Free Savage Destiny (The Hearts of Liberty Series, Book 1) by Phoebe Conn

romantic fantasies.
    The memory of that sunlit ride made her cringe, and she drew her hand across her mouth, while wishing she could erase all trace of Hunter as easily from her mind. It was not only her mind which clung to his memory, however, but her whole body that recalled the warmth of his smooth, bronze skin, and the rapture of his touch. If only she had had sense enough to stop there, before he claimed her innocence as easily as he had her reason. She sighed dejectedly, certain she had been lost from the moment their eyes had met on the dock. She had seen only a handsome savage, when what she should have recognized in his dark gaze was the reflection of her own doom.
    Depressed beyond further tears, she knew she would not get to sleep that night, for how could she rest, when in the space of an evening she had come so close to destroying her whole life? She had been incredibly weak, and the resulting pain that tore at her conscience was far too high a price to pay. If only she were certain no one would ever learn how foolish she had been, then she could go on as though no mistake had been made.
    Tragically, the change in her had been too profound to mask with the pretense that she had suffered no such epiphany. She would no longer have a frivolous outlook, that she now feared had bordered on the childish. Instead, she was eager to alter her habits, to curb the flirtatious manner which had always made her so popular, for it had been her undoing.
    Popularity no longer concerned her. What she wanted now was a cloak of respectability so thick that no breath of scandal could ever dislodge it from her shoulders. She would have to be careful though. She could not change her behavior so abruptly it caused comment, and drew curiosity and speculation. No, she would have to make the changes she desired slowly, with deliberate caution, so no one would ever suspect how badly she had strayed from the path she ought to have followed.
    With that plan clearly in mind, Melissa slipped from her bed to wet a washcloth in the pitcher of water on the washstand. When she lay back down, she placed it over her eyes to reduce the swelling. She intended to look her best in the morning, and she dared not appear as though she had spent most of the night crying. After all, why would Melissa Barclay have any reason to be sad, when she was so pretty and popular? she asked herself. Why indeed?
    * * *
    The next morning, Alanna was astonished to discover Melissa had gotten up before her. She dimly recalled a Christmas morning when they were children, when Melissa had beaten her out of bed, but that had been the only other time. Thinking it was no wonder she had overslept after the party and Melissa's late-night bout of tears, Alanna grew worried she might not be dressed in time to bid Byron and Elliott farewell.
    She left her bed and hurried to the window, but there was no sign of activity on the dock. Byron's bateau was still there, although it did appear to be partially loaded. Not wishing to be mistaken for lazy on such an important morning, she dressed so hastily she was still donning her cap as she ran down the stairs.
    Standing in the hallway, Elliott stepped forward to catch Alanna around the waist and swing her off the bottom step. "Where are you off to in such a rush?" he asked.
    Nonplussed, Alanna drew away. "I was afraid I'd miss saying goodbye to you."
    Amused by the sweetness of her excuse, Elliott had to fight the impulse to tease her again. "Didn't you know I'd not leave without a kiss from you?"
    There had been a time when Alanna would have thrown her arms around his neck and hugged him, too, but now that she was grown, such an affectionate display no longer seemed appropriate between them. While she also loved Byron, she and Elliott had always shared a special rapport. He was as protective as an older brother, and had always made her feel dearly loved.
    "Well, I'd hoped that you wouldn't," she admitted, "but the others might not have