Read To Love a Wicked Scoundrel for Free Online Page B

and offered her his devastating smile. Foolish, foolish notion, to be so taken by a man’s appearance. Still, no matter how she berated herself, her heart beat triple time whenever he glanced in her direction.
    Rakes were supposed to be dark, brooding men with raven locks and a cutting profile to match their wicked reputation. The man before her appeared more the fallen angel. His thick, barely brown hair laced through with golden threads and fell well past his collar to lend him an easy, affable charm. His crystal blue eyes invited her to become entranced and likely not realise a seduction was in play. And his words, dangerously clever and filled with tempting innuendo, caused her mind to race with the same rapid tempo as her pulse.
    He reached forward and brushed his fingertips against the side of her jaw with the lightest caress. The pad of his thumb grazed the corner of her mouth and all sensible thought evaporated rendering her unable to object to his boldness. Instead she stood as beguiled as any fool she had previously mocked in the gossip pages.
    He tipped her chin up so their eyes matched and his gaze, soft as cashmere, held her spellbound. In a last desperate effort, she blinked hard and attempted to recover her composure.
    ‘I should not be in here with you.’ She stepped backward and caused him to drop his hand. ‘I should not be in here at all.’
    ‘So you are a rule follower? I thought when I found you here and not in the ballroom you had escaped for the same reason as I.’
    The seductive tremor in his voice whispered over her skin and she looked at him directly, catching the silver blue light that sparkled in his eyes. He did not expound on the comment and she remained too determined to extricate herself from the present predicament to give it further consideration. Forcing a cleansing breath, she tried not to look at his mouth. Doing so caused a strange quivering of sorts in all her nether regions.
    ‘You say that as if following rules is a terrible thing. Order is necessary in life.’ Yes, discussing a practical topic ought to do the trick in leading her thoughts far away from his tempting lips, never mind the experience of his kiss. Isabelle focused on her new mission. ‘Not everyone can live a scandalous lifestyle and be admired while doing so.’
    Isabelle expected him to remark on her impertinence. Instead his eyes glittered with a hint of humour and his lips twisted in a half smile. She might not have noticed, except she had yet to convince herself to look away from his mouth.
    ‘What is your name? I cannot wait any longer.’
    He leaned forward, just a little bit closer, and Isabelle smelled his shaving soap and some other unidentifiable scent. An undercurrent of virility radiated from him, nevertheless she experienced no fear. How odd. Her prudent, mannerly lifestyle always followed the safest path and this fair-haired devil presented danger in every form. That in itself proved perplexing. Then an unfamiliar yearning curled within her and caused her thoughts to tumble one over the other.
    ‘Isabelle.’ While she knew it went against all propriety to offer him her Christian name, he’d just danced with her stepmother and would recognise their shared surname. How had the evening become so complicated? She had no experience of the game Lord Highborough played and she’d rather keep it that way. Her heart thrummed a chaotic beat and it was a wonder she managed to remain upright. Each time he looked at her with his smile full of sin, her knees grew weaker still.
    ‘Isabelle.’ He said her name as if he savoured it and she shivered from the effect. ‘It suits you, although you know you just broke another rule.’
    He smiled again and Isabelle had a keen awareness of the moment. He stood before her and watched her as if he could peer straight into her soul. Against all reprimand, her traitorous body grew wondrously warm under his scrutiny.
    ‘So tell me, beautiful Isabelle, why is it as such