Free Innocent Courtesan to Adventurer's Bride by Louise Allen Page A

a dozen times,’ Lina retorted, indignation taking her mind off her bruises, and almost off the clamouring demands of her body. He was so close. ‘They are only dangerous if one is running away from a libertine! This is all your fault.’
    â€˜There was no need to run—a simple no would have sufficed. Does that hurt?’ He took hold of her right ankle, his big hand gentle as it encircled the slender bones.
    â€˜Yes,’ she snapped. ‘Everything hurts. And take your hands off my…my nether limb. You would not take any notice of no , I have no doubt of that! A sledgehammer would be required to discourage you.’
    He sat back on his heels and grinned, her anger seeming to wash right over his head. To her relief he did not seem inclined to take advantage of the fact she was sprawled on the ground in front of him, her petticoats up to her knees and her ankle still in his grasp. A minute ago she had been melting in his arms… She twitched her skirts down as hesaid, ‘It is a very charming nether limb , but I really do need to check.’
    He appeared to have absolutely no shame for what he had just done as he undid her laces and eased off the boot, then the other one. ‘Now, can you wriggle your toes? Good. Circle your ankle. Now your hands—fingers, wrists. There, nothing broken.’ He slipped her boots back on and laced them, then got to his feet and held out his hands. ‘Up you come. What was that?’ he asked, his arm coming round her when she gave a yelp of pain.
    â€˜My ribs are bruised. I bounced on those steps all the way down,’ Celina said resentfully. ‘And my bu… My pos… I landed with a thud.’
    â€˜I see. I had better carry you back.’ Ashley stooped and swept her up before she could protest. ‘And do not struggle or I might drop you and then you would land on your bu… On whatever unmentionable part it was you have just bruised so painfully.’
    Lina found herself settled against his chest with nothing to do with her right arm but wrap it around his neck. In sensation novels the heroine, when swept into the hero’s masterful arms, was prey to a multitude of sensations, most of them described as fluttering, swooning or joyful.
    This did not happen when one was bruised, embarrassed and angry and the man doing the masterful sweeping up was not the clean-cut hero rushing to the heroine’s rescue, but quite obviously the villain of the piece, with libertine tendencies lurking behind a thin veneer of humour and charm.
    â€˜This is entirely your responsibility, my lord,’ she snapped, so close to his ear that he flinched. There was a mark in the lobe—it was pierced for an earring, she realised, shocked. At least he had the decency not to sportit in English society. As a first experience of a kiss, a first romantic encounter, this was not at all what she had dreamed of. It had been anything but tender; in fact, it had been shamefully disturbing and almost violently arousing.
    â€˜How so? I did not tell you to throw yourself down those stairs.’
    â€˜I was escaping from your assault.’
    â€˜You assaulted me,’ he protested. ‘You bit me.’
    â€˜You kissed me first.’
    â€˜I was trying to kiss you,’ Ashley corrected. ‘And it was very pleasant—up to a point.’ He was grinning, the wretch. ‘And you tried to hit me.’
    â€˜And that did not tell you anything about my wishes in the matter?’ Lina demanded. I should be alarmed. I could have been ravished just now. Or would even the most hardened rake attempt seduction on top of a windswept look-out deep in the woods? It had seemed like seduction just now. It had seemed like madness.
    â€˜I was coming to the conclusion that we were not entirely of one mind—and then you opened those very lovely lips and I was lost. For a few seconds I was completely off guard.’
    It was difficult not to