A Sordid Situation Read Free

your mind. No
good can possibly come from it. She had much to think about. Yet, a vision
of his handsome face lingered at the forefront of her mind. The feel of his
lips remained branded on hers, and the sound of his voice reminded her of
smooth, rich brandy.
    Good lord, what was she to do if she saw him again?

     

     

Chapter Two

     
    Eugenia wasn’t without disappointment. Two days passed and she
didn’t hear from Mr. Hawthorne.
    The needlepoint she concentrated on did little to hold her
interest, or to distract her mind from the images of him. His lips, strong
hands, and his masculine scent—spice and musk intermingled with something she
couldn’t quite put her finger on.
    “Darling…. Darling, where are you?” called a high pitched voice,
just outside the parlor doors.
    Eugenia smiled. It could only be one person. Only one woman would
be so bold as to waltz into a house unannounced.
    “In here, Jordanna,” she called in return. She waited but a
moment before the raven haired bon vivant, not much older than herself, entered
the room in an explosion of overt smiles and gestures.
    “I know it’s been forever, but today, when I stepped out of bed,
I thought…it’s a gorgeous autumn day and I should pay a visit to my best friend
in the whole wide world. I was literally aching to see you. It’s been forever
and a day, since my last visit.”
    Eugenia laughed, tossing her needlepoint aside. “You, my dear,
should have opted for a career onstage.”
    “I haven’t the temperament for it. All those ups and downs, can
you just imagine? And that’s behind the scenes, if you get my drift. I’d be
washed up and dead within a year.”
    “You are scandalous.” Eugenia giggled. “Oh, the things you say.”
She clasped both hands against her chest, laughing harder.
    “I’m a delight to be around, admit it.” Jordanna swirled around
the middle of the parlor to accentuate her point, before taking her place
across from Eugenia.
    “All right, all right, I admit it. You, my dear, are a much
needed breath of fresh air.”
    Jordanna closed her eyes and raised her hands outwards. “My
psychic intuition tells me…wait, I almost have it. You have something to share…something…you’re
just dying to tell me.” She opened her eyes and grinned. “So out with it!”
    “I met a man,” announced Eugenia. A wry smile crept across her
lips. “And I’m not sure it’s entirely good.”
    “A man? Is he handsome? Is he rich? Well, come on! Don’t you dare
hold anything back.”
    Peppered with questions, Eugenia took a deep breath and let it
out.

     
    * * * *

     
    Never in his entire life had
Cal
encountered a woman who had enchanted
him so. Enchanting being the perfect word to describe how he had become immediately
taken with her. She had him held fast, under her spell.
    He paced his office, glanced out one of two windows overlooking
the street. And again, his thoughts fell to her, instantly arousing him.
    She had ordered him away, yet had he detected some hesitation on
her behalf? His pulse quickened at the thought of her wanting him. He closed
his eyes and imagined her lips tracing his. Her taste, sweet. Her scent, intoxicating—a
delicate mix of lavender and strawberries….
    Cal
poured a glass of whiskey, and then placed the crystal decanter back into his
cabinet, pondering the whole situation.
    She was first and foremost a lady. He respected that, even if he
lusted after her in unspeakable ways.
    The idea came to him after his second glass. He sat behind the desk
and started to draft a letter. He grinned as the words flowed and when he
finished, he sealed it within an envelope. He’d drop it into her mail slot
personally to ensure delivery. If she responded, the possibilities could be
endless.
    He pictured her reading the words, and then in horror, tossing
everything into the fireplace. Yet there was no harm in trying, and if she said
yes, the arrangement he proposed could benefit them both in ways beyond