"Mother is quite fond of you, you know, even though you're American. She already told me it was quite all right to ask for your hand."
Right-ho, Trevor thought, Mummy has given permission. How nice.
The girl was now trying desperately to free herself. "Oh, Roger, do get up!" she said, finally jerking her hands out of his grip. "I should have known this wasn't going to work. Let's just forget the whole thing."
The man stared up at her in bewilderment. "Forget the whole thing? I don't understand."
"I know you don't. You've made a charming offer. I'm flattered, really. But I can't possibly marry you."
"You are refusing me?" he asked in disbelief. "But you invited me out here! You led me to believe—"
"I'm sorry if I misled you, I truly am. That was not my intention. But we are ill-suited, I'm afraid, and if we were to marry, it would be a grievous mistake for both of us."
Trevor heartily agreed. This was a girl clearly out of the common run, a girl who desired passion even though she was obviously innocent of its ramifications. He doubted Roger was capable of giving her what she longed for, in the marriage bed or out of it.
There was a long, uncomfortable silence before Roger finally spoke. "I see," he said coldly, and stood up. "You're right, of course. It would be a mistake." His voice grew more contemptuous with every word he spoke. "I should have known better than to waste my affections on an ill-bred American. Good-bye."
He bowed stiffly and departed.
"Oh, hell!" she muttered after he had gone. "My first real kiss and he had to act like such a prig and spoil it all!"
Trevor couldn't help it. He burst out laughing.
Margaret whirled around with a gasp. She stared in shock as a man she had never seen before emerged from the shadows, a man of formidable height and wide shoulders, with rumpled clothes, rakish black hair, and an unshaven face. But the clothes were of excellent cut, and his voice, when he spoke, was deep, cultured, and very much amused.
"You can't blame me for laughing." He came so close to her that she had to lift her chin to look into his face. She caught a glimpse of angular features and deep-set eyes, then everything suddenly began to blur. She shook her head from side to side and hastily took a step back, then another, trying to clear her champagne-drugged senses.
"If you step back any further, you'll be in the fountain," he pointed out.
Her heel hit the tiled surround of the fountain, and she was forced to halt her retreat. "Who are you?" she demanded.
"I don't know when I've seen anything so amusing in my life," he said without answering her question. "He is a prig, and I'm glad you refused to marry him."
She realized that he must have seen and heard everything, and her shock turned to outrage. "How dare you lurk back there in the shadows, eavesdropping!"
"I was here first," he replied. "If you wanted privacy, you should have made certain there was no one else here."
That did not pacify her, but she had the feeling it wasn't intended to. "You should have made your presence known immediately."
"And interrupt one of the greatest moments of a girl's life? I couldn't possibly."
"It was a private conversation!" she shot back furiously.
He smiled at her, a slow, teasing smile, and began to walk toward her. "Somehow, I got the impression it was kissing, not conversation, that you had in mind."
She was humiliated that this stranger had witnessed the embarrassing scene. But she refused to let it show. She tried to gather her dazed wits and muster some dignity. She lifted her chin and gave him her haughtiest stare. "I don't know what you mean."
"No?" He gently brushed her lips with the tip of his finger. The light touch paralyzed her, and she felt her heart pounding hard in her breast. Who was he?
"If you really want to experiment with kissing," he murmured, slowly stroking her lower lip, "you ought to choose a man who knows how to do it properly."
His words galvanized her into action. She grasped his wrist and pushed his hand away. "Like you, I suppose?"
"Is that an offer? Of course, I'd be happy to step in for poor old Roger." He leaned closer and added in a confidential whisper, "I promise not to ruin everything by dropping down on one knee and proposing."
His teasing smile widened, and she was certain that he was laughing at her. She opened her mouth to reply, but she could think of nothing sharp enough or scathing enough to shatter his arrogant self-assurance. Hot with embarrassment, dazed by too much champagne, and speechless with frustration and fury, she did the only thing she could think of. She ran away.
Still smiling, Trevor watched her hasty departure until something glittering in the moonlight caught his eye. He picked up the object and whistled. It was a woman's hair comb of gold filigree set with a multitude of diamonds. Toying with the jeweled comb that must be worth over a hundred pounds, he thought of the girl's enticing figure, trembling mouth, and innocently provocative attempts at seduction. It was an unusual and tempting mixture, and he felt a sudden rush of desire. A pity he hadn't been the one to take her for a moonlight walk. Perhaps she might have found her experiment a bit more gratifying. He certainly would have enjoyed it.
Want more? Download your copy of The Seduction now!
Back to Order Links
About the Author
Laura Lee Guhrke spent seven years in advertising, had a successful catering business, and managed a construction company before she decided writing novels was more fun. The author of many historical romances, Laura has received multiple literary awards, including romance fiction’s highest honor, the Rita Award, and her books have appeared on both the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. When she’s not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura spends her time skiing down the slopes, wakeboarding across the lakes, and fishing along the streams of her beautiful home state of Idaho. You can visit www.lauraleeguhrke.com for more information about Laura and all her books. On her website, you’ll be able to view more excerpts, learn more about her next book, keep up with her latest news, and enter her book contests. You can also visit her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
Visit Laura’s website
Join Laura on Facebook
Follow her on Twitter
Subscribe to her newsletter
Table of Contents
Prelude To Heaven
Part One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Part II
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Epilogue
More Romance from
Laura Lee Guhrke
To Dream Again
About the Author
Prelude to Heaven Page 36
