Gayle Wilson

My Lady's Dare


Скачать книгу

mouth across them, the lightest possible touch.

      He did not release her hand, but he raised his head and his eyes held on her face. Finally, at whatever he saw there, he smiled at her.

      Something moved within her chest, an unexpected jolt of reaction, almost painful in its intensity. Her heart began to beat so heavily she was afraid the movement might be visible externally. That he might be aware of the effect he was having.

      It had been a very long time since a man had kissed her hand. It was a gesture both romantic and chivalric. And it had been far too long, it seemed, since she had stirred either emotion in a masculine breast.

      She had become accustomed to leers. To suggestive comments. To hot, roving eyes that focused on the line of her throat or on her exposed breasts.

      It had been too long since a man had treated her not like a wanton, but like a lady. Her reaction had been simple gratitude, a natural response to Dare’s gallantry. Or so she told herself.

      Although he seemed to be playing the perfect gentleman tonight, the earl had won her on the turn of a card. And he had not offered her freedom, which a real gentleman, one who truly considered her a lady, would certainly have done. So whatever his behavior seemed to indicate…

      She pulled her fingers from his and almost fled toward the door Ned Harper had closed only moments before. And despite whatever she had felt as the Earl of Dare had pressed his lips against the tips of her fingers, she did not look back.

      Chapter Four

      One more, the Earl of Dare told himself, the now-familiar words repeated like a litany, as he pressed his body more closely into the shadows. He was in the back garden of a small house on the outskirts of Paris. It was well after midnight, but there were still lights on inside. Apparently, and disappointingly, the occupant of the dwelling was either awake or, more likely, reluctant these days to sleep in the dark.

      And despite the risks occasioned by his present location and by the task he had undertaken tonight, Dare found himself smiling at that thought. Relishing it.

      He had known, of course, that this one would be the most dangerous. And he had added to that danger by saving this particular man for the last. That decision, however, had been both considered and deliberate, and even now, faced with the daunting prospect of the light, he had no regrets.

      This was the man who had issued the orders. The one most responsible for what had been done to his friend, Andre. And considering his position in the government, this man, Paul Lefebvre was probably the most intelligent of the five whom the earl had set out from London a week ago to hunt down. And that meant, Dare had decided, that Lefebvre was probably also the one with the greatest capacity to imagine his fate.

      At least I hope you’ve been imagining it, you bastard, Dare thought, the smile on his lips without amusement. I hope you’ve been living in a state of absolute terror, dreaming about my hands fastened around your throat or about the coldness of my blade sliding into the vileness of your black heart.

      For six days the Earl of Dare had stalked the streets of Paris like ancient Nemesis. And in those six days, he had relentlessly found, and killed, four men. Although what had been in his heart when he had begun this quest had been nothing less than cold-blooded murder, he had given all of them the opportunity to fight him. Far more chance than they had given Andre.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEAYABgAAD/4RxlRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAcAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAjodp AAQAAAABAAAApAAAANAADqYAAAAnEAAOpgAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTMiBXaW5kb3dz ADIwMTQ6MTA6MjAgMDg6NTY6NTgAAAAAA6ABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAABAAAB9KADAAQAAAAB AAAC1wAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAEeARsABQAAAAEAAAEmASgAAwAAAAEA AgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAEuAgIABAAAAAEAABsvAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/2P/gABBKRklG AAECAABIAEgAAP/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAB/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJDBEL CgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAENCwsN Dg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwM/8AAEQgAoABuAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQAB//EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIEBQYH CAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIRAwQh EjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX0lXi ZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAICAQIE BAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUGFqKy gwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYnN0dX Z3eHl6e3x//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AyITQjCtziABJOgA1KRrIMHQjsdCujeWtFtHgm2jwVgY9pEit 23ndtMR/WhTGI+QDo5wJa2DJA5c395AkDcrhGZ2iWpsCf0x4q39isGh0+IIU24Tu4JIMHQocUe6R CfZoemlsV84h10Ohg6HQj9791Eb03djes17XWb9v2cBxsLY3eu396rTa79xDjikY8h2DmemlsVs4 jyJa0uHiATzwmONYHFpaQ4ctIgj4go2O62p9i1diW0Kz9nskDaZOg05+CX2ayAS0gOMNJBEnwEo2 O6gJnoWttS2qyMW3ktO3jdBhL7M/yhN44/vD7V3t5Kvgl9j/AP/QyftTedpHEEHX4rruusxupN/a 7h7MK6/E6oG6QMY2Prdr+dfW30Wf8Jk0Lh2tIcCQHgEEtMwY12u27X7f6rloP6jbfT1Flu1rOp2N uyKmbgwva5136OXvsb+kf+9/o/8ARrQ97NOQlVGF+r+rL5nPHL4McZR3E69J/eh8tPbWZQyes/sy 5oFXVMCprmtOjLNtttTgz91vvb/22udFw/51dJorcTXi3V47eRO17vWfH/DXepb/AG1nv+sea7q2 P1f0qRlYlYqqaBZ6Za0OZX6jPW3O2tsf/hFPptll/wBZun2lvudlMvtDZLWy71LX7nFzm1t3fnO9 igM6iYgVYF+cev8AitkQHEDubNf3T0/xnTvy6n/WfPFjC5uHdZfbuc1rSKi3ZXvsc1rPWvdTS3/j Ftem3G6r1c1vmrJ6fZmVFhJltmrnNLfb/O+oufzen5d/WOsizF/yfbbbk25biWyylll2LXQ/e1lj LMn037G1v9T/AK0qVH1q6hViUY4px3NpxXYTXuFm/wBF+zexz23N936Jnp/6NL3pGgdRw8P0/lFH sQGoFHiM/r8v/dPVdPyWWYHS/tO9w6qLsC/cSXOaC/7La/8AlUub6W/9y9UhdSxl3Scq67Foqc2i vqFIIDb691mV6rR7vs911u/+Qyqj/jFh0/WLKFuNa5lQGDH2WkBwraAd07TZ6j3b/fc99u+1PZ1k ZBvblV1uqyrvtLg02tLbSNh9Kyq1r2VOb9Ov9IpOMWTZoni0/Rlxemv7sVvBoBQsDhs68UeH1X/e k9T0mrMp+sWb9qfvtsw3P9StxNbxFLK72f1/T/7c9RZ2Ew531azPtM2W9MDb8a6yXPawt3XUeo73 +n+jf7FL6s5Rv6zk5F1wP6k+l