Master of Seduction Read Free Page A

Whitney lifted her chin and looked down her hook nose to Mrs. Darcy. “I have no doubt. You can see his good breeding. ’Twould be obvious to anyone that he is royal.”
    Lorelei and Amanda exchanged frowns.
    Then there was a flurry of feminine voices near them, some of them quite silly and high-pitched.
    “Count Hapsburg is coming this way!” someone said. “Pass me my smelling salts.”
    “He’s going to ask someone to dance,” another woman said.
    “Please, let it be me,” the first woman begged.
    Lorelei strained to see this mysterious count, but she was too short to see over the high wigs of the older women. In fact, she couldn’t even tell from which direction he was supposed to be coming.
    “He’s after my Amanda,” Lady Whitney said, her voice filled with glee. “Pinch your cheeks, dear, and for heaven’s sake, straighten up.”
    As Lorelei searched the crowd for the newcomer, she caught Justin’s eye. He raised his eyebrows in relief, smiled, and headed straight for her.
    Oh, bother, he was after her now. Her toes twitched in memory of those polished black boots crushing them.
    “Excuse me, please,” she said to her group as she sought to find another safe corner of the room.
    Lorelei was still looking back over her shoulder, to where Justin was making strides through the crowd, when she suddenly ran into a wall.
    Only it wasn’t a wall, she realized as she placed her hand upon it to steady herself.
    It was a broad, rock-hard chest.
    Her sight focused on the elegant, black silk, double-breasted cutaway beneath her hand. She slowly trailed her gaze up the embroidered cream waistcoat to his stand-fall collar, the stark white, lace-edged stock, and then to his…
    Oh my .
    Eyes of pewter stared down out of a face she’d never before seen in reality. It was the face of some perfect, ancient statue. His features sharp and angular, there was something predatorial in his gaze. Something that reminded her of a hawk watching a hare it wanted desperately to devour.
    He gave her a smile that turned her legs to jelly.
    “Forgive me, mademoiselle ,” he said in a deep, stunning timbre, his voice rich with a foreign accent.
    Lorelei wanted to respond, but for the first time in her life, words failed her.
    “I trust you’re unharmed?” he asked.
    She returned his beguiling smile, her throat finally loosening enough for her to speak. “I’m fine, thank you. I only hope I didn’t offend you too much with my clumsiness.”
    He gave a low, rich laugh that made her insides flutter. “Please, feel free to run into my arms anytime you feel the urge.”
    “There you are, Lori,” Justin said, coming up to stand beside her. His gaze raked the stranger with malice and it was only then she realized her hand hadn’t left the man’s chest.
    Lorelei jerked her hand away with a very undignified gasp.
    “I don’t believe I know you, sir,” Justin said with ice in his voice as he forced himself between her and the man.
    “ Count ,” the man corrected in a voice every bit as arctic. “Count Arnaulf Hapsburg.”
    Arnaulf turned his gaze to Lorelei and she grew warm inside at his heated perusal. “And you, mademoiselle ?”
    She sensed the anger and jealousy in Justin, but too much a gentleman to show anything save proper manners, he answered for her. “Allow me to present my…”—he paused for emphasis—” fiancée , Miss Lorelei Dupree.”
    Nervously, Lorelei extended her hand to the count and gave a proper curtsy.
    His warm hand covered hers. Long, tapered, and well-manicured, his fingers were obviously those of a gentleman, and yet she felt rough calluses on his palm that belied the noble title.
    He bowed low before her upraised hand. His warm breath tickled her flesh, sending chills all the way up her arm. And when his lips touched the back of her hand, he gave an impudent nip with his teeth.
    Startled, she felt her blood race through her veins and straight to a foreign part of her body that thrummed