Seduction in Mind Read Online Free PDF

how to treat a woman with respect."
    He was doing his damnedest just then. "I have an appointment, Mother. If you'll excuse me. Owens will bring you fresh toast if you wish."
    "I don't wish fresh toast. I wish you to come to dinner tonight."
    "I'm sorry, Mother. It's impossible."
    "Have you no thought of an heir," she inquired heatedly, her eyes snapping with irritation, her slender shoulders quivering ever so slightly with her indignation.
    "Marcus has sons."
    "The Lennoxes have always inherited by direct bloodlines."
    "Then maybe it's time for a change. Good day, Mother." And he walked from the room before he said something inexcusable.
    His temper must have been evident on his face, for the servants moved out of his way as he stalked down the corridor. Fucking Clarissa Thornton! What the hell was his mother thinking? As if he were interested in another empty-headed schoolgirl intent on marrying a wealthy man.
    And as though his heated emotions required surcease, the very unschoolgirllike sensuality of Miss Ionides appeared in his thoughts. He smiled. What a perfect antidote to his mother's annoying visit. He could be at the racetrack within the hour.
    ----
Chapter Five

     
    The day was balmy with a light breeze, the sunshine brilliant, the field of thoroughbreds choice. It was the kind of afternoon to put anyone in good humor. And once he found Miss Ionides, Sam thought as he walked into the royal enclosure, he just might attain that state.
    He'd missed the first race, having been waylaid by his steward, who'd required numerous signatures on numerous documents, most of which could have safely waited until tomorrow with anyone but Patrick. But Patrick McGuff ran Sam's estates with a fine-tuned precision and for his expertise, however compulsive, Sam willingly suffered an occasional inconvenience.
    His headache was almost gone—several cups of very black coffee along with a quick breakfast had restored his energy after his sleepless night—and now all he had to do was find Miss Ionides and convince her to leave with him. Nothing too daunting, he facetiously thought, remembering her pointed rejections yesterday. But he remembered, as well, the look behind the look in her eyes, the one that responded to him with an instant susceptibility. And she wasn't a novice after two husbands and considerable lovers. She knew what she was feeling.
    When he found her, however, she was surrounded by a flock of admirers, and she refused to acknowledge his presence. He stood apart for a time, enjoying the view—she looked especially fine in cream georgette and a small flowered hat—enjoying her obvious discomfort as well. She'd taken note of him despite her studied indifference. But when he finally approached her sometime later, his voice was deliberately bland. "Could you spare a few moments, Miss Ionides? I could use some help deciding which horse to bet on in the next race."
    The Spanish ambassador's son, who had been the most solicitous of her admirers, looked at Sam and snorted. "Might you like some advice on the ladies as well, Ranelagh?" Sam's record of wins at the track was unparalleled.
    "I wasn't talking to you, Jorges, but if I were, I wouldn't be asking for advice on either horses or ladies."
    "I'm afraid I can't help you, Lord Ranelagh," Alex interjected, fixing her gaze on Sam's forehead because her pulse rate had quickened the instant he'd walked into the enclosure and only sheer will had maintained her composure under his surveillance. "I rarely bet on the horses."
    "Perhaps we could learn together, then"—he smiled—"about the merits of thoroughbreds."
    How beautifully he smiled, how at ease he was in pursuit. "Thank you, but I'm really not interested." Her voice was brusque because she'd barely slept last night for thoughts of him, and his assurance was galling. Furthermore, he looked as though he'd not slept either, his eyes shadowed with fatigue, and she wasn't naive enough to think he'd lost sleep over her.
    "She's