“You were intrigued.”
She absently scratched at the bandage on her wrist. “I have always possessed a curious mind. Most of my governesses were practical, educated women. I have to admit that I did wonder what kind of kiss could muddle a woman’s head.”
“Of late, you have likely deduced that there was more to Gideon’s affair with your governess than a few kisses.”
Olivia laughed and stared up at Thorn, her hazel eyes twinkling. “Yes, it was you who showed me how a gentleman can muddle the brain of even the most intelligent woman. Would it please you to learn your lessons have been devastating and instructive?” Her smile faded as she lowered her gaze. “I have always viewed myself as a very sensible lady, who understood that our engagement would end one day. What I did not expect was how much I would regret our parting. I already feel quite ruined. So much so, I may never recover.”
She savored the light caress of his fingers as he nudged her chin upward until their gazes locked.
“Is this your clever way of admitting that you care for me and do not wish for our engagement to end?”
Olivia frowned. “Yes, and if you mock me it is at your own peril.”
Thorn held up his gloved hands. “Olivia, I nearly beat a man to death with my fists for kidnapping you and orchestrating a cruel fate that would have destroyed everything that I love about you.”
She froze, uncertain if she believed him. “You love me?”
“Aye, I do,” he said, gently kissing the bruises on her cheeks. “I have loved you longer than you know.”
“I do not understand.”
“Close your eyes,” he commanded. He waited until she obeyed. “Think back to when you were that twelve-year-old girl and Gideon had come to you to say farewell since he did not know when he might see you again.”
Thorn shut his eyes and tried to recall the eighteen-year-old young gentleman who was not as confident as the young Olivia had believed. He pressed his lips against hers in the most awkward manner he could imitate. What he had lacked in skill, he had made up in sincerity.
Olivia’s eyes snapped open and she stared at him in wonder.
“Gideon was not the one who kissed me,” she whispered.
Thorn shook his head, rubbing his nose against hers. “Even at eighteen years old, I was full of arrogance. I watched you and my brother play together, and I thought I was too superior to lower myself to play with children. Of course that did not discourage me from watching you when you were not looking. I thought you were the prettiest girl in all of England.”
“You did?”
“Since Gideon and I were leaving for London, in my typical, high-handed manner, I thought I deserved a farewell kiss. I knew you were too innocent for what I wanted from you, but it did not stop me from kissing you. In a moment of cowardice, I walked away letting you believe that you had kissed Gideon. My reasons seem trivial to me now. I was too impatient to consider waiting for you to grow up. Why would I waste the prime years of my life waiting for a pretty child when London was on the horizon and I was old enough to hunger for a woman in my bed?”
“I doubt any gentleman would fault your logic,” she said, lowering her gaze to conceal the hurt his confession evoked. “London is filled with beautiful ladies who are eager to flirt with handsome gentlemen who seem to offer them everything but promise them nothing. Overall, it was a very wise decision.”
“Wrong,” he countered. “It was a selfish decision made by a young gentleman who thought books had taught him all he needed to know about the world. I will admit that I dedicated myself to filling the gaps in my education. For a few years, I relished the decadence as I mastered my skills at seduction, but eventually I grew bored. Denial and regulating my carnal appetites was more appealing than the sort of wenches my friends bedded.”
“This is the celibacy you have mentioned.”
“I would test myself to see how long I could deny myself,” he admitted. “A week? A month? Could I deny the entanglements of a lover for an entire year?”
Intrigued, she tipped her head to the side. “What is your record?”
“Eight months,” he said, realizing he had continued to play games even without his twin. “And then I found myself standing on my parents’ dock while I watched you and Gideon together. I swiftly came to the conclusion that you posed the greatest risk to the control I thought I had mastered.”
“Arrogance.” She sniffed.
“Aye, Olivia,” he said, pushing aside the shawl she had donned to hide the dozens of finger-sized bruises that marred her flesh. Perhaps he should have killed Chauncey. “I used anger and criticism to keep you from getting closer. I did not want to remember that I had already discarded you in my youth. I let my brother bask in your affection and I resented him for it because it belonged to me.
Thorn wrapped his arms around Olivia’s waist as he pulled her closer. “I am claiming what is mine.”
“What?”
“I love you, Olivia. When Marcroft told me you had been kidnapped by Chauncey and was hidden away in one of the rooms at the Acropolis, I knew I would do anything to get you back—even if I had to barter with Norgrave for his cooperation.”
“You love me.”
Thorn’s grin widened. “You cannot escape me, Miss Lydall. When your father insisted on our engagement, I allowed you and your father to believe that I only agreed because the arrangement was temporary.” He kissed her. “I lied.”
She frowned at him but it was a halfhearted effort. “You swore that I could discreetly break our engagement if I found another gentleman who suited me.”
“I feared you loved Gideon and I was maddened with jealousy. I told you to consider other suitors in hopes that you would give up on my brother and cast your eye at another. What I failed to disclose was that I planned to be the man you fell in love with.”
His hands tightened around her waist as she trembled.
Olivia shook her head, marveling at his confession. “You are not the only one who fell in love a long time ago,” she said, her voice quavering. “I saw you, Thorn. Then and now. I always have. I just assumed a gentleman in your position would aspire higher than a baron’s daughter. I thought it was why you—”
He silenced her with another kiss. “You were always worthy, Olivia. I was the one who did not deserve you. Now that I intend to hold you to your promise to marry me, what will it take to win your heart?”
Olivia poked the front of his frock coat. “Have you not been paying attention? You have it. I love you, Thorn.”
He bowed his head and rested his forehead against hers. “Then I will spend the rest of my life making you the happiest, most muddle-headed lady in all of England,” he vowed.
Olivia was so jubilant, she bounced on her heels. “When shall we tell my father that you are planning to marry me, after all?”
Thorn gave one of her curls a playful tug. “As soon as I can locate my elusive brother and order him to return home. Together, we will tell Gideon and your father of our plans to marry as swiftly as it can be arranged.”
Olivia and Thorn shared a lingering kiss.
In the distance, Lord Dewick called out his daughter’s name, and Thorn reluctantly ended their kiss.
“Will you meet me at midnight?” Thorn murmured against her ear.
Olivia smiled and nuzzled his shoulder. “I will be waiting, my love.”
Don’t miss these novels of glittering romance by Alexandra Hawkins
You Can’t Always Get the Marquess You Want
A Duke But No Gentleman
Twilight with the Infamous Earl
Dusk with a Dangerous Duke
All Afternoon with a Scandalous Marquess
Sunrise with a Notorious Lord
After Dark with a Scoundrel
Till Dawn with the Devil
All Night with a Rogue
And more novels written as Barbara Pierce!
Courting the Countess
Wicked Under the Covers
Sinful Between the Sheets
Naughty by Nature
Scandalous by Night
Also available…
EBOOKS
The No Good, Irresistible Viscount Tipton
The Scandalously Bad Mr. Milroy
ANTHOLOGY
Christmas Brides
From St. Martin’s Press
Also by Alexandra Hawkins
THE MASTERS OF SEDUCTION NOVELS
You Can’t Always Get the Marquess You Want
A Duke But No Gentleman
THE LORDS OF VICE SERIES
Twilight with the Infamous Earl
Dusk with a Dangerous Duke
All Afternoon with a Scandalous Marquess
Sunrise with a Notorious Lord
After Dark with a Scoundrel
Till Dawn with the Devil
All Night with a Rogue
EBOOKS
The No Good, Irresistible Viscount Tipton
The Scandalously Bad Mr. Milroy
WRITTEN AS BARBARA PIERCE
Tempting the Heiress
Courting the Countess
Wicked Under the Covers
Sinful Between the Sheets
Naughty by Nature
Scandalous by Night
ANTHOLOGY
Christmas Brides
Praise for the Novels of Alexandra Hawkins
You Can’t Always Get the Marquess You Want
“Sensual romance fills the pages of this novel, which is rich with smart, well-rounded characters and an engaging plot.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The charming characters, tender love story, and fast pace combine to keep readers turning the pages and enjoying every moment. Hawkins delights with another emotional and well-written read.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Full of torrid trysts, sparkling conversation, and Machiavellian machinations.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Love in this story does conquer all.”
—The Good, the Bad, and the Unread
“Alexandra Hawkins is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. She doesn’t shy away from showing life as it is, and as the reader, I appreciate her emotional and complex storytelling.”
—Kilts and Swords
“A diverting and spicy forbidden lovers’ tale.”
—Affaire de Coeur
A Duke But No Gentleman
“The attraction between Blackbern and Imogene is intense.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The first of the Masters of Seduction series will more than satisfy those who savor a dark, richly woven romance.”
—RT Book Reviews (4½ stars)
“This edgy historical will appeal to romantic-suspense readers looking for darker layers in a Regency love story.”
—Booklist
“5 stars. This book is everything that a historical romance novel should be.”
—The Reading Wench
“Sensual and filled with plenty of surprises … an excellent summer read.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“5 stars. The reigning authority of charismatic Regency rogues.”
—Jenerated Reviews
“A fantastic start to a seductive series.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“A Duke But No Gentleman shows readers that real love always triumphs.”
—Romance Junkies
All Night with a Rogue
“Hawkins’s first Lords of Vice tale calls to mind the highly sensual reads of Beatrice Small and Susan Johnson.”
—Romantic Times
“Brimming with witty repartee, well-drawn characters, an intriguing plot, sizzling sensual love scenes, and innocence, this story is a delight.”
—Romance Junkies (4.5)
Till Dawn with the Devil
“Till Dawn with the Devil’s romance is first-rate with unusual characters and an underlying mystery that will intrigue readers.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Hawkins cements her reputation for bringing compelling, unique, and lush romances to fans eager for fresh storytelling.”
—RT Book Reviews (4½ stars)
After Dark with a Scoundrel
“Hawkins’s talent for perfectly merging Gothic elements into a sexually charged romance is showcased along with the marvelous cast of characters taking readers on a thrill ride.”
—RT Book Reviews
“I would recommend this story to anyone who loves an amazingly written romance.”
—Night Owl Reviews (5-star Top Pick)
“Alexandra Hawkins has just cemented herself a place on my ‘must-read’ author list.”
—Romance Junkies
Sunrise with a Notorious Lord
“Simply spectacular from front to back!”
—Fresh Fiction
“Regency fans will enjoy the bold heroine and rakish hero.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Charming, fun, and sexy.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Sunrise with a Notorious Lord is a fun and lively story.”
—Romance Reviews Today
All Afternoon with a Scandalous Marquess
“Desire in disguise was never so sweet or passionate, and Hawkins hooks readers and draws them in all the way to the perfect ending.”
—RT Book Reviews
About the Author
Alexandra Hawkins is an unrepentant Anglophile who discovered romance novels as a teenager and knew that one day she would be writing her own. The USA Today bestselling author has written seventeen historical romances, including A Duke But No Gentleman, the first book in her new Masters of Seduction series. Alexandra has combined her love of English history, mythology, and romance to create sensual character-driven stories that, she hopes, will touch readers’ hearts.
Visit her website at www.alexandrahawkins.com, or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Epigraph
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Also by Alexandra Hawkins
Praise for the Novels of Alexandra Hawkins
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
WAITING FOR AN EARL LIKE YOU
Copyright © 2017 by Alexandra Hawkins.
All rights reserved.
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St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / January 2017
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