His to Keep (Regency Scoundrels Book 2) Read Free Page A

clearly. With her hands trembling, she roamed them over him, and deftly reached inside his coat to where he had tucked his pistol away. She drew the pistol out with her one hand, fortunately, it was light enough for her to wield it with one hand. With her hand shaking, she leveled the pistol at him.
    “Oh, aye,” he murmured, his voice husky. “You will do. You will make me a fine…” his voice trailed off, as his eyes finally settled on the pistol. Her kiss must have affected him deeply enough that he had lost his wits for a moment. “Oh, you are a little spitfire, aren’t you?” 
    He looked shocked that she had taken the pistol from him. He thought he knew her, just from looking at her and drawing his own conclusions, but he knew nothing. He didn’t know what she was capable of. He had no way to fathom what she would do if she was pushed into it.
    “I am,” she said, wincing as her voice trembled.  
    “You cannot pull that trigger,” he said calmly. “You cannot shoot me. You do not have it in you.”
    “Oh, you think so, do you, sir?”
    “I doubt you have even shot a pistol before,” he countered nonchalantly. 
    “You obviously don’t know my family. We like our guns, and I have gone trapshooting and hunting with my brothers and father more times than I can count.”
    Aiming the pistol so that it was no longer directed at him, she shot it into the air. Birds flew out of the trees and other woodland creatures skittered at the cacophony.
    “Within minutes, help shall arrive. My brother will hear the gunshot since he and my sister-in-law are out in the gardens. Heed my warning and leave immediately. I assure you, being caught is something you wouldn’t want to suffer.”
    “It will take him time to reach us, and that amount of time is all I need,” he calmly countered.
    He had it all in hand. Nothing could ruffle this blackguard’s feathers. 
    “You are not making this easy for me. You will be clapped in irons soon, and yet, you are trading civil whiskers with me as if you haven’t a care in the world.” His cavalier attitude was really starting to try her patience.
    “Maybe I don’t or at least, I didn’t until I met you. You shall waste your life on marrying that oaf, Duxford. He can’t fulfill what you truly desire. I think now, contrary to what I used to believe, that love at first sight truly does exist. You must give in to what you truly desire, my dearest. You felt what burned between us when we kissed. Don’t fight it, sweetheart.”
    “What do I truly desire?” she asked breathlessly, carefully placing the pistol on the ground. He crossed the short distance to her, took the pistol, tucked it safely away, and mounted her horse.
    This was sheer madness. She had gone straight to Bedlam! Merciful heavens, why was she allowing him to put her in such a dangerous situation? 
    He had broken down her defenses, and now he was closer to her than she’d ever allowed a strange man to be.
    “You truly desire, adventure and freedom—and you desire me.” He reached down to her. She knew what he wanted her to do. She wanted to tell him to go to hell, and yet, she was tempted. Mayhap, she could run away with this scoundrel with the sinfully dark eyes. Maybe, she could be his lady love. She had always craved adventure, and yet, the thought of ever leaving England put dread into her soul. This man would take her away from England. He was Scottish, and how could a thoroughly English maiden ever marry a Scotsman? How? He wouldn’t ever let her live in England. He would not allow it. And if he was a blackguard as she suspected, she would have to live on the fringes of society. She would have to forsake all that she knew. She would become a fallen woman. Could she do it? Proper and polite Gemma, who never made a faulty step? Who had been deemed the ice maiden by some in her own social set? Surely, she could not, and oh, how she was tempted.
    Temptation was about to lead her astray, and she