Read Once Upon an Accident 02 - Lessons in Seduction for Free Online Page B

squeezed, hard. He could tell it hurt because she winced, but instead of disciplining the young boy, she laughed. Douglas smiled as the sound filled the room. He liked her laugh. He liked her. He found himself relaxed and comfortable, as he had not been in a long period of time, the pain all but forgotten. Cicely continued talking gibberish to the boy. He watched, listened, mesmerized by her voice. Resting his head on the back of the chair, he closed his eyes and allowed her soft, low voice to lull him into sleep.
    The last thought he had before completely drifting off was that she had the type of voice a man would like to hear in bed.
    A rather loud snuffle told Cicely that Douglas had fallen asleep. She looked up at him and stifled a sigh. The man didn’t have a decent bone in his body. He had been appalled by her suggestion, and that was understandable. She had thought about his reaction all night and more this morning as she’d dressed. Sitting in front of her mirror examining her features, she’d found herself seriously lacking. Douglas could have his pick of any woman in London…in England. But somehow, the fact that he had taken Lady Tremount up on her offer last night hurt worse than she thought it would. She hadn’t been sure he had gone back to his former paramour until his appearance alerted her to his activities the night before.
    He was impeccably dressed as always. But the dark circles under his eyes told another story, as did the pained expression that quickly crossed his handsome face when he first saw her. He’d made it abundantly clear that he had no interest in her, and she needed to remind herself of that.
    She counted herself lucky that she knew this now. A night she might have cherished forever would be much harder to deal with when he married.
    Fitzgerald appeared in the doorway, holding a tray with a glass with what could only be Cook’s concoction for hangovers. As he navigated into the room, he stopped, and the stunned expression on his face caused Cicely to smile. In all the years she had known Fitzgerald, she had never seen him nonplussed, even considering there was a good chance he had come across more than one nobleman sleeping off a night of drinking.
    “Fitzgerald.” She kept her voice low as not to disturb Douglas, even though there was a part of her that wanted to shout just to startle him.
    He really did deserve it.
    The butler jumped at the sound of her voice. He hadn’t noticed her. It was something that happened all the time. She sighed as she gathered Charles up and stood. She smiled reassuringly as she approached Fitzgerald.
    “His Grace fell asleep. Why don’t you just leave that on the table beside him? He’ll wake sooner or later and need it.” She nodded in the direction of the side table. Fitzgerald, his eyes a bit dazed, his face ruddy from embarrassment, agreed. He set the glass on the table and walked out of the room.
    Charles fussed a bit, signaling that he might be in need of a nappy change. Taking one last look at Douglas, she smiled. In sleep, he appeared younger than his years. Or perhaps, she thought standing there studying him, he actually looked his age. That made her a little sad for him. Douglas may act the rake, but there was something else there, something that made him years older. It wasn’t his station exactly. It was a burden he wore without choice.
    He shifted in the chair, trying to get comfortable, moving this way and that. When he settled, a smile of satisfaction curved his lips. Her heart tripped a beat at the sight. She resisted the urge to wander closer and brush the lock of hair from his forehead. Biting her lip, she turned away from temptation. Even if he did want her, she would be hurt in the end. A liaison with Douglas would not be a smart thing.
    Pity, but Cicely was after all a very practical woman. Falling in love with a man like Douglas could be her breaking point. Considering her life the last few years, that told her a lot about the