Once Upon a Scandal (32 page)
Yet he would not—could not—succumb to this blackmail. It went against every principle he held dear.
Kern stalked toward Isabel Darling. She held her ground like a defiant martyr standing up to a lion. No, like an amoral bitch. Her physical beauty masked the ugliness of her character.
This time, he gave rein to his fury. He encircled her delicate neck with his hands. Through his thin gloves, he could feel the swift beating of her pulse. “You play a dangerous game, Miss Darling. But you’ll have to find yourself another dupe.”
“You daren’t refuse me,” she said in a low tone.
“On the contrary.” He scanned her in contempt. “It would be easier to turn a leper into a lady than you.”
A hiss of displeasure escaped her. She stared boldly up at him, impervious to his insult. Even now he was seduced by the softness of her flesh. He was disgusted by his urge to bear her down to the floor and take the release she sold to other men … .
ONCE UPON A SCANDAL
Copyright © 1997 by Barbara Dawson Smith.
Excerpt from
The Venus Touch
copyright © 1997 by Barbara Dawson Smith.
The Venus Touch
copyright © 1997 by Barbara Dawson Smith.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
eISBN 9781429908801
First eBook Edition : March 2011
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition/September 1997
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