Dangerous to Love Read Online Free PDF

aching, Serena closed her eyes, shutting out the sight of him. What a fool she had been to think she could use him for her own purposes. What folly to think she could be Victoria and do whatever she wanted. She wasn’t anything like Victoria. She was a product of her upbringing. She was a Ward, a
Ward,
and if her poor mother could see her now, she would turn in her grave.
    It was so unjust. She had not wanted things to go this far. She had tried to tell him, but he wouldn’t listen. She might as well have tried to turn back the tide as restrain Julian Raynor in the throes of passion. That was the trouble, of course. She had not known the first thing about a man’s passion, had not known that a few stolen kisses could lead so quickly to mindless delight. She had left it too late, and she had paid the price for her folly.
    He kissed her softly. “You don’t regret it?”
    She wanted to lash out at him but had not the will nor the energy. What would be the use? The worst had already happened. All she wanted was to find some quiet sanctuary where she could sort out her thoughts on the catastrophe that had overtaken her.
    “No,” she said tonelessly.
    Pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder, he said, “Go to sleep. We’ll talk later.”
    Silently, she rolled to her side, away from him, listeningto the sound of his breathing, waiting for sleep to claim him so that she could slip away.
       She moved fretfully, brushing at the hand that was kneading the underswell of one sensitive breast. The hand persisted. Opening her eyes, Serena looked down. With a gasping cry of horror, she hauled herself up. His back was propped against the pillows, a lazy, wicked smile tugged at his lips. Light streamed through the window, but it was the feeble light of early dawn.
    Gritting her teeth, she flung herself from the bed, and went in search of her discarded garments. Ignoring the damage that had been inflicted by uncaring masculine hands, she quickly donned them, keeping a wary eye on the man in the bed.
    Julian yawned, stretching his arms wide. Muscles bunched and rippled across his powerful torso as he laced his fingers behind his neck. The threat that Serena had sensed in him from the first moment she had set eyes on him was no longer there. With the foolish grin on his face and the relaxed posture, he put her in mind of a well-fed feline.
    “You were a virgin,” he said, pleasure evident in every syllable he uttered.
    Serena fumbled with the tapes of her petticoat, and her head came up. “And that pleases you?” she asked incredulously. Even the rakes and roués in her set were known to be scrupulous in their treatment of virgins.
    “Naturally, it pleases me, though I hardly expected it. You are no green girl, are you? Oh, not that I am complaining, you understand. I count myself lucky that I was the one you chose when you decided to embark on your profession.”
    “Chose
you?
I never chose you! You were a lightning bolt that struck me when I least expected it.”
    She bit down on her lip to stem the rising tide of fury. Her wicked tongue, Flynn had often told her, would be the death of her. The prudent thing to do was to leave this place quickly and without fuss, before she gave in to the very understandable temptation to shriek obscenities at him.
    “I see what it is,” said Julian, regarding her steadily and shrewdly. “In the cold light of day, you are beginning to have second thoughts. My advice to you is
don’t.
It’s too late to turn back. You made your decision. You have no reason to change it, and many good reasons to go on with it.”
    Hatred filled her so completely that she could not find the words to answer him. He knew that he had taken a virgin. He should be on his knees, begging her forgiveness. He should be offering her marriage. And she would throw his offer back in his teeth and walk away laughing.
    Misreading her silence, Julian went on gently, “I have more experience of the world than you. I know what