A Season of Ruin Read Online Free PDF Page B

had she started wearing such low-cut gowns? “I noticed the same thing myself.”
    He hadn’t.
But then he was accustomed to seeing women in various stages of undress.
    She turned away from him and made some mysterious adjustments to her gown only another female would understand. When she turned back, he couldn’t help but notice her repairs hadn’t been entirely successful.
    Robyn choked back a laugh. “Can I help you?”
    She glared at her bodice, then glared at him. “I think not.”
    He held up his hands in an innocent shrug. “I’m not looking.”
    He was.
    She tried to smooth the neckline to cover her breasts. His mouth went dry as he watched her pat at the fabric.
    â€œI’m ready,” she announced.
    He leaned a hip against the door. “No, you’re not. Your sash is twisted.”
    She mumbled something about “dratted ribbons” and tried to smooth the wrinkle out of the sash, but it was no good.
    Robyn crossed his legs at the ankles and grinned at her. If she wanted perfect ribbons, she’d have to remove her sash. While he watched. Then she’d likely need his help to tie it again.
    So. Just how badly did Lily want perfect ribbons? Badly enough to practically undress in front of him? At least, that was how she’d see it. He’d find it less thrilling, of course, as he routinely stripped women of far more than their sashes.
    With his teeth.
    She bit her lip, then reached around to untie the sash.
    Robyn felt his grin widen.
Ah-ha
. The high price of perfection.
    He watched, more intrigued than he should be, as she pulled the bow loose and the green ribbon fell away from her waist.
    Thrilling enough, though.
    She ran the twisted end of the satin through her fingers to smooth it. She held it in place against her front, hesitated, then turned her back to him. “If you wouldn’t mind?”
    Mind? He was jealous of a length of ribbon. “Not at all.”
    He took the ends of the ribbon in his fingers and pulled the sash firmly around her. He let his knuckles brush against her slim waist as he tied the bow.
    She turned around to face him. “There. Is that satisfactory?”
    He looked her over. Smooth ribbons. Every hair in place. Breasts covered. This was the Lily he recognized. “I liked it better before.”
    She gave a haughty little sniff and turned back toward the door. “You
would
.”
    He hooked a finger around her sash and drew her back again. “You can’t just wander out into the hallway as if you’re picking flowers in a meadow, you know.”
    Funny, the way that particular image kept coming up.
    He opened the door a crack and scanned the hallway. “Let me at least look first. If there’s no one about, you can return to the drawing room. I’ll follow after a few minutes so it doesn’t look like we’ve been off somewhere alone together, for you may as well go back to Surrey tomorrow if you’re seen leaving a dark room with me—
Christ!
”
    The door jerked out of Robyn’s hand. A petite brunette wearing a dark blue gown dashed through it, straight into his arms.
    â€œYou waited for me,” she breathed in low, husky tones as she wound her black-gloved arms around his neck. “It took me an eternity to get away, and all the while I could think of nothing but this.”
    She sank her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck and pressed her lips passionately against his.
    Alicia had finally arrived.
    *   *   *
    Lily stood there, white-faced, as Robyn seized his second opportunity of the evening.
    He did have great presence of mind, just as he’d claimed, for he kicked the door shut behind the woman. To be fair, he didn’t precisely
seize
her, though his hands closed around her waist. “Alicia! Give me a moment, pet,” he said, trying to hold her away from him.
    â€œDon’t tease me, Robyn,” the woman