Free A Lady's Guide to Kiss A Rake: Misadventures of the heart by Tanya Wilde

of pleasure, and the hard ridge of his manly part pressed against her, proof of his desire. She gasped at the sensation, which quickly turned into a groan of yearning when his hands ran down her spine, cupping her derrière and pressing her closer to him. Then just as abruptly he broke away from her with a torturous groan, his rapid breathing matching that of her own.
    “Bloody hell.”
    Indeed.
    She whirled around, certain now more than ever that she needed to stay as far away from him as she possibly could. In an attempt to dissuade him from pursuing her she threw over her shoulder, “And by the by, you should take a clue from Craven in the kissing department.”
    She lifted her skirts and ran when she noted his face turn thunderous and he took a threating step forward. She did not see the predatory smile stretch slowly across his face. Yes, she would pay for that comment.

 
     
    Chapter 6
    On the corner of some dirty wretched street, Lady Josephine and Lady Belle awaited the giant, James Shaw. The street bustled with the activity of unsavory characters. But by far the most disturbing were the poor, hopeless souls, wandering about with no direction or purpose.  A twinge of guilt pinched in her heart for being born privileged, as it always happened in the presence of these people. She shook her head, ridding herself of her maudlin thoughts. 
    James had sent a note calling for an urgent meeting, yet he hadn’t mentioned the reason, which according to Jo meant only one thing—it would most certainly be dangerous and would rely on their discretion. Just the kind of project she preferred.
    She’d met James Shaw and his brother, Derek, four years ago when she created her first charity to help young orphaned boys. Like her, they also aided orphans, and when they approached her with a most intriguing proposition, she could not refuse. Their assistance, however, extended more in the way of perilous endeavors, like kidnapping and smuggling people out of the country. Her charities provided the perfect front for their activities and in return, Jo had found her purpose. And though tainted by their black reputations, they remained good men.
    “You do realize of course,” Belle commented in a dry voice, “that Evelyn will have a conniption if she learns we excluded her from this meeting.”
    Jo shrugged. While she loved Evelyn, the moment she married Grey, she became answerable to him, and a disadvantage to them. “She will understand.”
    “I feel guilt expand in my chest,” Belle said, a hand clutched over her heart. “I hate guilt. It’s such a distasteful emotion.”
    “Oh do not be so dramatic, is Westfield still bothering you?”
    “An understatement.”
    Jo considered mentioning she had won the wager, to distract her friend, but found no words formed. She’d feel compelled to admit she’d kissed St. Aldwyn too and she wasn’t ready to acknowledge what had transpired two nights ago.
    Oh bother! Now he engulfed her mind. She half expected him to jump from the shadows, once again catching her in a place she was not supposed to be.
    “Where is James?” Jo muttered under her breath.
    “Has this elusive brother of his returned yet?” Belle asked.
    “No, though he is expected back in a week or so.”
    Her friend nodded. “So the outcome of this project depends on us. Now there’s a scary prospect.”
    Jo shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. Derek Shaw brought a certain quality to their group that produced results. Without him, well not to say they would not succeed, but their chances diminished some.
    “I daresay we are competent to complete this project on our own,” Jo murmured, surveying the area for any sign of James. “For one thing, we have your cousins to distract unwanted parties.”
    “I do not understand why they decided to take it upon themselves to act as our guardians.”
    Jo sighed, she knew exactly why. “They are men and are of the opinion that as women all we must do is drink tea