Velvet Embrace Read Online Free PDF Page A

have a scandal on her hands in an instant. It wasn't merely her own reputation Brie was concerned about, but that of her training stables. It had taken her years to earn the trust of her clients, for so many of them considered it beneath their dignity to work with a woman. She couldn't jeopardize all she had strived for. And she would have to be careful not to mention the name of her home. If Lord Stanton knew anything at all about horses, he would have heard of Greenwood. She would have to get rid of him at once, before he had a chance to ask any embarrassing questions.
    He was waiting for her response. "Brie?" he repeated quizzically. "Just . . . Brie?" When she nodded, he regarded her silently for another moment. Then, almost indifferently, he turned back to the fire.
    His presumptuousness astonished Brie, yet she couldn't help studying him as he stood warming his hands. He was tall and broad-shouldered, although she suspected his heavy greatcoat added breadth to his frame. His aristocratic features were unmistakably stamped with cynicism, but they were finely carved. He had a high forehead and a narrow, straight nose with slightly flaring nostrils. His chiseled lips were wide but a little on the thin side, and his firm chin had a slight cleft in the center. In profile, his high cheekbones were quite pronounced. He was quite attractive, Brie decided , if one liked dark, sardonic-looking men.
    "Where is everyone, anyway?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts. "The lad in the stables told me the caretakers live here."
    Brie hesitated. She preferred not to admit the only other people in the house were old and ill. "Mattie and Homer are . . . occupied at the moment, but perhaps I can help you."
    Dominic's gaze swung back to Brie, and his eyes narrowed as he again caught himself staring at the vivid picture she made. The dancing firelight turned her silken hair to shimmering flame, while the sapphire brocade of the robe she wore brought out the blue in her eyes. Seeing that the blanket had slipped off her shoulders, giving him a tantalizing view of creamy skin, Dominic felt a tightening in his loins. He wondered who she could be. Such delicate beauty didn't belong to a serving maid, nor did her educated speech.
    "You can't possibly be a servant," he said flatly.
    Brie's long lashes came down, veiling her thoughts. "I am a friend of Julian's," was all she dared reply.
    "A close friend?"
    "You might say that."
    Her answer was unsatisfactory, but Dominic didn't press the issue. He would eventually find out what he wanted to know— specifically, what her relationship was to Denviile . The obvious conclusion was that she was Julian's mistress. Dominic was conscious of a distinct twinge of envy. "Is there no one else about?" he said, forcing his thoughts back to the problem at hand.
    "The rest of the servants have left for the day," Brie answered with reluctance. "I gave them permission to go home when the storm grew worse."
    One of his black brows lifted appreciably. "You gave them permission?"
    She flushed at his tone. "Julian left me in charge," she prevaricated.
    "And he neglected to tell you I was expected."
    Realizing that Lord Stanton must have been invited to the Lodge, Brie stared at him in dismay. "Surely you don't mean to stay here?"
    The corner of Dominic's mouth quirked. "I sure as hell am not going back out in the storm. Even if I were willing, my grays have had enough punishment for one evening. Besides, my coachman wouldn't stand for it. Jacques can be the very devil when he is denied his comforts."
    Brie bit her lip, wondering what she should do. Stanton didn't look quite so . . . dangerous when he wasn't frowning. His harsh features softened a little, while his gray eyes appeared less chilling. And the snow on his greatcoat was melting, sending little curls of steam wisping about his dark head, somehow making him appear younger, even a little vulnerable. Brie felt oddly drawn to him. A damp lock of ebony hair had