Free 50 Ways to Ruin a Rake by Jade Lee Page A

reluctant sigh, he drew back, taking the time to stroke her cheek and admire the silky texture of her skin. Damn, but she was a beautiful woman. Especially since their ardor had pulled the pins from her hair and tumbled her mahogany curls down her back. The sunlight brought out the red highlights and turned her mink eyes golden. And her lips—her wet, red, plump—
    â€œMelinda Smithson!” Ronnie cried again. “You forget yourself!”
    â€œYes,” she said, her expression still gratifyingly dazed. “Yes, I suppose I do.”
    Trevor grinned. “Love will do that, you know,” he said as he stroked his thumb across her plump lower lip. “Makes one forget everything else…” He stretched toward her, and she brought herself in reach. But then there was Ronnie, grabbing hold of Trevor’s shoulder and muscling him back.
    If the idiot had dared to touch Mellie, Trevor would have punched him hard right in the knee. It would be enough to cripple the man, potentially for life. But as the bastard chose to exercise his physical prowess on Trevor, his knee was spared. Sadly, the same could not be said for his own ankle. Now that he wasn’t kissing Mellie anymore, other painful sensations were pushing to the forefront of his brain. His ankle, for one, was swelling by the second. His jaw was already three times as large as it should be, or at least it felt that way.
    He dropped his head forward, touching his forehead to hers. All around them, their audience was cheering, jeering, or simply making ribald comments that were getting more and more obscene.
    â€œWe need to get you home,” he said to her softly.
    Her eyes had widened at some of the things being said. No more sexual daze. Just a growing pinkness in her cheeks and not from his attentions. “Can you walk?” she asked.
    He nodded. “It’ll hurt like the devil, but I think I can manage it.”
    â€œShould I send for the carriage?”
    â€œHeavens, no!” The last thing he wanted to do was sit in here in the muck waiting. “If you support me—”
    â€œOf course. Lean on me, Mr. Anaedsley. I’m a great deal stronger than I look.”
    He squeezed her fingers, only now realizing that he was holding her hand. “I’m beginning to realize that, Mellie. Indeed, I wonder at how blind I’ve been.”
    Her mouth opened in surprise at his words, and this time he knew that the pink in her cheeks was because of him and not the buffoons around them. He meant to keep it that way. The more he distracted her from everyone else, the less mortified she would feel.
    â€œYes, cousin,” pressed Ronnie. “Do get up. This is most unseemly.”
    She shot the man an irritated look. “You wouldn’t say that if I’d been kissing you.”
    Trevor didn’t think it was possible for Ronnie to look like an offended princess. The buffoon was too big to pull off the dainty, nose-in-the-air look. Apparently he had a little dandy in him. Ronnie pranced backward, stepping on his tippy toes as he gasped at the insult.
    â€œYou wound me, cousin. I have thought nothing but for your happiness. I only wonder what this roué has said to sway you from your normal common sense—”
    â€œOh, owwwww!” Trevor groaned loudly as he pushed to his feet. In truth, it wasn’t that bad, but he would play a dying invalid if it shut up Ronnie.
    Mellie scrambled to help. “I’m right here. Lean on me.”
    â€œOh, for goodness sake—” Ronnie exclaimed.
    â€œNo, no!” he said over her cousin. “I can manage it.” He’d made it to his feet, then leaned his weight onto the bad ankle. He wasn’t faking his gasp when pain shot like fire all the way up his spine.
    â€œDon’t be foolish!” she snapped as she quickly pulled his arm around her shoulders and bolstered him. Damn, she wasn’t lying. She was strong, sturdy enough