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They entered the large circular theater and stepped onto a ates A e of an ancient Roap separating the edge of the roundabout froap was filled with complex machinery that drew excited comments from the crowd Once the viewers had filled the roundabout, the rooasps of excitelow of blue light shining from the back of the canvas, the landscape acquired a dimension and a sense of realism that startled Annabelle She could al that they were standing in Roas and sandals appeared, while a narrator began to relate the history of ancient Ro than Annabelle had hoped it would be However, she wasn’t able to lose herself in the unfolding spectacle--she was too acutely aware of thebeside her It hardly helped that he occasionally bent down to ly reproving her for displaying such unseeentlemen dressed in pillow-cases No matter how sternly Annabelle tried to hold back her a disapproving glances from people around the such an ile all the more Jeremy see his neck eagerly to discern which pieces ofthe wondrous effects
Hunt quieted, however, after an unexpected hitch in the roundabout’s rotation caused the platforhtly A few people were thrown off-balance, but were immediately steadied by the people around them Surprised by the interrupted ht in a light, secure hold against Hunt’s chest He released her the instant she had regained her balance, lowering his head to ask softly if she was all right
"Oh, yes," Annabelle said breathlessly "I beg your pardon Yes, I’m perfectly…"
She couldn’t see into bewildered silence as awareness flooded her Never in her life had she experienced this reaction to a ency entailed, or how to satisfy it, was far beyond the scope of her lie All she kneas that for aon hiainst a body so spare and fir a safe harbor as the floor shifted beneath her feet The scent of him; clean male skin, polished leather, and the hint of starched linen, aroused all her senses with pleasurable expectation He was coned and po the past two seasons
Profoundly troubled, Annabelle stared straight ahead at the canvas, neither seeing nor caring about the fluctuations of light and color that conveyed ihtfall…the dusk of the Roman Empire Hunt seemed similarly indifferent to the show, his head inclined toward hers, his gaze locked on her face Though his breathing remained soft and disciplined, it seehtly
Annabelle moistened her dry lips "You…you mustn’t stare at ht it "With you here, nothing else is worth looking at"
She didn’t entle devil-whisper, while her heart lurched in an unsteady meter, and her toes curled inside her shoes How could this be happening in a theater full of people, with her brother right by her side? She closed her eyes briefly against a sensation of spinning that had nothing to do with the progress of the roundabout
"Watch!" Jereerly "They’re about to show the volcanoes"
Suddenly the theater was plunged into utter blinding darkness, while an o rose from beneath the platfor of laughter, and loud gasps of anticipation Annabelle’s spine went rigid as she felt the brush of a hand on her back His hand, sliding with slow deliberateness up her spine…his scent, fresh and beguiling in her nostrils…and before she couldhers in a war kiss She was too stunned to move, her hands in the air like butterflies suspended in ht clasp on her waist, while his other hand cradled the back of her neck
Annabelle had been kissed before, by brash young arden, or in a corner of the parlor when they would not be observed But none of those brief, flirtatious encounters had been like this…a kiss so slow and dizzying that it filled her with deliriue, and she quivered helplessly in his hold Compelled by instinct, she lifted blindly into the tenderly restless caress of his lips The pressure of his lips increased as he de her helpless response with a voluptuous exploration that set her senses on fire
Just as she began to lose all sanity, hisher dazed Keeping his supportive hand on the downy-soft nape of her neck, he bent his head until a rueful murmur tickled her ear "Sorry I couldn’t resist" His touch withdrew coht finally invaded the theater, he was gone
"Will you look at that?" Jerelee at a simulated volcano in front of the to course down its sides "Incredible!" Noticing that Hunt was no longer there, he frowned quizzically "Where did Mr Hunt go? I suppose he , Jeremy returned to his excited observation of the volcanoes, lending his exclamations to those of the awestruck audience
Wide-eyed and completely bereft of speech, Annabelle wondered if what she thought had just happened had in fact really happened Surely she had not been kissed in the er And kissed in that way…
Well, that hat caave thee of you But as to her own behavior…Shaled to understand why she had allowed Mr Hunt to kiss her She should have protested and pushed him away Instead, she had stood there in a e It didn’t really matter hohy Simon Hunt had been able to shatter all her well-constructed defenses The fact was, he had…and, therefore, he was a man to be avoided at all cost
CHAPTER 1
London, 1843 The end of the season
A irl could overcome practically any obstacle, except the lack of a dowry
Annabelle swung her foot impatiently beneath the frothy white mass of her skirts while she kept her expression co her past three failed seasons, she had beconed More than once it had occurred to her that she deserved far better than to sit at the side of the roo, for an invitation that would never co to pretend that she didn’t care--that she was perfectly happy to be watching others dancing and being courted
Letting out a long sigh, Annabelle fiddled with the tiny silver dance card that hung from a ribbon on her wrist The cover slid open to reveal a book of near-translucent ivory leaves that spread out in a fan A girl was supposed to pencil the names of her dance partners on those delicate slips of ivory To Annabelle, the fan of e at her lanced at the three girls who sat next to her, all endeavoring to look similarly unconcerned with their fates
She knew exactly why they were there Miss Evangeline Jenner’s considerable fains were common Moreover, Miss Jenner was painfully shy and possessed a stutter, which made the prospect of conversation a session of torture for both participants