Free A Little Bit Sinful by Robyn DeHart

in the midst of London. There was a slight chill in the air, and the breeze ruffled across her bare arms leaving gooseflesh in its wake. They reached the area filled with several different types of roses. Pink, white, red and yellow, the small blooms surrounded Clarissa and George, the flowers’ heady scent floated on the evening breeze. These roses were said to be Lord Brookfield’s passion.
    “It’s lovely,” she said.
    “Indeed.”
    “George. You know how favorably I see you.”
    Favorably? That was how one spoke of their favorite soup, not the man they loved. She looked up into his handsome face. He still looked the same to her as he had always looked, yet something was different now. She knew that. But this was the man Rebecca had chosen for her, she certainly shouldn’t rely on her own choices. Those had almost always gotten her into trouble.
    Ella had said George had not wanted to marry. George had told her, though, on more than one occasion, that if only he could marry her. He’d always said in a playful manner, which Clarissa had interpreted as genteel flirting. Had she misread his attention all this time?
    His eyebrows rose and then he shook his head with a little grin.
    She should say something else, but perhaps words weren’t the best indicator. She should kiss him.
    Without thinking too much on the logistics of such an act, she went up on her tiptoes and kissed him. Her hands were splayed on his chest and her lips pressed against his. Initially, he didn’t react, didn’t kiss back, merely stood there. But then one arm slid around her waist, he pulled her abruptly to him and he kissed her, the way a man kissed a woman. The way Justin had kissed her.
    Only something was different. Something was missing.
    His lips were warm and there was definitely passion. Or perhaps urgency. He pressed himself against her. Something in the kiss shifted. She’d lost control and now George was kissing her. Really and truly kissing her. She should be pleased, but instead she felt something alarmingly akin to panic.
    She pushed at his chest and took a step back. She was clearly not accomplished enough to feign worldliness.
    His eyes had darkened and he merely stared at her. “Clarissa, my apologies. I don’t know what came over me,” he said. Then he turned and walked away.
    Well, that hadn’t gone at all the way it was supposed to. And now she was left alone in the garden. Why had the kiss felt so different than Justin’s? Obviously she had done something horribly wrong.
    …
    Justin looked over at his brother who currently lined up his cue, then shot. The balls scattered across the table, two falling into pockets. Roe had shown up at Justin’s townhome earlier looking for a warm meal and a game of billiards before they both headed out to Rodale’s for the evening.
    Roe looked up over the table. “Have you considered finding a woman to court while you’re out and about, milling with Society, as it were?” He shot again, this time he missed.
    “Not particularly.” He nodded toward his brother. “I’m not the one who needs an heir.”
    “A fact my mother reminds me of every time I see her,” Roe said. “She’s ready to be a grandmother.” Then he leveled a gaze at Justin. “Don’t think you won’t hear it from her too when she sees you next. She always has thought of you as her other son.”
    “She’s a good woman,” Justin said.
    “I still think it could be entertaining if you ruffled some feathers,” Roe said with a laugh.
    Justin lined up his own cue. “It’s funny you should mention that.”
    “Why is that?” Roe stood up straight.
    Justin shot again. “The dinner at the Kincaid’s last night. Vivian approached me before I left and made me a most interesting proposition.”
    “Sounds positively scandalous,” Roe said. It was his turn to shoot. “What did she ask?”
    “I know you are aware of the type of work Vivian does for people. She was approached by a concerned mother whose