THE VIRGIN COURTESAN Read Online Free

but she
looked up again and glared at him with such force that he took a helping of
bread and stormed to the other side of the room, sitting on the chair next to
the bed. They ate in silence, the air simmering between them.
    Juliana was ravenous, foregoing any ladylike dainty nibbling in
the face of a day without food and the ensuing shock. To think only a few hours
earlier she had been on her way to Lord Salter, wrapped up in all her finery and
delivered like a prize package. As much as she had hardly been looking forward
to the meeting, she needed a wealthy patron to survive her new life. She
wondered what the very proper, blustering Lord Salter had said when his
frightened coachman had turned up sans Juliana. She doubted there would be any
search parties out for her. She would have to make her own way back to Rose in
the morning, who would know what to do to rectify the situation. Although quite
how she was supposed to do that when the mysterious highwayman had taken what
little money, she had she had no idea. Had he no idea of the mess he had left
her in? She could hardly help the momentary thought that she would be better
left by the road, before reprimanding herself for being weak. She would get by;
she had to. She had her wits, her education and of course her looks and the
tricks Rose had introduced her to. Although, she had yet to put those tricks
into practice. She looked over at Guy, flushing at the thought of doing so with
him. From courtesan to criminal’s woman—could she sink any lower?
    ‘Nevertheless, sir, regardless of your opinion as to my
destination, you have cost me dear this night.’ Lord Salter had been interested
in her for her virginity, he may well discard her if he thought she had been
abducted and ravished by a highway thief. The implications of that frightened
her; she could not live like Rose, giving herself to any wealthy patron,
ferreting away for what would no doubt be a lonely old age.
    He raised his eyebrows at her and she bristled, wishing he
would stop looking at her like that. ‘I will recompense you for the room—and for
anything else you have lost this night.’
    Juliana could not help giving a mocking laugh. ‘How will you do
that? By scaring the wits out of some other poor woman, no doubt.’
    Guy looked as if he were about to say something, then closed
his mouth in a tight line. Juliana regarded him thoughtfully.
    ‘There is something more to your story isn’t there? You do not
strike me as any common criminal.’
    ‘Perhaps.’ Guy wondered how much he should tell her. The woman
deserved some sort of explanation, given what he had out her through, but
supposing she knew his brother? Sinclair was well known about town, both among
the ton ladies come for the Season and women of a very different sort. He did
not want the story of his actions tonight getting around; his brother had
disgraced the family name enough. ‘I could say the same for yourself,’ he said
instead, ‘it can’t be an easy path you’ve chosen.’ He felt a sudden stab of
sympathy for this young woman, who in spite of her feisty demeanour had an air
of vulnerability about her. Not that she would thank him for pointing that out,
he was sure.
    ‘I felt there was little other choice,’ she murmured, dropping
her gaze and sounding suddenly so wretched that Guy crossed over to her and laid
a hand on her shoulder. What was wrong with him that he kept letting this
beautiful young woman antagonise him?
    ‘Forgive me. I have no right to question you, especially after
your trials tonight.’
    Juliana looked up, her eyes glowing in the firelight. Her face
and lips were flushed, her eyes huge, and she looked so alluring that he had
bent to kiss her before he could stop himself.
    She gasped, but did not pull away. Rather she tipped her mouth
to his, and what he had meant to be a soft kiss became instead a fierce crushing
of mouths. Her arms went up and around his neck and he pulled her to her feet,
the smell and