A Wild Yearning Read Online Free PDF

put," he told Delia before following.
    Delia remained sitting obediently on the edge of the mattress until she remembered what he and the woman had been about to do in this very bed. Why, he probably thinks he'll try me out next for a place in his bawdy house. —and the thought brought Delia up fast onto shaky legs. Of their own accord, her feet carried her into the sitting room.
    He stood by the door with Priscilla, who was wrapped up in a hooded red cloak. His hands rested on her shoulders and he was saying in a soothing, gentle voice, "She's probably here because of that damn advertisement. It's late anyway, sweet, and you should be getting home."
    "Ty, if you take that girl to bed—"
    He put his fingers against her lips. "Hush. You know I wouldn't do that to you. One of the reasons I came all this way to Boston was to see you, Pris."
    She nodded, her full mouth parting tremulously. "And you're leaving tomorrow. It could be months, perhaps years, before I'll see you again."
    His mouth quirked into an endearingly lopsided smile. "Somehow I don't think you'll lack for company in the meantime."
    Laughing lightly, she flicked his cheek with a painted ivory fan. "Law you, Tyler Savitch, you've a wicked mind."
    He brushed his lips across her cheekbone. "Goodbye, Pris."
    "Take care, Ty," she answered, smiling still, but as she turned, fumbling for the doorlatch, Delia thought she saw the gleam of unshed tears.
    Ty closed the door behind Priscilla. He did not look at Delia but went instead to the hearth. He moved with a fluid grace and his body was lean, like his face. And hard. The fine lawn of his shirt clung to the muscles of his chest and back as he moved.
    He lifted an embroidered waistcoat off the back of the wainscot chair and shrugged it on, although he left it unbuttoned. Then he took a taper from the mantel and stuck it in the coals. He put the flame of the candle to a fresh torch of pitch pine held in a bracket on the wall. The torch caught, flaring and shedding a bright light on the room.
    He turned. His face was set into hard lines, lips pressed together, a scowl drawing a crease between his brows. Delia had to stiffen her muscles to keep from squirming under his direct gaze.
    "Come here," he said.
    She swallowed hard and took two tiny steps into the room. He had promised the other woman he wouldn't take her to bed, but that didn't mean he hadn't lied. Or that he wouldn't strike out at her, like her da, should his temper get the better of him. She looked up into his face. His eyes weren't black. They were a very deep, dark blue.
    "I suppose you're going to claim you wandered into the wrong bed by mistake," he said.
    Color leaped to Delia's face as she remembered how she had sat in silence and watched him making love to Priscilla. Delia had thought herself wise to life, to love, but she hadn't known it could be like that between a man and a woman. So much... so much passion. She wondered why such a man, with his enticing good looks, felt the need to advertise for a wife. Perhaps he intended to test all the women who applied to see which candidate could please him best in bed before making his choice. The very thought caused her stomach to do a somersault.
    "Well," the man said. His face was still stern, but his indigo eyes sparkled with repressed laughter. "What were you doing in my bed, brat?"
    Delia's head came up as she pulled the folded newspaper from the pocket of her petticoat. "Are ye Tyler W. Savitch, M.D.?" she demanded, though she knew well by now that he was. She held the newspaper out to him, pointing with a dirty finger at the advertisement. "Then are ye denyin' ye're responsible for this?"
    "You've got it upside down."
    Hot color flooded her cheeks, but she thrust out her chin. "I know how t' read. Some. Anyways, the advert never said nothin' about knowin' how t' read."
    "No, it didn't.... What's your name?"
    "Delia. Delia McQuaid."
    He beckoned to her with one languid hand. "Well, come closer, Delia