Taming Wilde Read Online Free

lady.” Colin stepped out of the shadows only long enough to pull her around the
     corner where they would not be seen. “May I have a word?”
    Her lower lip trembled. She stared at him and nodded her head, just once.
    “I will think of you no more,” Colin said, though his words seemed to tremble as they
     poured out of his mouth.
    Gemma’s eyes widened. A blush stained her cheeks. “What if I say I will think of you
     forever?”
    “Then you are a fool,” he spat, though his heart thumped wildly against his chest.
    “I may be a fool, but at least I am not a coward.” Her eyes narrowed. She leaned forward,
     her chin nearly resting on his chest.
    “Coward?” Minutes ago Colin had wanted to kill Anthony; now he was grateful, for at
     least he knew how to use his rakish charms against Gemma. Allow her to believe in
     his cool indifference when really all he wanted to do was reach out and touch her,
     pull her into his arms and never let go.
    “Yes, I believe that is what I said. You are a coward.” Gemma’s blue eyes were glossy
     with unshed tears.
    “I see.” Colin slowly inhaled her scent and reached to tilt her chin toward his mouth.
     Before he lost his nerve, he crushed his lips against hers, relishing the memory of
     their first kiss. The day that changed everything. The day she abandoned him and chose
     her family over love.
    Her mouth was so soft, softer than he remembered. It was everything he wanted — everything
     he needed. For a minute the darkness didn’t seem so dark. The hole seemed not so deep.
     But it was an illusion, for she could not be trusted — not as a friend and surely
     not as a lover. She would stomp on whatever was left of his heart and leave him in
     utter darkness, even deeper in the hole of his own making.
    With a laugh, he pushed her away. “Still as innocent as I remember. Thank you for
     reminding me, dear Gemma.”
    She stared at him in breathless shock. “Reminding you of what?”
    “What I’m missing, of course.”
    Her eyes shined with a sudden hope. Hope he knew he would crush as surely as she had
     crushed his by rejecting his love last Season without as much as a goodbye. He answered
     her silent question.
    “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I bid you goodnight.”

 

Chapter Three
     
    A rake must at all times feign indifference, for if a man seems too interested , he risks losing the thrill of the chase. After all, what man desires to chase after
     a woman when she is already his to begin with? Indifference , my friends! Do not easily offer your smile, nor your attention. Make them beg for
     your gaze, your touch, your very words. And when the woman finally begs, when you
     have her in your clutches, simply take what you want and leave. It is as simple as
     that. —The Private Journal of Viscount Maddox
     
    The words cut like a hot blade straight into her heart. The memory of his lips burned
     on hers, but his eyes were smoldering dark steel.
    Gemma could say nothing to him in response. The thick emotion in her throat made speech
     impossible, even if she could piece together a suitable response. They say the line
     between love and hate is a thin one. Colin had crossed over. She saw it in his eyes.
     He hated her. And she hated that she loved him still.
    Swallowing back the inevitable sob, Gemma spun on her heel and fled.
    She couldn’t stay there. Not another moment. She would find Hawke and make him take
     her home.
    Back inside the ballroom, she scanned the dancers for signs of her brother. He was
     nowhere to be seen. Twirling about, she searched the outskirts of the room. Again,
     no Hawke.
    The irony served only to nauseate her further. He had been keeping such a close eye
     on her every moment, so much so that he had suggested following her to the ladies’
     lounge, and yet now when she truly needed him, he had disappeared into oblivion.
    Groaning inwardly, she knew she would have to return to the corridor. She only hoped
     she would not encounter