Free Not Just a Governess by Carole Mortimer Page A

many, many levels,’ Adam repeated grimly as he saw the way in which her face had paled.
    No doubt in reaction to the realisation that her employer had just kissed her with an intimacy and passion totally unacceptable to her, or the disparity in their social positions. Not that the raging of his libido cared one way or the other about that, but Adam must!
    ‘For which you have my heartfelt apology,’ he added, mortified with himself. ‘I do not know—it was not my intention—it will not happen again,’ he vowed.
    At least, Adam would do what he could to ensure that it did not happen again! In truth, he was not sure how it had happened a first time…
    There had been perhaps a dozen or so women in his life since Fanny died, women he had spent a few hours of intimacy with and never seen again. Beautiful as Elena might be, for him to have stepped over that line, for him to not only have felt desire for one of his own servants, but to have acted upon it, was totally unacceptable to him. Quite how he was going to feel, to react to her, once she had ceased wearing these unbecoming gowns, he dare not think. With decency and restraint, it was to be hoped. But—
    ‘You were about to say something earlier as I began to leave the room…?’
    Adam scowled as he tried to remember what she was referring to, his mind and body both still dominated by only one thought: his desire for her.
    Ah, yes…‘I believe I was about to suggest that a riding habit might also be a useful addition to your wardrobe.’
    Her eyes widened dubiously. ‘A riding habit, my lord?’
    His jaw tightened. ‘Yes. Perhaps in turquoise or blue?’ he found himself adding—before instantly castigating himself for caring what the colour of her riding habit should be.
    ‘Very well, my lord.’ She looked at him for several seconds longer, before giving a brief curtsy. ‘If you will excuse me, I must return to the schoolroom.’
    ‘And the seamstress.’
    ‘Indeed.’ She did not look at him again before leaving.
    Adam frowned darkly once Elena had departed his study, knowing that he had made life decidedly uncomfortable for himself just now.
    The throbbing ache in his groin spoke of his obvious physical discomfort, but it was the inner dissatisfaction, with his own completely uncharacteristic behaviour of making love toa female servant in his own household, and Elena’s reaction to it once she had found the time and privacy in which to reflect, which caused Adam to continue to soundly castigate himself.
    Elena might choose to believe that he did not take enough of an interest in his daughter or her life, but Adam knew enough to know that Amanda had been happier in recent weeks, more contented, since the advent of her new governess into her life.
    His unacceptable behaviour just now might have put that in jeopardy if, on reflection, Elena should decide that she could not continue working for a man who attempted to take liberties with her.
    There was another aspect to consider, Adam realised with a heavy heart, and that was his loss of control in kissing her at all. A loss of control he certainly did not welcome. Most especially with a woman he was fast beginning to suspect was much more than she seemed.

Chapter Six
    ‘I thought your lessons would be over for the morning?’
    ‘We are just finishing now.’ Elena deliberately kept her gaze away from Adam and on the textbook she had been using to teach Amanda some basic arithmetic, but that did not stop the colour from warming her cheeks as she recalled—how would she ever be able to forget!—being kissed by him so passionately.
    In fact, Elena had lain awake in her bed these past two nights unable to think of anything else.
    Neville’s brutality two months ago had been…shocking. Horrendous. Something Elena knew she would also never ever forgetand not in a good way like Adam’s kiss. She had been sure the experience would prevent her from ever allowing another man to so much as hold her, let alone