by Lauren Smith
“First I’ll drink my pint, then I’ll work my way up to meeting hot guys. How’s that?”
Mark shook his head. “I think you’re underestimating your appeal. British blokes like me would love to date an American. You’ll have no trouble getting a guy.” He nodded at the same group of men his girlfriend had pointed out. “Start with them. They look nice enough, and if they aren’t, I’ll beat them up for you.” Mark put up his fists with a silly, goonish expression that made Kat and Lacy giggle.
Kat adored her new friends. She’d only known them since August, but something about them, their natural warmth, the way they opened up to her, made her feel like she’d known them for years.
Maybe it was the magic of the city, too. Ever since she’d come here for university, this little Elizabethan-era town had captivated her. Between the shops tucked in crooked, wandering alleys and the tolling bells of the various colleges throughout the day, Kat had been bewitched by this tiny part of the world. It was more of a home for her than any other place she’d ever lived.
“Well, don’t tell me you’re afraid to give it a go?” Mark laughed.
His brown eyes were dark and full of brotherly mischief, offering a friendship Kat hadn’t thought she’d find again since she’d left her last high school boyfriend behind. She and Ben had been good friends, more than she’d ever thought possible with a guy. Like him, Mark was easygoing, with a ready smile and a playful attitude that put her at ease.
She and Ben hadn’t been serious, and calling him a boyfriend was really more of a stretch. They’d hung out but never even kissed. When she’d confessed this to Lacy, her friend had gasped and immediately informed her that what she and Ben hadn’t been a “real” relationship.
Kat jerked herself out of the spiral her thoughts had taken and focused on her friends. She tipped back her drink and finished it. She couldn’t believe it was close to the end of November, and the term was winding down. As much as she’d enjoyed her classes, she was glad for the upcoming winter break. What better way to start the holidays than getting a jump start on her “Operation Adventure”?
When the front door of the pub suddenly opened, an icy wind cut through the cozy atmosphere of the building. Despite the dim gold light cast by the fixtures in the pub, Kat could see more than one person at the surrounding tables muttering, clutching at their coats and glancing toward the front door.
“Oh my,” Lacy murmured, her brown eyes all soft and dreamy as she stared at something behind Kat.
Mark coughed, catching Lacy’s attention, but Kat was already turning around in her seat. For some reason all of the breath left her body and she blinked, completely spellbound.
There, framed in the doorway, was a living, breathing god. When he closed the door behind him, snowflakes swirled and eddied around him, clinging to his dark hair and his black knee-length pea coat. He made her think of Hades, the dark god of the Netherworld, in search of his sweet, innocent lover Persephone.
Kat would never have thought she’d describe a man in such terms, but this man…oh yes, the description was perfect. So perfect it almost hurt to look at him. The kind of gorgeous that made a woman’s body respond instantly. A slow wave of heat overtook Kat as she stared at him, and she clamped her thighs together when a slow throb began to build in her lower abdomen.
Now that’s the sort of man I want to get involved with. One who would sweep me away, make me forget who I used to be, and show me who I might become. A woman who lives life on the edge, who explores dark passions and truly experiences life. The thought of being with a man like him…it felt right to want him.
The decent-looking guys a few tables away had nothing on this man. And that was just it: He was a man. Nothing about him screamed “college student.” The way he walked, in an almost predatory, graceful movement, sucked her in, and she couldn’t look away. He was the sort of man who would stop every woman in her tracks as he strode past, demanding their attention, their desire…
His eyes swept over the room, not even noticing her.
No surprise. She was just another undergraduate student bundled up in jeans, a thick sweater, and boots.
Not like him.
A pinch of pain in her chest made her set her cider down and blink rapidly. She’d never minded being invisible before, but looking at this sexy god of a man…she wanted to get his attention. It was a stupid, girlish feeling, but she wanted him to look her way, see her. The pull he had on her was strange, magnetic, like nothing she’d ever felt before. It was as though something inside her was pulling her toward him, erasing everything else around him.
Look my way, she silently begged.
But he didn’t. A knot of disappointment tightened in her chest. There was no way he’d ever notice her.
He’s way out of my league. We’re in different galaxies.
Even knowing this, she couldn’t stop looking at him. This man looked expensive, from his shiny, black boots to the sleek look of his trousers and coat. When her gaze locked on his face, she was lost in a study of him. His aristocratic features were stunning. The man had a jawline that looked like it had been cut from marble, and a straight patrician nose that created an aura of entitled ease. He knew he was attractive and exactly how his mere presence could affect a room.
The hint of an arrogant smile played upon his full, sensual lips, so faint that she wondered if she was imagining it. And there was something about how he surveyed the room, like a ruler among his subjects. It wasn’t surprising. Like King Arthur, but with dark, chocolate hair rather than fair. He was tall and lean with wide shoulders, and she could tell there were muscles beneath those fine clothes by the way the fabric clung to him. As he strode over to the bar and leaned against it to order a drink, the focus of the room went with him.
A stir of whispers started up a table behind Kat, Lacy, and Mark. A group of college students, three girls, were watching the new stranger, too. Their heads were bent together, and their hushed voices carried just enough that Kat caught snippets of their conversation.
“I think that’s…Yes, I’m sure it’s him. You go, Talia, ask him,” one girl suggested.
“No way, if that’s who he is…He’d never…Too hot though, right? I’d let him do anything to me…” More giggles. “Can you imagine having sex with him? I heard he’s a god in bed. I’d like Mr. Sexy to take me home.”
The third girl fanned herself. “He’s got a bad reputation, though…total heartbreaker. Never dates, only fucks them, you know…but I’ll be damned if I don’t want to…”
The conversation was muffled when a waiter delivered the girls more beers, and Kat couldn’t hear anything else. So whoever Mr. Sexy was…these girls knew him or knew of him. And he had a bad reputation? What kind of bad reputation?
Kat turned her focus back to him, gazing longingly, watching him slide his black leather gloves off to reveal long fingers and elegant but masculine hands. A gold signet ring gleamed on the little finger of his left hand. She swallowed hard as a wave of heat rippled through her so fast beads of sweat gathered at her temples. She reached for her empty glass of cider again, never taking her eyes off the gorgeous man.
“You should probably go get your pint of Nelson’s Revenge,” Lacy said. “I really want to go clubbing, so get that drink, check it off your list, and let’s go!”
Her friend’s voice seemed to break through the odd sort of fog in her head. She didn’t want to leave this little pub and go dancing, not when a man like him was here. She could have watched him all night.
Clubbing was definitely not on the list of things she’d like to do, but it would get her out of her shell. Of course, it would really help if she had that drink. And getting that drink meant a chance to get close to the beautiful stranger.
“Okay, be back in a second.” She pushed her chair and headed toward the bar. The crowd was thick around the bartender, and Kat could barely see him over the heads of the students laughing and talking as they leaned against the antique wood bar. The on
ly empty spot against the counter was next to Mr. Sexy…
Raising her chin, she started to walk in his direction, attempting to play it cool, like she wasn’t going to get turned on just by standing so close to this god of a man.
He probably won’t even look at me…but what if he does? Gotta be cool…I can handle this, right?
A second before she reached him, her right foot slipped in a spot of melted snow.
“Ahh!” Kat gasped as she tried to catch herself, but she careened straight into the beautiful stranger. Normally she wouldn’t have been so clumsy, but she’d been too focused on him and hadn’t been watching the floor. Plenty of people had been slipping all night.
“Oomph,” he grunted, and threw his arms out, pulling her to his chest.
Kat’s head fell back as she clung to his shoulders. He was tall, deliciously so, and her head only just reached the bottom of his chin. His hair was swept back from his face, but it fell across his eyes as he stared down at her, and the light kissed the dark brown strands with a faint hint of gold. The color of his eyes was…stunning and made her almost dizzy when she stared. Like losing herself in a kaleidoscope of blue and green in endless splintering shafts.
Her knees wobbled, and she dug her hands harder into his shoulders, trying to stay on her feet.
What is wrong with me?
“Hello, darling, are you all right? Bit of a slick spot, eh?”
That rich voice, such decadent, sinful syllables uttered in that oh-so-perfect English accent, made Kat quiver inside. What was it about accents? They made a girl think strange, silly things, like asking him to talk dirty to her. Oh, the things he could say that would melt her into a puddle just like the snow at his feet. It might kill her with pleasure. The thought was so unlike her that she blinked. There was something about this man that made her want things she’d been hesitant to want before now. Like hot, sweaty sex. She was still a virgin, and yet this man was making her want to strip down naked and jump into the nearest bed with him.
“I…”
His hands were still holding her waist, his body pressed against hers. She couldn’t think; her brain short-circuited. His hands on her, so hot to the touch…They were standing so close, faces mere inches apart, and the world around her seemed to burn with a heat along her skin. Her breath quickened.
Kat struggled to think logically, but all she could think about was how much she wanted to kiss him.
“Are you able to stand on your own?” He smiled, the single flirty twist of his lips making her knees buckle again.
What the heck? She’d never had a problem with her legs working before.
“Er…yes,” she finally managed to say.
“Good.” His hands dropped, but the movement felt reluctant. He trailed his hands down her body, the light but suggestive skimming of his palms over her waist, then her hips, sent little throbbing pulses throughout her entire body. He didn’t step away, either, but kept close to her, his eyes still fixed on her face. “I’m glad to have prevented a nasty fall.”
Before she could reply, the bartender leaned over the counter and spoke. “What can I get you?”
Mr. Tall and Sexy shifted slightly, allowing Kat to slip into the space next to him, their shoulders and arms touching as she answered.
“I’ll have a pint of Nelson’s Revenge, please.”
The stranger next to her chuckled. “Are you sure about that?” he asked. “That’s a stiff drink and likely to bring tears to your eyes.” There was a hint of teasing in his tone, and Kat couldn’t resist responding.
“I’m sure. Besides, I’m more likely to start crying at the sight of a butterfly than a stout ale.” She laughed, then realized what’d she said and blushed.
The man angled his body toward her, propping one arm on the counter as he stared down at her.
“Butterflies make you cry? What on earth for? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of them.” Humor heated those blue-green eyes of his, and she felt an answering heat sweep through her body.
“I…well, it’s silly really…” She hedged. She didn’t normally open up to people, let alone strange, beautiful men in pubs. But there was something about the way he was watching her, his intense focus on her and his interest in what she was saying, that gave her courage to continue.
“I used to live in Texas with my dad, and we saw monarch butterflies when they migrated. But now with their habitats dying out, I rarely see them. When I do get lucky and one flies past me, it’s beautiful…and sad.” She shrugged her shoulders, glancing away. “I know that sounds silly.”
“Not at all,” he murmured softly. “No sillier than how I feel when I look at stained glass windows. It’s the same for me, that mixture of melancholy and beauty. It’s not often I meet someone else who thinks about things like that.” His intense scrutiny tore her in two directions, between the need to squirm and to go very still.
The man possessed an overpowering, seductive and masculine presence. She caught the scent of pine and something clean and crisp that sparked her other senses to life. It encompassed her like some dark spell, leaving her with a desperate need to stay close to him. The things those girls had whispered about him came rushing back…“bad reputation”…“god in bed”…Whoever he was didn’t matter, she just wanted him. Wanted to curl her arms around his neck and get as close to him as possible.
“I think about that stuff all the time,” she said, unable to tear her gaze away from his.
He lifted his glass to his lips and sipped. It wasn’t ale he was drinking but something else, a dark, warm gold color, probably Scotch. She realized she must have been staring at his mouth when he licked his lips and spoke again.
“Keep staring at me like that and I’m liable to kiss you.”
Acknowledgments
I have to give a special-shout out to Amanda, Liz Jeanne, Angela, and Amy, who read through these stories and make them the best they can be. You guys are my rock! I also want to thank my editor, Madeleine, who is wonderful and brilliant at helping me get the stories to the next level and we always seem to come up with some great new scenes while we work together!
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Also by Lauren Smith
THE BRITISH STEPBROTHER SERIES
Forbidden
Seduction
THE SURRENDER SERIES
The Gilded Cuff
The Gilded Cage
The Gilded Chain
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
About the Author
An Excerpt from Forbidden
Acknowledgments
Don’t Miss More Great Reads from Lauren Smith!
You Might Also Like…
Also by Lauren Smith
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual
events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Lauren Smith
Excerpt from Forbidden copyright © 2016 by Lauren Smith
Cover design by Elizabeth Turner
Cover copyright © 2016 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First edition: May 2016
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