A Countess by Chance Read Online Free Page B

clear, lucid eyes darkened with desire. He moaned, a low, throaty rumble that made her nipples pucker and tighten. A current of desire swept through her, hot and quick, like a jolt. She pulled her hands away abruptly.
    He let out a breath. “No reaction to the word, then?”
    “What word?” She blinked up at him. It took her half a second to realize what he was talking about. “Oh, no, no reaction whatsoever.” She paused. “ Should I have a reaction?”
    She’d never ridden in a curricle above twice in her life—once when her father had bought one—then promptly had to sell it to pay gambling debts. Then again with Lord Whitmore, right before the ruthless bee attack.
    He shook his head and said something that sounded like “ridiculous” under his breath.
    “Well, to answer your earlier question, I’m not giving anything away.” She glared at him. “To anyone . So you can happily be on your way.”
    He stalked closer to her, causing her to retreat farther behind the palm. They were completely concealed from the rest of the guests now, which was sure to raise eyebrows. “Oh, yes you are, love. Mark my words, before the week is out, you will be begging for it.”
    Olivia pursed her lips. “That’s where you are wrong, my lord. While I’m willing to concede your win, however undeserved, I will offer you this challenge—” When he opened his mouth to speak, she lifted her hand to stop him. He snapped his mouth shut. “If you can get me to ask for it—” no sense in defining what “it” was, they both knew— “Then my virtue is yours.”
    She smiled, confident she’d never ask him to take her virtue. Two years ago, she’d been so close to giving him everything . Now, she was older, wiser, and knew better than to tempt disaster. “Another challenge,” he said flatly. “To win what is already mine.”
    “You must admit, that race wasn’t entirely fair…” She shrugged. It would give her a chance to even the score, or at the very least, buy some time.
    He leaned in, close enough for her to smell his expensive cologne and the musky male scent that was entirely his own. The air around them seemed charged somehow. Energy vibrated between them. Her eyes fluttered closed as his mouth slowly descended toward hers.
    One breath. Two…
    All the air seemed trapped in her lungs as she waited for his lips to brush against hers, waited for that electric charge to shoot up her spine. The memory of his mouth on hers, their tongues entwined, caused her heart to beat wildly. Several seconds passed…
    Her eyes snapped open.
    He was still dangerously close, his lips curled up into the semblance of a smile. “Very well, I agree to your terms. But be forewarned, Miss Dewhurst, I can be very persuasive.”
    Yes, she remembered, too late, that he was exactly right about that.

Chapter Four
    H e’d gone mad. Somewhere between last night and this morning, he’d lost what precious little sense he had. No, that wasn’t true. He’d been slowly losing his mind for two endless years. But today, this evening, his madness had reached alarming new heights.
    Why couldn’t he simply walk away? Why, for God’s sake, couldn’t he turn his attention toward another, less troublesome female? Any woman between the ages of eighteen and sixty would do, and happily. Virgins, widows, ladies’ maids…the ground was thick with them. But it was Olivia alone who caught and held his attention, Olivia that his heart pounded for, and by God, it was Olivia his body craved.
    She was turned away, talking to Wood, and Adam allowed himself a long, leisurely look at her. He couldn’t help himself; he drank in every detail—every alluring blemish, every exquisite flaw. Two years away from her company had starved him, and he found he couldn’t tear his gaze away, even if he’d tried.
    Simply put, she was alluring. Damn her for that. Although she was the least adorned female in the room, her simple, emerald green gown fit her curves to