Free An Artful Seduction by Tina Gabrielle Page A

thoughts until he decided to express them.
    Until I kissed Eliza. He wasn’t in complete control then.
    Perhaps Brandon was right. It had been four months since Grayson had ended his last relationship—not with a mistress, but with a wealthy widow. She was more than eager in the bedroom, a well-practiced lover, but she had a troublesome tendency to want more—more of his time in and out of bed, which was something he was unwilling to give. So he’d ended it.
    Kissing Eliza Somerton in her tiny upstairs kitchen had surprised him. She’d been sweet with simmering passion, and his response had been instant and combustible. She was fresh, exciting…genuine. It was like coming upon a beautiful work by a new artist. His blood would pound and his pulse race with the thrill of discovery.
    But the excitement of the first moment rarely lasted. He would soon be distracted by another fine work uncovered in a visit to an artist’s studio or masterpiece displayed on a gallery wall.
    Eliza was no different. Now that he was no longer in her presence his head was clearer. His strong attraction was simply due to a recent lack of sex. She was a beautiful woman, nothing more. There were scores of attractive females in London who could eagerly satisfy his needs. If he couldn’t have Eliza, he could easily find another.

Chapter Eight
    The snow continued to fall heavily overnight, finally stopping in the early morning hours. Eliza parted the curtains in the front window of the shop and gazed outside. Snow covered the street, crisp and pristine. The row of small, bow-fronted shops appeared uninhabited, her view of the street far from the usual bustling London business district. Sunlight reflected off the snow-capped church spires in the distance. The effect gave one a feeling of bottomless peace and satisfaction, like gazing at a lovely watercolor.
    But no matter how beautiful the snow appeared, the weather was bad for business. The shoppers they relied upon seemed to be hibernating. There hadn’t been one customer all day, and she worried about the remainder of the week. No one wanted to buy artwork, prints, or bric-a-brac decorations in such weather. They needed necessities, food and coal. Items Eliza would have to venture out to obtain as well.
    Chloe’s cough had worsened overnight, and to Eliza’s dismay she’d developed a fever. Both Eliza and Amelia were up all night laying cool cloths on Chloe’s forehead in an attempt to bring down the fever. They’d given Chloe their warmest blankets and then had huddled together on the same mattress for warmth, until Eliza had broken down and burned their small, precious store of coal. Without customers, there was no reason to keep the shop well heated during the day. And coal wasn’t all they needed. They were running low on tonic for Chloe. Eliza knew she’d have to make another trip to the apothecary.
    Later that afternoon, Eliza approached their shop with another small bottle of tonic and paused at the sight of the fine coach and matching bays stopped in front. The horses tossed their heads restlessly and snorted, steam curling from their nostrils in the frigid air.
    Eliza’s pulse quickened with a strange inner excitement. Grayson.
    Hurrying inside, she scanned the room for the tall, handsome earl. The shop was blessedly warm, heat radiating from the grate in the corner. A burly footman was setting down a heavy burlap sack of coal to the left of the fireplace. Multiple lanterns burned brightly adding a cheerful glow to the prints on the wall.
    Amelia rushed forward, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Look what Huntingdon sent. Warm cloaks for all three of us. Blankets, too. And enough coal to heat the place for at least three months.” Amelia thrust a fur-lined cloak at Eliza.
    The cloak grazed her cheek, and Eliza gasped. The fur was sable and the softest she’d ever felt. It was too much to comprehend. She thought of the last time Huntingdon was here, when they’d kissed.