Suzanna Medeiros Read Free Page A

and upper chest a rosy pink. She was clearly aroused. Behind the heat in her eyes, however, he detected a hint of uncertainty. Damn. How had he lost control so quickly? He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before pushing himself away from her. He watched in silence as she struggled with her skirts before rising to sit on the other end of the settee. One hand moved to touch her bottom lip and he knew with certainty that neither her husband, nor any other man, had ever kissed her that way.
    “Are you…” Flustered, she stopped before starting again. “Does this mean you agree to my request?”
    Mere agreement was laughable when compared to the feelings warring within him. Desire. Lust. An almost desperate need to throw her back down and finish what they’d started. Oh yes, he would most definitely give her what she wanted. And at the same time he’d finally get Miranda Hathaway out of his system and be done with her. And if a child resulted… Well, he wouldn’t be the first man with a bastard. And in his case he knew his son would be well provided for as the next Viscount Hathaway. And a daughter would also ensure Miranda had claims to the next Viscount’s generosity.
    Schooling his features to mask his anticipation, he rose and moved to the door. With one hand on the knob he turned back to face her.
    “I’ll send word of where and when.”
    At her nod he opened the door and, anxious to be away from Miranda and his newly aroused need for her, showed himself out.

Chapter Two
    Andrew’s note came the following morning. It contained simply an address and a time later that evening and was signed with an S for his title—Sanderson. That formality told her everything. He wanted her to know that despite the heated kiss they had shared the previous morning, there was to be no real intimacy between them.
    That kiss had haunted her the rest of the day and had led to a night of passionate dreams. It had also served to make her feel like a fraud when acquaintances and family friends called on her to offer their condolences and see how she was faring. While she appreciated their show of support, the very last thing she needed was to be forced to act the part of the grieving widow when all she could think about was the fact she would soon be physically intimate with Andrew.
    The hours crawled by and when evening finally arrived, a swarm of butterflies had taken up permanent residence low in her belly. But despite her nerves, she could hardly wait for the appointed hour to arrive. Her brief meeting with Andrew had told her what she had always suspected—there was more to the intimate relations between a man and a woman than what she had experienced in her marriage. She knew men took great pleasure in that physical act, and if the way she’d felt when Andrew had touched her was any indication, she suspected there could also be great pleasure for a woman.
    When it was time to prepare for their encounter, she took great care to dress to her best advantage, choosing an outfit that would give her the confidence she’d need. Given the illicit nature of the errand she was on, she couldn’t bring herself to wear one of her mourning gowns. She chose, instead, a satin gown of deep red that had a simple row of buttons up the back that she could reach herself with a little effort.
    Her maid had been surprised when Miranda dismissed her after the woman had laced her corset, but it was vital that the servants believe she was going out to have a quiet dinner at the home of a family friend. If gossip started to spread about her activities, she would not be able to carry out her supposed ruse and Andrew would have no reason to see her. If that happened, she would never find another reason to entice him to make love with her.
    She left her hair in the simple knot her maid had created that morning and concealed her outfit with a black cloak before stepping out into the street. Her butler had been aghast when she’d told him she planned