The Perfect Wife Read Free Page A

think of nothing I would rather do.”
    He took her in his arms and drew her onto the dance floor. A waltz played, and Sabrina noted how well, how easily, how naturally her body fit to his. His hand against her back, strong and sure, the muscles in his arm, solid beneath her touch. The heat of his body enveloped her in a heady haze of beckoning desire.
    Whirling around the room, gazing into his eyes, she wondered at the immediate attraction between them. Something about this man, some indefinable quality threatened to break down her defenses and leave her vulnerable and unguarded. It was almost as if they weren’t strangers. Almost as if destiny had taken a hand here. Almost as if it were magic.
    Magic.
    She’d found magic once before in the arms of her husband. Or what passed for magic then. When Jack Winfield swept her into his arms during that first season so long ago she’d lost herself in the passion and fire of a rake who had eyes only for her.
    Magic.
    She’d nearly found magic again, three times in the thirteen years since his death. Three men selected for the hint, the tinge, the trace of magic in their look and their touch and their smiles. While each in his turn vowed undying love and all had asked her to wed, true magic remained elusive, lingering just out of reach. She gently broke off each romance and somehow managed not to break their hearts as well. Sabrina matter-of-factly suspected all still harbored a secret hope for more.
    Magic.
    Now, in the arms of this man, the promise of something wonderful was powerful, almost tangible. Never had she known a pull this strong. Could he be the one to return the magic to her life? The one to finally cure her restless desires? The one to make her complete? She would settle for nothing less.
    But what would he want in return? The unexpected query flashed through her mind, and she nearly stumbled in mid-turn.
    His brows drew together in a concerned frown. “Is there a problem?”
    “A simple misstep.” She tossed him a reassuring smile. A man like this would expect—nay,
demand
—a woman to be the epitome of social correctness. To be placid and pliable. To yield and obey. A man like this would expect her to be exactly what she appeared to be, to live up to the lie she lived every day.
    No. No matter the attraction, the spark, the simmering desire, it would not do to become involved with this man. She could not run the risk of allowing him to discover the woman carefully buried beneath the layers of acceptable behavior. A woman hidden for nearly a decade. She could not risk his disapproval.
    He held her daughter’s fate in his hands. With one word he could put an end to the marriage plans. That she could not, would not, allow. No, regardless of this compelling and unexpected attraction, Nicholas Harrington must remain no more than the father of her daughter’s
fiancé. No more, no less.
    The music drifted to a close. Reluctantly but firmly, Sabrina stepped out of Nicholas’s arms. She needed distance between them, physically and emotionally, and quickly. Already she’d allowed him to glimpse much more than he should.
    She glanced up at him, the passion he aroused carefully concealed beneath a calm exterior, the serene mask again firmly in place. “We must speak in depth about the marriage arrangements at some point. Right now, I am certain you will want to see to your other guests, so I shall not detain you any longer.”
    She nodded politely and turned away, allowing him no time to respond. But she could not miss the puzzled look on his face and the way his dark eyes smoldered.
    Sabrina refused to look back.
    Accepting a glass of champagne from a passing footman, her hand trembled. Why did this stranger effect her so deeply? There was no logical reason for it. Sabrina shook herself mentally and headed for the room reserved for card playing. A relaxing game was an excellent idea. After all, tonight as usual, she’d had more than enough practice in the fine art