To Dream Again (56 page)
Authors: Laura Lee Guhrke
Her heel hit the tiled surround of the fountain, and she was forced to halt her retreat. "Who are you?" she demanded.
"I don't know when I've seen anything so amusing in my life," he said without answering her question. "He is a prig, and I'm glad you refused to marry him."
She realized that he must have seen and heard everything, and her shock turned to outrage. "How dare you lurk back there in the shadows, eavesdropping!"
"I was here first," he replied. "If you wanted privacy, you should have made certain there was no one else here."
That did not pacify her, but she had the feeling it wasn't intended to. "You should have made your presence known immediately."
"And interrupt one of the greatest moments of a girl's life? I couldn't possibly."
"It was a private conversation!" she shot back furiously.
He smiled at her, a slow, teasing smile, and began to walk toward her. "Somehow, I got the impression it was kissing, not conversation, that you had in mind."
She was humiliated that this stranger had witnessed the embarrassing scene. But she refused to let it show. She tried to gather her dazed wits and muster some dignity. She lifted her chin and gave him her haughtiest stare. "I don't know what you mean."
"No?" He gently brushed her lips with the tip of his finger. The light touch paralyzed her, and she felt her heart pounding hard in her breast. Who was he?
"If you really want to experiment with kissing," he murmured, slowly stroking her lower lip, "you ought to choose a man who knows how to do it properly."
His words galvanized her into action. She grasped his wrist and violently pushed his hand away. "Like you, I suppose?"
"Is that an offer? Of course, I'd be happy to step in for poor old Roger." He leaned closer and added in a confidential whisper, "I promise not to ruin everything by dropping down on one knee and proposing."
His teasing smile widened, and she was certain that he was laughing at her. She opened her mouth to reply, but she could think of nothing sharp enough or scathing enough to shatter his arrogant self-assurance. Hot with embarrassment, dazed by too much champagne, and speechless with frustration and fury, she did the only thing she could think of. She ran away.
Still smiling, Trevor watched her hasty departure until something glittering in the moonlight caught his eye. He picked up the object and whistled. It was a woman's hair comb of gold filigree set with a multitude of diamonds. Toying with the jeweled comb that must be worth over a hundred pounds, he thought of the girl's enticing figure, trembling mouth, and innocently provocative attempts at seduction. It was an unusual and tempting mixture, and he felt a sudden rush of desire. A pity he hadn't been the one to take her for a moonlight walk. Perhaps she might have found her experiment a bit more gratifying. He certainly would have enjoyed it.
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Laura Lee Guhrke spent seven years in advertising, had a successful catering business, and managed a construction company before she decided writing novels was more fun. The author of many historical romances, Laura has received multiple literary awards, including romance fiction’s highest honor, the Rita Award, and her books have appeared on both the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. When she’s not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura spends her time skiing down the slopes, wakeboarding across the lakes, and fishing the streams of her beautiful home state of Idaho. You can visit
www.lauraleeguhrke.com
for more information about Laura and all her books. On her website, you’ll be able to view more excerpts, learn more about her next book, keep up with her latest news, and enter her book contests. You can also visit her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
