To Tempt an Irish Rogue (4 page)
Read To Tempt an Irish Rogue Online
Authors: Kaitlin O'Riley
Tags: #Romance, #General, #Historical, #Fiction
Bowing his head toward her, he whispered low, “You’ll help me then?”
The aching appeal in his voice asked for more than assistance in the bookshop and Paulette’s heart skipped a beat. He needed her. Whatever he wanted, whatever he needed, at this moment she would give it to him. Without hesitation she answered, “Yes,” knowing she had just agreed to something she could not name.
He moved his head closer to her, close enough to kiss her, close enough to feel his breath on her cheek.
Feeling slightly faint and her knees shaking beneath her skirt, she clutched the front of his jacket tightly with her fingers for support. He wouldn’t really kiss her, would he? She stared at his full lips, which were perilously and deliciously close to her own.
Time seemed to stop, suspended around them, enveloping them in a special world all their own.
And then, with slow deliberateness, he leaned down and kissed her while his muscled arms encircled her shoulders and drew her against the length of his body.
His mouth, warm and soft, covered hers thoroughly, and Paulette melted at the supremely intimate contact. With female intuition surging within her, she leaned into his embrace, seeking more.
This man, this virtual stranger, whom she had met only met once before, was kissing her. Paulette had never kissed anyone before! Had never met anyone she wanted to kiss before. And now . . . well now, she was allowing a man she barely knew to kiss her!
It was heavenly. Being held by him. Being kissed by him.
She should have been surprised by it, appalled by it. Outraged, even. But oddly enough, Declan kissing her was not completely unexpected. On some level she had been thinking about kissing him since the moment she met him. That fact was the most shocking to her.
And now . . .
Now there was only intense sensation after sensation that rocked her to the core. The utterly male scent of him filled her head, leaving her slightly dizzy. The smoothness of his freshly shaven skin against her cheeks sent waves of heat through her veins. His strong arms wrapped around her so securely she felt nothing could ever harm her while in his embrace. And his mouth. Oh, God, his mouth . . .
Warm and soft and firm all at once, his lips moved over hers, gently at first then growing more insistent. More demanding. Her mouth opened, an unspoken invitation, and his heated tongue slipped inside. A slow, languid, yearning ache began to blossom within her, moving like warm honey through her entire body.
Not sure what was happening to her, Paulette truly did not care. She knew only that she did not want this man to stop kissing her.
And he didn’t stop.
Mouth against mouth, she felt she was devouring him while being devoured by him at the same time. It was blissful. That deep yearning continued to grow within her, a longing for him. For more. She wanted to melt into him.
Vaguely she was aware of the jingling of the bells above the shop door, but she wanted nothing to interrupt the magical sensations she felt while kissing Declan Reeves.
“Paulette!”
With utter gentleness and great reluctance, he released her. “Are you Paulette?” he asked so softly, his breath hot against her ear.
Was she Paulette? Heavens above! The man did not even know her given name! Her face turned scarlet, her cheeks burning. She could only nod.
“Someone is calling you, lass.”
“It’s my sister,” she managed to murmur, cringing at the thought of Colette finding her this way.
“Then go to her.” He gave her a warm smile.
Barely recovering from his smile, his kiss, she removed her hands from his chest. On trembling legs she turned around and made her way to front of the shop, stunned by what had just happened to her.
“Oh, there you are!” Colette said, as she glanced through the ledger on the counter. “You left the house before I could catch you this morning. I can only stay for a little while. Simon has a fever now. Phillip just recovered and now, of course, Simon comes down with the same illness! So let’s go over these figures, while I’m here.” She suddenly paused and gazed at her sister, her expression perplexed. “Whatever is the matter with you, Paulette?”
Unconsciously, Paulette’s hand flew to her cheek and the skin was warm to the touch. Was it so obvious? Could her sister discern that she had just been kissing a complete stranger behind the bookshelves? Did it show on her face? Did she appear disheveled?
Paulette had no idea what had come over her to do such a thing! Certainly she had never behaved in such a scandalous manner before. How had she allowed that man to kiss her when he hadn’t even known her name? And he had not even apologized for such an affront on her person, come to think of it.
“Nothing is the matter,” she managed to squeak out, wondering how she could keep what had just happened to her a secret for long. Had the man who had kissed her senseless not been nearby she may have blurted out to her sister what she had just done. “Why do you ask?”
“You have a peculiar expression on your face. Almost as if you’ve seen—oh! Good morning, sir. Forgive me, I didn’t realize we had a customer here already.” Colette’s brow furrowed as she watched Mr. Reeves walk from behind the bookshelf. Her eyes darted suspiciously to Paulette.
“Good morning, madam,” Declan said, appearing surprisingly relaxed in his manner. “Miss Hamilton was helping me select a book for my daughter.”
“Oh, I see,” Colette murmured, but it was clear that she did not understand what had happened between the two of them.
Paulette barely found her voice to do the introductions. “Colette, this is Mr. Declan Reeves, from Ireland. Mr. Reeves, this is my sister, the Marchioness of Stancliff.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Stancliff. I’m afraid I did not introduce myself properly to your sister. I am also the Earl of Cashelmore.”
Once again, Colette’s blue eyes flashed between the two of them.
Paulette held her breath. Could Colette know that they had just been kissing? She said a little prayer to herself that her sister could not. And since when was he
Lord Cashelmore?
Why had he not introduced himself as such when she met him two days ago? Instead he used plain Mr. Reeves. The man was a complete mystery!
Lord Cashelmore?
Why had he not introduced himself as such when she met him two days ago? Instead he used plain Mr. Reeves. The man was a complete mystery!
“It is nice to meet you, Lord Cashelmore.” Colette gave him a slight nod of her head in acknowledgment. “I trust my sister has been able to help you find what you are looking for?”
“Yes, she has.” Mr. Reeves stared at the two of them, his gaze lingering on Paulette at his words. “And may I add that the two of you could never be mistaken for anything other than sisters? You both look astonishingly alike.”
If Paulette had a pound for every time someone remarked on how much she and her sisters resembled each other, she would have a mountain of money in the bank. It never failed to amaze her how people marveled over their looks. Sisters were related, for heaven’s sake. Of course they would look alike! When meeting someone who knew nothing about her family, she usually liked to watch their eyes widen when she mentioned the next bit of the Hamilton tree. But Paulette was still too overwhelmed to speak. So she let Colette take care of it.
“There are three more of us, Lord Cashelmore.”
“Five?” His eyes widened in astonishment. “There are five of you? All girls?”
They both nodded, accustomed to this type of questioning about their family.
Paulette simply wished to stop the dizzy breathlessness that filled her. She gazed at Mr. Reeves as he stood before them. He really was quite handsome, although that rather dark and foreboding look had returned to his face. How was he able to change his countenance like that? Had she truly just allowed him to kiss her senseless only a few moments ago and now they stood here exchanging pleasantries with her sister?
“And do you all look this much alike?” he questioned.
“More or less,” Colette said by way of hurried explanation with a wave of her hand.
He seemed intrigued. “And this is obviously your family’s bookshop. Do you all work here together?”
“Yes, at one time or another.” Colette seemed more intent on learning about the man in the shop than discussing her sisters. “I seem to recall hearing your name before, Lord Cashelmore, but I can’t quite place it.”
“I’m not sure where you would have heard about me,” he said. “I’ve only just arrived from Ireland last week.”
Colette gave him an appraising glance. “I understand you have a daughter?”
“Yes,” Declan said. “She is four years old. Your sister met her the other day and helped me find a book for her. Do you have children, Lady Stancliff?”
Colette’s face lit up and she beamed proudly. “Yes, I have two sons. Phillip is five and Simon is two and a half.”
Paulette listened in amazement as Declan Reeves expertly steered the conversation away from himself, while he and Colette chatted about raising children. She had wanted her sister to continue to ask him questions because she was more than a little curious about the man who just kissed her and was now disappointed that the topic had changed to their children.
But she knew exactly why his name was familiar to her sister.
Paulette recalled quite well where Colette had heard Mr. Reeves’s name mentioned before and wondered if her sister would remember. It was during supper at Devon House the night before last. After Paulette told them about their visit to the bookshop, Lucien recalled reading about him in the paper and recounted for them how Mr. Reeves was under suspicion for the death of his wife.
A different kind of shiver raced down her spine.
No wonder he deflected the conversation from himself. She continued to stare at him, wondering if it were possible that the man was guilty of murdering his wife. Even though he looked a bit roguish, Paulette could not reconcile the man who cared for his daughter so sweetly with a man who would commit murder. In her mind it didn’t make sense.
But could she reconcile herself to the thought that she may very well have just kissed a murderer? Her heart pounded wildly as she stared at the handsome gentleman in front of her.
“Paulette?”
Startled by the sound of her name, Paulette blinked and looked at her sister. “Yes?”
Colette eyed her with some concern. “Paulette, Lord Cashelmore asked you a question.”
Paulette looked back at Declan Reeves, feeling like a simpleton. What had he asked her? “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I was woolgathering, apparently, and I confess that I did not hear what you just said.”
“I merely asked if you would help me select another book for Mara now?”
“Oh, yes, of course,” she responded, thankful to have something familiar to do. This she could handle. “We shall go to the children’s section.”
She felt Colette’s eyes on her as she and the Irish gentleman walked away from the counter and was infinitely grateful that her sister was not capable of mind reading.
Chapter 5
Wondering
As he followed Miss Hamilton to the children’s section of the bookshop, Declan knew she was more than a little flustered and he was the cause of her discomfort. The poor girl’s cheeks were still pink and she had barely been able to follow the conversation he had just had with her sister.
And Lady Stancliff had apparently heard the rumors about what happened to his wife and his involvement in the sordid affair, but had been too polite to say anything in front of him. For that he was thankful. For some reason, he desperately did not want Miss Hamilton to know about the ugly rumors. He had come to London to escape the gossips and accusations and having to explain himself.
He had no wish to have to explain his past to someone as completely enchanting as Miss Hamilton.
Miss Hamilton. Paulette. Her name was Paulette. He liked thinking of her as Paulette. The name suited her.
Had he truly been so brazen as to kiss her passionately behind a bookshelf? What had possessed him to do such a thing with a woman he didn’t even know? It had been the strangest and yet most romantic encounter he had ever had. As soon as Paulette put her hands on his chest, as soon as she touched him, he felt connected to her somehow. Being so close to her did something to him. A part of him that was frozen inside seemed to melt. He suddenly wanted to bare his soul to her and it terrified him. To keep himself from confiding in her, he kissed her instead. And then kissing her was all he could think about. Ah, what a grand kiss it had been though! She was sweet and eager. And had tasted faintly of shortbread, funnily enough.
But more importantly she had kissed him back. God, just recalling it made him want to kiss her again.
Yet guilt plucked at him, for he should not have taken such liberties with her.
When they reached the children’s section with its colorful child-sized furniture, which he recalled from his last visit, she spun around and faced him. Her blue eyes sparkled in her delicate face, her sweet mouth a line of anguish.
“Mr. Reeves. I mean Lord Cashelmore . . . Oh, I don’t even know how to address you now.” There was a note of panic in her voice.
He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. “It doesn’t matter. Call me whatever you wish, Miss Hamilton.”
She stared at his hand on her shoulder. With a nod of her head, she gently placed her hand over his.
The moment her hand, so soft and small, touched his, Declan could not breathe. Surprised by the intensity of their contact, he slowly pulled his hand away. “Call me Declan if you like.”
Her eyes met his and she whispered, “You mustn’t kiss me like that again, Declan.”
“Mustn’t I, Miss Hamilton?”
“No.”
He grinned. “Now you see, if you had said, ‘You must not kiss me again, Lord Cashelmore.’ Or even, ‘You must not kiss me again, Mr. Reeves,’ I might be more inclined to believe that you did not wish for me to kiss you in the future. But you just called me by the more familiar, Declan, which leads to me to assume quite naturally that you would wish for me to kiss you again at another more convenient time perhaps.”
Paulette smiled at him and that pleased him, for he knew then that he’d read her correctly.
“Ah, there you are incorrect, sir. I only used your given name because having already . . . kissed . . . it seemed rather foolish to refer to you so formally. It does not imply that I wish for another encounter as such nor that I grant you leave to do so again.”
“In that case, however,” he countered in triumph, “I would then have leave to call you Paulette.”
She hesitated for the slightest instant before agreeing. “But of course.”
“And if I were to kiss you again, you would protest?” He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her response.
“I . . . Well, I . . . You . . .” Her face turned red as she grew adorably flustered.
They both knew that if he kissed her again she would not protest and she couldn’t pretend otherwise. An incredible sense of triumph raced through him as he used her given name to drive his point home. “Yes, I can see that, Paulette.”
She opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself. A long moment passed before her demeanor changed and she suddenly changed into the efficient little shopkeeper. “Well, I believe I know the perfect book for your daughter.”
Declan watched in fascination as Paulette Hamilton moved gracefully to a small corner shelf of the children’s section and selected a thin volume bound in dark green and brought it back to him. He took the book from her and read the title,
Mother Goose’s Melodies
. Flipping the pages, he saw that it was beautifully illustrated in color. He smiled at her in admiration. “Mara will love this.”
Mother Goose’s Melodies
. Flipping the pages, he saw that it was beautifully illustrated in color. He smiled at her in admiration. “Mara will love this.”
She placed her hands on her hips and stated, “Now, for your needs.”
Her words sent an unexpected thrill through him. Her shopkeeper questions always seemed to him to have a double meaning that escaped her. “I beg your pardon?”
“Don’t you want a book as well?”
“A book. Oh, yes. Of course.”
She eyed him critically, her gaze raking him up and down. Without a word she walked away from him and toward the larger bookshelves in the main area of the shop. Was she going to choose a book for him without asking him what he liked? This he had to see. He followed behind her, admiring the way the finely made, pale blue and white striped summer gown clung to her petite frame.
Paulette seemed extremely skilled at her job for one so young. She could only be twenty. Not much younger than himself after all. Still, there was a maturity about her that he found lacking in so many girls her age. She managed the bookshop quite well. He’d never seen a shop like it and as he glanced around, it suddenly occurred to him why.
The arrangement of not only the shelves, but the books themselves, lent an airy and open feel to the space that was unheard of in other stores. No shelf was full. He usually felt a bit claustrophobic in most bookshops he’d visited. The shelves crammed with books, and stacks of books everywhere, were overwhelming and difficult to sort through or find anything. But not here. The attractive orderliness of Hamilton’s was remarkable. The shop was warm and inviting overall, with comfortable seating areas and eye-catching book displays.
He was quite impressed with Hamilton’s Book Shoppe.
And Paulette most of all.
He should apologize for kissing her. But she did not seem angry or put out with him. In truth, he was not sorry he kissed her. Not at all. In fact, he wanted to kiss her again, but Paulette Hamilton was not someone to trifle with, and he was in no position to become involved with a girl like her. He knew better than to kiss her. He still didn’t know what had come over him.
Paulette faced him with a look of triumph in her eyes. “Here. This is for you.”
He took the book from her hands and stared at her face. “Do you know every book in this store?”
She gave a nod of her head. “Most of them.”
“Have you read all of them?” he questioned her.
“Most of them,” she repeated, holding his gaze. A smile played at the corner of her lips.
He glanced down at the book in his hand and read the title.
The Law and the Lady.
“What’s this?”
The Law and the Lady.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a novel I think you might find rather interesting.”
“Have you read it?”
“How would I know that you might find it interesting if I hadn’t?’
Flashing her a grin, he smiled. “Just checking.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Once again, her little shopkeeper phrases begged to be answered in another way. He stopped himself from saying what he really wanted her to do for him, for his mind was spinning with possibilities that he dared not mention to her. “No, I think that will be all, Paulette.”
“Miss Hamilton,” she corrected him.
He shook his head. “In the presence of others I shall call you Miss Hamilton. However, when we are alone I shall call you Paulette.”
“Alone?” she asked, her voice a little breathless. “When would we ever be alone together, Mr. Reeves?”
“That remains to be seen, Paulette. And it’s Declan in private.”
“I see,” she said, when she obviously didn’t, and turned to walk to the front of the shop.
He followed behind her to the counter where her sister still stood, eyeing them with interest. Although she had darker hair, Colette Sinclair looked so much like Paulette it was a little unnerving.
“I’d like to buy these two,” he said, giving the books to her and paying for his purchase. “Your sister was most helpful, Lady Stancliff.”
“I’m so pleased you are happy with Paulette’s selection,” Colette said as she expertly wrapped the books in brown paper and tied them with green ribbon. “She is very good at knowing what people will like.”
He glanced at Paulette, who stood quietly beside her sister. With his eyes on hers, he added, “Yes, she certainly is. I’m sure I shall be returning for more books.”
“Thank you, Lord Cashelmore,” Paulette said. “Please come again.”
Declan smiled at both sisters, tipping his hat to them, and, taking his prettily wrapped package of books in his hands, he left Hamilton’s Book Shoppe feeling quite a bit happier than he had before he entered.
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