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Eagerness churned inside of Miss Payton Peppiwell, and a rare ss as she inhaled the brisk air She would ride the wind this ed the side of thein the sheer power and grace of the animal

After colliding with the Honorable Lord Jensen St John earlier in the village, everything had been off-kilter Payton had believed she’d forgiven hie and pain she had felt at his renewed declarations stunned her

I must not think of him

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and she frowned She hoped it would not rain Riding was one of her joys in life, and she craved an outlet for all the eh her, to feel the bunch and release of nificent horse as they raced across the plains That hy she had chosen one of the duke’s stallions toladies were encouraged to ride

She rose before the rest of the household, deter the demands of her mother and her aunt, the Countess of Merryweather, to find a rich and titled husband

Payton would enjoy her earlyadventure, and she would not think of her family’s persistent pressure or Lord Jensen’s renewed senti her, his words crowded her mind

I have been a blasted fool, Payton Forgive me I beseech you to marry me

His offer no longer held any enticeed for the social whirl of the society Curious and intrigued by the power the haute monde held, she’d desperately wanted to be a part of their selective world She had danced too close to the flames and she had been burned, jilted by a man she had believed adored her, as he’d ardently professed His actions had turned society’s unpleasant and hurtful scorn in her direction Her broken engageht An American miss who had dared to try and elevate herself with one of their beloved lords had been firmly reminded of her place

Her sister Phillipa had warned Payton of the fickleness and the hypocritical nature of those who belonged to the highest echelon of society, but she had not believed She’d been too enthralled by the excitee rides Though she had still been on the fringe, as an A the interest of the honorable Jensen St John, heir to the Viscounty of Kenilworth, had been a sweet and thrilling coup

He had been so friendly and obliging, always seeking her co at least once at every ball she had attended, St John had proposed He was a char man, and Payton had said yes to his offer without hesitation And all it had taken for hi of a rumor about her soon to be brother-in-law, Lord Anthony Thornton’s bastardy

Payton closed her eyes against the bittersweetLord Jensen her chastity Now that the hautethe Calydon bastards—as Lord Anthony and his kindhearted sister, Constance, now the Duchess of Mondvale—had been referred to, Lord Jensen must believe the disdain Payton had been shown by association would melt away

How could he iine she would welcome him back into her life and heart?

“I will not be ain, and I will never allow my heart to be bruised by another lord” Her voas snatched away by the icy wind

With a jerk, the wind tugged the cap fro the knot she’d tied her hair in But she did not pause, reveling in the sheer freedom of her ride A boom of thunder echoed across the land, and she drew on the reins, slowing the horse “Easy,” she crooned, rubbing the nape of his neck as he reared at another rumble

The sky had darkened, eclipsing the stars, and she could now smell the rain on the air She spun the horse around, startled to realize she had been so lost in her thoughts, she had ridden farther than she intended Payton stirred uneasily in the saddle as she ure in the distance, also on horseback

Who else would be up and about at this hour?

The first drop of rain splashed on her cheeks Drat She would nother horse in a sharp e in the far distance She recognized the area surrounding it as the hunting grounds of the Calydon property Was it a hunting cottage? Not that it mattered, she only needed a suitable shelter until the worst of the rain passed, then she could slip back to theseen

A fork of lightning split the sky and slaround Sparks flew from the earth, and the stallion reared Payton desperately tried to prevent her fall, hooking her legs into the stirrups She failed abyss as her bodywas bone-jarring She tried to stand, and nausea churned in her stomach The sky opened, and it started to rain fat, cold drops Within seconds she was tre to her feet, she lurched forward and then crurass

Chapter Two

Payton’s eyes fluttered open to see a dark angel hovering over her, concern etched in his shockingly handsome features She shifted, an

d ahiaze flew to hers, and her chest constricted Glorious heavens His eyes were the darkest blue of ly sinful

“Oh,” slipped from her lips, before she had the presence of mind to contain her visceral reaction to such a fine pair of eyes

The stranger’s gaze caressed her form, and a sensual smile tilted the corner of his lips

“Hello,” he said in a slol that rippled over her skin with awareness “I am Mikhail Konstantinovich I saw you fall froht you here for shelter since the main house was too far to travel in your state I attended to you to the best of my capabilities”

He had the most unique accent One she had never heard before, but its husky dulcet tone sank into her body, stirring tantalizing heat

I’ve gone mad

She vaguely renified heap on her backside, the brutal cold of the rain and winds, powerful ar on a horse, then so her sodden tunic and trousers and tenderly drying her skin Though a fire in the brazier warmed the room, a chill enveloped Payton

He removed my clothes

With a raw gasp, she lurched upright She addled in a blanket, but she could feel she was completely naked beneath Naked! Payton swayed, her body tree, and she felt certain she would expire from the shock

I will not faint

“Where are ripping the blanket too tightly “Please get back,” she snapped, fearher voice husky

He rose froed stride carried him swiftly across the room, where he sprawled by the fire in an ar eyes never left her face It was an illusion, but she felt better with the short distance

His black hair et, and his white shirt was plastered to the wall of his chest, and with each race Was he not cold? She could still feel the chill fro storm outside