Adele Ashworth Read Online Free PDF Page B

this person?”
    “I believe you do, yes.”
    He turned once more to the counter, poured two cups of coffee, placed them on a silver tray, then carried everything to the table.
    “Have you ever had coffee, Natalie?” he asked, sitting in the chair next to hers and handing her a cup.
    She shook her head. “My mother proclaims it to be a heathen beverage.”
    His mouth twisted in a smile. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
    She looked at the thick, dark liquid and shivered. “I usually prefer chocolate in the morning. It’s one of my most insatiable desires. I adore chocolate.”
    He raised his cup to his lips. “And what are some of your other insatiable desires?”
    Her eyes grew wide as her pulse began to race. Above everything else, she needed to remember his reputation, to ignore and smoothly glide over every indecent innuendo to come from his mouth.
    Finding her voice, she announced levelly, “I’ll pay you to help me locate—”
    “Jonathan?”
    The soft interruption came from the doorway. Natalie looked to her left to see an absolutely beautiful dark-haired woman walk into the kitchen wearing nothing but blue velvet mules and a white, Oriental silk wrap, tied at her waist by a thin silk sash, hiding almost nothing of her body, least of all the outline of her tall, lithe, elegantly curved figure.
    Natalie had never been more thunderstruck, and apparently neither had the woman as they both stared openly at each other for one long and extremely awkward moment.
    Then Jonathan groaned, and they turned their gazes to him.
    He closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, and sank lower into his chair.
    “Miss Natalie Haislett, Miss Marissa Jenkins,” he said as an introduction.
    Natalie wondered for a moment if the woman deserved the title, then decided that was really beside the point. Suddenly made speechless, she slowly came to the conclusion that the exotic-looking creature standing in front of them was the man’s mistress. Of course Natalie was a lady, properly bred, but she’d heard rumors and knew many gentlemen of quality had them. She would not, therefore, be shocked. She would not be shocked. But in the course of several long, silent seconds, the poor man seated next to her became so adorably disconcerted, she could hardly keep from laughing. She would positively need to use the moment for all it was worth.
    Recovering quickly, she removed her cloak to allow full view of her peach muslin morning gown, cut low across the front to expose the gentle swell of her ample bosom. She originally had no intention of removing her outer garment, but this situation called for the exception. Now she was more than glad she’d worn something a bit revealing.
    With a small measure of subtlety she pulled her thick mass of hair over her shoulder to cascade loosely down the front of her, then gave them both a disarming smile.
    “So you must be Jonathan’s mistress.”
    His head jerked up immediately, eyes wide and full of amazement, no doubt stunned to hear such common words from an unmarried lady of her station.
    Marissa caught on quickly. “I was his mistress, Miss Haislett, until last night when he dismissed me.” Gracefully she walked to the opposite end of the table and sat. “Have you ever had coffee? It’s quite good with a little sweet cream and sugar.”
    “I believe I’ll try it like that, thank you,” Natalie returned smoothly, ignoring the man beside her and reaching for the serving tray. She poured a generous amount of cream from the small pitcher into her cup, then followed it with a large spoonful of sugar. “And why were you dismissed, Marissa?”
    The woman sighed. “Well, I do believe Jonathan is ready to find someone a bit more permanent to warm his bed.”
    “The poor man cannot afford blankets?” she asked with wide-eyed concern.
    Marissa placed an elbow on the table, her chin in her palm. “I’m quite certain he’s thinking of something livelier and more exciting