The Widow's Auction Read Online Free PDF Page B

to be participating in this sordid auction. He certainly wouldn’t expect her to go through with it after she’d been won, so if she went along willingly, she might allay any suspicions. She was safely masked, and the auction rules said he couldn’t remove the mask without her permission.
    Of course, Lord Warbrooke had never been one for following rules. . . 
    She squared her shoulders. No, she wouldn’t let him intimidate her. She must play her part so well–acting like a widow eager for his attentions–that he would never, ever dream it was her.
    Yes, that’s what she must do. Be bold, be daring. Be the wicked Bella.
    Besides, she had wanted to find out if she was capable of being a true wife to a man. She just hadn’t expected to perform her experiment on him , of all people.
    A shiver of anticipation swept through her despite all her fear. She tried fruitlessly to squelch it. She did find him attractive, after all. And if any man could guide her through the “pleasures of the flesh,” it would be him , with his Roman conqueror’s blood and his heated looks.
    Suddenly he was upon them, and she had no more time to decide. But she’d already made her decision. Bella–and only Bella–was spending the night with Lord Warbrooke.
    â€œThat’s quite a bid you placed, sir,” the auctioneer said genially as Lord Warbrooke met them. “I’m afraid I don’t know you–”
    â€œI’m the Marquess of Warbrooke.” His lordship’s eyes never left her masked face. “A guest of Lord Bradford’s.”
    The auctioneer chuckled. “I daresay he wished he hadn’t invited you.”
    â€œNo doubt.” Never one to waste time with pleasantries, he held out his arm to her. “Shall we go, madam?”
    His gaze was so searching and curious she feared she’d already given herself away. Scrambling for a further way to disguise herself, she pitched her voice at a lower timbre. “Of course, my lord.”
    His eyes narrowed. “You sound different from before.”
    The hint of challenge in his tone raised her hackles. Lady Kingsley might have to endure his impudence, but Bella didn’t. “My voice is higher when I’m nervous, that’s all.”
    His gloved hand curved warmly over hers, making her breath catch in her throat. “Why were you nervous? Surely you’ve done this before.”
    â€œNo, never.”
    â€œThat makes two of us,” he admitted as he led her toward the door, leaving the auctioneer behind.
    A devilish mischief seized her. “I hardly believe that. You seemed to know precisely what you wanted and how to get it.”
    â€œI should hope any man above the age of seventeen would.”
    â€œYes, but few men above the age of seventeen would pay a thousand pounds for it. I do hope I can make it worth your while.”
    His dark smile curled her toes. “You’ve already made it worth my while. Whatever follows will just be icing on the cake.”
    That drew her into a panic. Perhaps she’d underestimated the safety of her disguise. Oh, Lord, what if he’d already guessed who she was? What if he was toying with her, waiting to see how far she would sink into depravity before he exposed her? “Wh-what do you mean?”
    His hand stiffened on hers. “I finally got to publicly humiliate a man I despise. That was easily worth a thousand pounds.”
    â€œOh.” Despite her relief that he hadn’t guessed her identity, his explanation filled her with an unaccountable disappointment. “So this wasn’t about me at all. Any woman would have served your purpose. It was merely a battle between you and Lord Bradford.”
    â€œNot quite.” His heated gaze made a slow circuit of her body. “I bid on you because I wanted you. And I wanted no one else to have you.”
    His possessive tone and the glitter in his eyes ought to