To Surrender to a Rogue Read Online Free PDF

breeze. It was subtle. Sensual. Sexy.
    He felt the inside of his mouth go a little dry.
    Discipline, he reminded himself. He ought not be imagining the contours of her curves, or the exact hue of her creamy skin. It was wicked to wonder how her thighs would look stretched out on a rumpled sheet of satin. And it was most definitely dishonorable to fantasize about the feel of her flesh against his palms. He was willing to wager a fortune that she would be firm, yet sweetly yielding. Like a perfectly ripe peach.
    Diavolo. Now his mouth was watering.
    Hell, it was depraved to be creeping after a lady, in order to undress her with his mind's eye. He was, after all, enjoying a very pleasant arrangement with a buxom blonde at Cupid's Cave. So it wasn't as if he was starved for the sight of a naked female.
    A shiver of self-disgust slithered down his spine. Why couldn't he banish such bad, bewitching images from his brain?
    Lud, he was trying. But she was a torment. A temptation.
    Thank God the marchesa would never, ever guess the wayward direction of his thoughts.
    Bedeviled by his inner demons, Jack didn't see the turn in the path until he stumbled on a patch of loose gravel. At the crunch of stones, Alessandra stopped abruptly and turned to see who was behind her.
    As their eyes met, Jack realized his expression must be pinched in a black-as-hell scowl
    She froze him with an arctic stare. Emerald ice. Glittering like shards of frozen gemstones.
    They stood face-to-face for a split second longer. Then Alessandra turned and walked on without a second look.

Chapter four
    "Excellent essay, Lord James." Lord Fanning, head of the Architecture Committee of the Julius Caesar Society, took a moment to polish his spectacles on his sleeve. "And the accompanying sketches are first rate, sir. First rate!"
    "Thank you,'' replied Jack.
    "Might I keep them to show to Mr. Sprague?"
    "If you wish."
    "I am sure he will be delighted to discover we have a new member with such impressive artistic skills. Have you a portfolio of drawings from your trip to Italy, sir?"
    Though he was usually reluctant to reveal his interest in art, the praise from a knowledgeable scholar loosened Jack's reserve. "Several, in fact Including a number of larger studies done in watercolors."
    Lord Fanning cleared his voice with a discreet cough. "Might we persuade you to put them on exhibit here in our gallery during Professor McNulty's visit from Edinburgh? Judging by your pencil sketches—they would make a marvelous addition to the symposium on the decorative detailing of classical columns."
    "Sorry." He shook his head. "But my work is not for public display."
    "Of course, sir, of course." Looking faintly embarrassed, Lord Fanning was quick to dismiss the idea. "I quite understand."
    Jack doubted the other man guessed at the real reason behind his refusal. Pierson men—a long line of military heroes stretching back to the time of William the Conqueror—were made of steel and gunpowder, not books and watercolors. If word got back to his father that one of his sons was honing his skills with a paintbrush rather than blades or bullets, the elderly duke would likely explode. That Jack had served with distinction in the Peninsular War had made his family proud. Any show of a softer side would be a great disappointment.
    Drinking, gambling, wenching—now those were all perfectly acceptable pursuits for a gentleman. Jack made a face as he accepted a glass of sparkling prosecco from one of the passing footmen. Why was it such a sin to be passionate about other things, too? He slanted a look around at the books and art Not that he didn't partake in his share of rakehell pleasures. But he also enjoyed cerebral challenges.
    As Fanning excused himself to go speak with another member, Jack lifted the glass to his lips. His father would likely answer that carousing was a natural release for a warrior's martial aggressions. And that war was a noble profession, one that forged a