Once Upon an Accident 01 - The Accidental Countess (20 page)

Two weeks later, Colleen sat up first thing in the morning, promptly leaned over the bed and vomited. Sebastian was there next to her, holding her hair out of the way and praying that for once the woman would quit being so stubborn. For the last weeks, most mornings had been spent with his wife ill. He had tried to get her to see Watkins, but she had refused.

When she had finished the last of the dry heaves, he pulled her back in bed, insisting she settle against the pillows. He did not like it at all. The woman was sick in the mornings, refused to eat certain foods, all the while asking for the strangest things, and broke down in tears at the slightest comment. He had thought at first it had been the memories of what had happened that night in her room with Prudence, but she kept assuring him it was not.

The tale Cicely and Colleen told him, of how her mother was going to kill Colleen and frame him for the murder, of how Cicely had come prepared and only ended up with a shoulder wound because Prudence was not quick enough on the draw, had chilled him to the bone. Both she and Cicely seemed to come to terms with it, talking for long hours. Sebastian had agreed to bequest a dowry upon her, but Cicely said with a murderess for a mother and a gambler for a father, there wasn’t much hope.

Ethingham had been around a lot, too. Once they told Colleen the story, she smiled at the duke with tears in her eyes and said one word. “Cousin.”

His Grace apparently thought it very important to spend all his time with his newfound family member, and Sebastian understood it to a degree. But it was kind of irritating to have to share her with another male. And the fact his mother had acted unsurprised and gave His Grace free run of their house was even more aggravating. She’d figured the whole thing out weeks earlier.

He studied Colleen. He still couldn’t believe she was safe, that she was his. He never again wanted to go through that fear of losing her. But something was bothering her. She was pale, losing weight, and he would not stand for it.

He climbed out of bed and pulled on his dressing gown. “I am going to send for Dr. Watkins.”

“Sebastian. I have told you, there is nothing wrong with me.” She spoke in a tone that told him she thought he was acting like a child.

“Ha. You will see him, and that is the end of that.”

He turned on his heel and stalked to the bellpull.

“Sebastian.”

The resoluteness in her voice stopped him. He turned and faced her. A small smile played about her lips, and he wanted to kiss away anything that was bothering her. He wanted her to feel safe again, dammit.

“Come here.” She reached for her spectacles as he approached the bed. She patted the bed and he sat. Taking his hand, she placed it on her stomach. Her eyes sparkled with wonder. “There is nothing wrong with me that seven or so more months can’t solve.”

For a second, he couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. And then it hit him. He glanced down at his hand gently rubbing her belly. Joy filled him as he thought of his child growing inside her.

“You’re breeding?”

He looked up at her. Tears had gathered in her eyes.

“Yes.”

He couldn’t stop the smile that curved his lips. He drew her into his arms and kissed her. Pulling back, he captured her gaze. Tears rolled down her cheeks and he wiped them away with his thumb.

“I love you, Colleen.”

She smiled. “I know. I love you too, Sebastian.”

He settled beside her and hauled her back into his arms. “Seven months is not a long time. We have a lot to plan.”

“Sebastian there is plenty of time to plan.”

“Ohhh, no you don’t, Colleen. We may have fallen into this accidentally, but from here on out, I want no more surprises.”

Her laughter filled the air around him as joy warmed his heart. Sebastian had found his countess, his love, even if by accident.

About the Author

Born to an Air Force family at an Army hospital, Melissa has always been a little bit screwy. She was further warped by her years of watching
Monty Python
and her strange family. Her love of romance novels developed after accidentally picking up a Linda Howard book. After becoming hooked, she read close to three hundred novels in one year, deciding that romance was her true calling instead of the literary short stories and suspenses she had been writing. After many attempts, she realized that romantic comedy, or at least romance with a comedic edge, was where she was destined to be. Influences in her writing come from Nora Roberts, Jenny Cruise, Susan Andersen, Amanda Quick, Jayne Anne Krentz, Julia Quinn, Christina Dodd and Lori Foster. Since her first release in 2004, Melissa has had close to twenty short stories, novellas and novels released with six different publishers in a variety of genres and time periods.

Since she was a military brat, she vowed never to marry military. Alas, Fate always has her way with mortals. Melissa’s husband is an Air Force major, and together they have their own military brats, two girls, and they live wherever the military sticks them. Which, she is sure, will always involve heat and bugs only seen on the Animal Discovery Channel. In her spare time, she reads, complains about bugs, travels, cooks, reads some more, watches her DVD collections of
Arrested Development
and
Seinfeld
, and tries to convince her family that she truly is a
delicate genius
. She has yet to achieve her last goal.

She has always believed that romance and humor go hand in hand. Love can conquer all and as Mark Twain said, “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” Combining the two, she hopes she gives her readers a thrilling love story, filled with chuckles along the way, and a happily ever after finish.

To learn more about Melissa, please visit
www.melissaschroeder.net
. Send an email to Melissa at
[email protected]
or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers as well as Melissa. For chat,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/melissaschroederchat
, and for news
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/melissaschroedernews/.

Look for these titles

Now Available:

Grace Under Pressure

A Little Harmless Sex

The Accidental Countess

Coming Soon:

A Little Harmless Pleasure

Lessons in Seduction

The Seduction of Widow McEwan

A Little Harmless Obsession

Devil’s Rise

The Spy Who Loved Her

A Little Harmless Addiction

The Last Detail

What is a lady to do when her chosen rake changes her lessons in seduction to lessons of love?

Lessons in Seduction

© 2007 Melissa Schroeder

Available October 2, 2007 from Samhain Publishing

Cicely Ware understands how society works. At the age of twenty-six, she has been around long enough to know that she is doomed to spinsterhood. But she refuses to go without ever knowing what it is like to be with a man. So she comes up with a wonderful plan to find a rake to teach her, complete with a list of possibilities. At the top of that list sits Douglas the Duke of Ethingham.

When he asks Lady Cicely to waltz, Douglas never expected her to request seduction, or that it would intrigue him quite as much. With each glance, each smile, each touch, he finds himself falling under her spell, unable to resist her lure. In her he finds a soul mate, someone as lonely as he is, who understands his pain, and will give herself to him without demands or expectations.

But as he finds himself falling in love, he also discovers a wicked plot to kill Lady Cicely. As they race to discover who wants her dead, they fall deeper in love, leaving them to decide if the lessons in seduction could lead to a lifetime of happiness.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Lessons in Seduction
:

Cicely’s heart stuttered at the deep sound of Douglas’ voice.

Oh, no. No. No.
No.

She closed her eyes against the sudden press of tears and fought the urge to stomp her foot—which would have been difficult since she was sitting. Besides, the barefoot stomp was never as satisfactory as a heeled one. The heeled one made a very satisfying thump. She allowed a frown to disfigure her face. It was dark, what did she care? Douglas thought she was that Lady Tremount. Or some other trollop. She would almost think the situation humorous, if she didn’t find it so horribly painful. She’d done nothing so hideous in her life as to deserve this.

Cicely didn’t open her eyes when she felt him sink next to her on the sofa. The cushion flexed under his weight. She waited for Douglas to realize he’d mistaken her for another woman as he slipped his hand over her cold, clenched fist.

“Awfully quiet, my lady. I’ve never known you to be so reserved.”

She opened her eyes. She was positive any moment he would guess her identity and his horror would be too much to bear. But she would, just as she had a few nights before, face it. It was best to confront his disgust for her and use it as a weapon to remind herself what he thought of her. She turned her head, drawing back when she realized he’d moved closer. She blinked, then blinked again.

With the drapes closed, the room was near pitch black, and it was understandable he didn’t know who she was. He expected someone else.

Douglas trailed his incredibly warm hand up her arm, his fingers gliding over the side of her bound breasts then farther up to cup her face. Gently, he pulled her closer. His heat surrounded her, warmed her, mesmerized her.

When she was just inches away from pressing her lips to his, he paused to say, “I’ve never known you to play reticent before. I have to say, I quite like it.”

His breath warmed her face as he spoke. Guilt held her tongue. She should tell him and end this embarrassing façade. A moment later, he brushed his lips against hers and every thought of righting his misconception dissolved. A liquid-silver thrill shot through her, sending her heart beating out of control, her head spinning. Sighing, she leaned into him. This was a fear she could learn to love.

Apparently thinking it an invitation—because truly it had been—Douglas raised his other hand to frame her face completely and deepened the kiss. She twined her arms behind his neck and returned the kiss with all the passion in her heart. The feel of his tongue against her closed mouth caused her to gasp. Before she knew what he was about, his tongue was inside, tasting her…tempting her.

God help her, she was putty in his large, capable hands.

She moaned. He slipped his hands down her body to her waist then lifted her, placing her on his lap. Warmth seeped into every pore, her flesh heating, her body vibrating. This wasn’t proper, that she knew. Still…

She felt his heart beat through his shirt and jacket. That he thought her someone else didn’t matter. All that mattered was that at this one moment, the man she desired—and God help her, loved—desired her in return. Her, a nobody who barely turned the head of even the most boring of men. But this man, a gorgeous, seductive charmer, was kissing her as if his life depended on it. Somewhere in the back of her mind a bit of her better judgment prodded. With determination, she pushed the doubts away. She just wanted to be touched…to feel, to be felt.

He slid his hands to her back, urging her to him. She shifted her weight, rubbing her chest against his. Even through the fabric of her gown and the layers of her binding, the friction hardened her nipples. Her bones melted as he moved from her mouth to the delicate skin just below her jaw. His lips felt so good. They burned a trail wherever they touched and when they slid from one spot to another, the fire lingered, pushing deep past her defenses, ingraining in her memory. Wanting—needing—more, she tipped her head to one side allowing him better access to her throat. He murmured something against her skin that she couldn’t grasp, but it thrilled her just the same. He moved on to her ear as she began to shift against him. The scrape of his teeth against her lobe had her moaning his name and threading her fingers through his hair.

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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

The Accidental Countess

Copyright © 2007 by Melissa Schroeder

Cover by Scott Carpenter

ISBN: 1-59998-466-0

www.samhainpublishing.com

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: May 2007