Hart's Desire (Pirates & Petticoats Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

was beautiful. His azure eyes took on a mischievous glint, making her wonder if he’d just read her mind.
    “I would gladly come out, but my hair is caught,” she muttered, unnerved again by her body’s response to the man. “And I am not a mere girl. I’ll have you know, Captain, I’m nineteen.” She clenched her teeth and fought harder to yank her hair from the branches. Drat. She had the most abominable luck.
    Captain Hart stepped closer. “Perhaps I can be of some assistance and free you from your bushy captor.” He gave her a lazy grin followed by a long appraisal from head to toe.
    His nearness had an adverse effect on her lungs and she found it difficult to draw a breath. She sensed a rakish quality in the captain. As if he knew she was flustered by his proximity, he stepped even closer. She wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he was terribly conceited and prone to more than a little deceit, as well.
    “No.” She pulled again and a sharper pain shot across the back of her head. “I can do it, really, Captain Hart.” Why didn't he just leave her alone?
    “Nonsense.” He gently grasped her wrists to pull them away from her hair.
    He was too close.  
    The scent of him mingled with leather and fresh spring air, which combined for a heady mix of danger and calm.  
    Her pulse jumped wildly beneath his fingers, and she was terrified he could feel it too.
      “Hmmm.” Leaning over her shoulder, he studied the tangled web of curls. “It would seem you have a dilemma, my sweet. There is a large amount of hair and several branches involved.” He reached for his dagger. “I can cut you free—”
    “Wait!” she squeaked, horrified. “Can’t you cut the branches, instead?” She took a short breath. The desire to save her hair and the strong urge to flee warred with each other in her mind. The dangerous aura surrounding Landon Hart sent her nerves into a frenzied dance, and she hated that she couldn’t keep calm and act nonchalant.  
    “It’ll take a great deal of effort to both free you and keep these silken strands of copper and gold intact,” he said, eyebrows raised.
    It nipped at her pride to do so, but it was obvious she needed to ask for his help. How would she ever explain away a cropped head of hair and a sliced finger? Uncle Jared was already suspicious of her tendency to rise before the sun, unlike his family, who usually slept through breakfast. One more incident would likely push him past the limit of his patience.
    “Captain Hart, can you take a moment to make an attempt?” She nudged away her pride and mumbled, “Please.”
    Landon sighed dramatically and touched his palm to his chest. “How can I possibly refuse such a distressed and heartfelt plea from such a comely maiden?”
    Keelan expelled a breath of tentative relief. Perhaps he could be a gentleman after all.
    “However,” he continued in a serious tone; his gaze flicked from her eyes to the tangles and back again. “As a tradesman, my time and labor always come at a price.”
    Her premature sense of relief quickly chilled. This couldn't possibly end well.
    “A price?” she said in a tone that should have coated the garden with frost. “And what price would that be?”  
    His expression remained stoic while he scratched his neck. “The lowest price on my books for freeing a young lady from a barbaric bush is…” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “A kiss.”
    A what? He can’t possibly be serious, the arrogant…
    Keelan opened her mouth to rebuff him. Remind him of his place. And hers. He dare not… Try as she would, she could not spur her tongue into motion. It was as if he’d just uttered a spell paralyzing her mouth as well as her limbs.  
    He raised his hand and ran the outside of his fingers along her jaw before cupping her face. He leaned forward and barely touched her lips, feather soft, tasting. The pressure of his kiss intensified. The touch of his mouth, soft and hard all at once, consumed her