Taming The Bride (Brides of Mayfair 2) Read Free

alas, I must decline. Y’see, I’d rather eat broken glass than sell meself to ye this evenin’—or any other evenin’, for that matter.”
    “What’s this?” he asked. “You’re refusing me?”
    “Ah! Ye ’ave a mind as sharp as a rapier,” Prudence replied sarcastically. “Good of ye to catch on.”
    Instead of being offended by her words, the man seemed amused by them—by her. He smiled and said, “You might want to reconsider, my dear. I can assure you that you’ll find me a more congenial partner than most men who will proposition you this evening.”
    Prudence huffed. “I must not ’ave explained meself clearly just a moment ago, so I’ll try again. Y’see, sir, I’d rather slit me own throat with a wee butter knife than spend one more minute in the presence of a windy, rattle-trap rake such as ye’self. Now, ’ave I made meself perfectly clear?”
    He gave a sympathetic grin and replied, “My poor little flower. I see now how frightened you are. Otherwise you would not try so hard to get rid of me. Afraid that you might melt in my arms, are you? Afraid that you’ll enjoy my attentions all too much?”
    “’Course not!” she protested.
    “Prove it, then.”
    Prudence put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t ’ave ta prove anythin’ to the likes o’ you.”
    “Ah, you see? You are afraid to test yourself,” he pronounced. “And I must say, I can’t blame you. There isn’t a woman alive who can resist my embrace, or my kiss. I wouldn’t trust myself either, if I were you.”
    Oh, the absolute cheek!
    Prudence stared silently at him for some moments.
    How she would like to humiliate this man! But that was not why she had come out to Drury Lane this evening. She was wasting time. Even though she had lost the first girl, there were others she could help tonight, if she could just get rid of this pest of a man.
    Still, if she could embarrass him—obviously a regular customer, perhaps she would be doing some good after all. Perhaps she could eliminate one more patron from buying the favors of the poor girls she was trying to help.
    “Oh, I trust meself completely, sir,” Prudence replied haughtily. “I’ll prove it to ye, then.”
    “Shall you, now?” he said, cocking an eyebrow.
    “Yes, I shall, sir. Ye’ll see that yer embrace’ll not affect me in the least.”
    “And my kiss?” he whispered, as he pulled her back around a tree and into strong, well-muscled arms.
    “N-nor that, neither,” she said, gulping as he brought her full against him.
    Gads, was she really going to let this stranger kiss her?
    As his wicked mouth descended toward hers, it seemed that she was.
    The stranger’s intoxicating kiss created the most alarming sensations all over her body—in parts that were nowhere near where she was being kissed! Tingles danced up her spine, heat flooded slowly through her limbs, and her knees seemed to forget their purpose in helping her to stand.
    But strangest of all was that she didn’t seem to care one whit about any of that.
    All at once she felt the stranger being torn away from her, grunting in pain.
    Opening her eyes, she saw a frightening figure looming in the shadows. Mungo—looking every inch the blood-thirsty pirate—had one hand around the man’s throat and was lifting him practically off the ground.
    “Ye wants I should squeeze ’is neck so ’is eyes pops out of ’is ’ead, miss?” Mungo said, grinning like a madman.
    The dark stranger looked down at her and rasped something incomprehensible.
    “That won’t be necessary, Mungo,” Prudence said, trying to regain her composure.
    “Oh, but it’s been so long!” Mungo pleaded. “’Ow ’bout I slits ’is throat, then? I brought me nice sharp dagger, so I did.” The shiny blade flashed in the lamplight as he raised it to the man’s throat.
    “If you had a dull knife, I might consider it,” Prudence replied, crossly. “You shouldn’t have come over, Mungo. I didn’t