosened. “See what you’ve done.” She pulled out a pin and wound the lock around the chignon, then pinned it back into place.
    “I see quite well,” he said.
    Josephine paused in smoothing her hair and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t get too full of yourself, Nick.”
    “Never,” he said.
    Her lips pursed, but she finished fixing her hair, then he took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. “Shall we join the other guests in the grand parlor?” he asked. “I imagine we can find a game of cards, or perhaps chess. You did say you wanted a chance to get even for my beating you last