Read Fate's Intervention for Free Online Page A

passion with him to the end.
    In all fairness to Elizabeth and all the other young women, there may be a virgin with that kind of ardor out there somewhere ; h owever, since he tended to avoid virgins and all the encumbrances that came with them, he was not likely to ever meet one and most assuredly never bed one.
    She was standing there, eyeing him expectantly. Well, she could stand there until the end of time and wouldn ’ t get what she expected, and if she didn ’ t move out of his way soon and let him pass, he may very well have to haul her aside – physically, if need be . He already would have, if touching her was a looked-forward-to experience – which it wasn ’ t – and if he didn ’ t think she ’ d run and tell her pa that he ’ d manhandle her – which she would.
    “ Carney is making me a birthday cake – chocolate with strawberry icing, ” she said suddenly, as if the thought of something sweet would alter his decision.
    “ Carney ? ”
    “ The cook, silly. ”
    Matthew sighed. She meant Carnation. He wondered if Carnation felt the same way he did about this little twit hacking her name in half. It appeared to him that fate had earmarked Elizabeth for silliness – uninvitingly abbreviating everyone ’ s name like a two y ear o ld. It kind of reminded him of his neighbor ’ s child back home. She was one years old and called him ‘ chew ’ . He expected that from a young child whose age prevented her from getting past one syllable.
    He wondered, however, if Elizabeth did it intentionally or whether her brain simply operated monosyllabically.
    “ Well, Miss Elizabeth, I appreciate the invite, but I have work to do tomorrow and being a hired hand doesn ’ t put me at the top of your father ’ s list of party guests. ”
    “ You ’ d be my guest, ” she insisted, annoying Matthew further. Either she was the densest female to walk the earth or she was deliberately missing his subtle hints.
    “ I ’ m thirty two years old, Miss Elizabeth, ” Matthew said. “ I ’ d hardly think that being the guest of a thirteen, going on fourteen-year-old, girl would be appropriate. ”
    “ I ’ m not a girl. I ’ m a woman, ” Elizabeth said. She pouted her lips exaggeratedly causing Matthew to groan inwardly. He closed his eyes for a moment to regroup, and wished he hadn ’ t. T aking advantage of his sightlessness, Elizabeth flung her arms around his neck, and kissed him full on the mouth.
    Matthew ’ s eyes flew open and his gaze came in direct contact with hers. She hadn ’ t closed her eyes when her lips met his and awkwardness warred with anger. He had not a doubt that his gaze reflected not only shock and ire, but also repulsion at her ineptitude.
    On top of his mixed emotion, he was finding it hard to believe that the little chit was ready to prostitute herself the day before her birthday. Didn ’ t she know that her offering would ruin all marriageable prospects? He certainly did not intend to marry her.
    Once his shock passed, he reached his hands behind his neck and pulled her hands free, surprisingly with ease. He expected her to balk , to resist his efforts to get away, but she didn ’ t. He stepped back, waiting for her next move. Would she burst into tears at his reject ion ? Would she scream at him for some perceived affront and threatened to have him fired? He ’ d heard it all before, and wasn ’ t thrilled with the idea of defending himself again against juvenile behavior.
    He eyed her warily when she backed away little, eyes downcast and a blush tinting her pale cheeks. This was a new one. Coy? Shyness? Unexpected. What was she playing at ? He wondered.
    “ You didn ’ t like it? ” She asked her voice just barely above a whisper.
    She didn ’ t really expect him to answer that, did she? He groaned inwardly again and started to close his eyes to regroup when he remembered the last time he ’ d done that. She was eyeing him expectantly again, apparently waiting for him