Pirate Hunter's Mistress (The Virginia Brides) by Lynette Vinet Page B
Authors: Lynette Vinet
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the truth.
The moment of truth came sooner than Lark expected. Marlee stirred and rolled onto her back. Her beautifully formed breasts were bare. Lark wished he could make love to her again, just once more before he left her. Turning her head, she spotted him. A timid smile curved her lips and she sat up, immediately covering herself with the sheet. “You’re up and dressed already,” she said more as a comment than a question. “I best get up and dress, too. I must look a mess.”
“You look beautiful, wonderful,” Lark hastily assured her and stifled the urge to sit beside her. He wanted to kiss her pretty mouth, to hold her and never release her. Instead, he resisted the inclination to touch her, but he impressed her delicate features upon his mind for later, when he needed to remember her.
“You look wonderful, too,” she praised and dimpled. “You are wonderful.”
He couldn’t help groaning aloud when she took his hand and brought it to her lips. Her kiss felt like golden fire upon his flesh. “I love you so much, Richard. I shall love you forever.”
“Marlee, stop!” he ground out and realized he’d startled her by the vehemence in his voice. He wasn’t angry with her but with himself—so disappointed in himself that he wished to slither away and never face the light of day again.
“Have—have I been too bold?” she asked him and there were tears shining in her eyes. Instantly she withdrew her hand and held onto the sheet.
“It’s not that, not anything-you’ve done. God, Marlee, can’t you see that I care for you? You’ve turned my life upside down.”
“Is that so bad?” A delighted grin spread across her face, expressing her happiness and awe that he cared. “That’s what I want, Richard, I’ve prayed for it—”
“Stop it, Marlee, no more, please.’’
“But I love you. I do.” She started to get up, to reach out for him again, but he purposely backed away. “What is it, Richard? What have I done?”
“Stop calling me Richard for one,” he said with such pain on his face that he noticed she immediately stiffened.
“Should I call you something else, my lord?” She sounded frosty. “I had thought that after last night you’d consider me as something more than a commoner.”
“That’s not it. You’re making this very hard for me—and I deserve things to be hard, I deserve your hatred.” Lark raked his hand through his hair. The agony in his eyes sent waves of fear spinning through Marlee, but he didn’t realize this. All he knew was that he must confess his deception to her but he was unable to look at her. Instead his gaze found one of those infernal grinning cherubs on the ceiling. His attention was on the little carved statue the whole time he spoke. “First of all, Marlee, I am the Baron of Arden Manor, but I’m not Richard Arden. I’m Lark Arden, Richard’s cousin, from Virginia. I’ve deceived you, Carpenter deceived you—”
He took a quick look her way and found her gaze was riveted on him. Never in his life had he seen another person’s eyes grow so large. Swallowing a number of times, he thought his throat had closed up, but no, his voice came out surprisingly strong.
“I arrived here the same day that Richard had an accident. He died a few days later.” He heard her audible gasp but continued, “You did marry Richard; never doubt that you’re a baroness. But, well, I desperately needed to finance a voyage. My grandfather left me a trust, money which Richard illegally squandered. I arrived here to claim my fortune and found nothing. After I got over my frustration and anger, I learned about you, about your being an heiress. My only recourse was to pretend to be Richard, to woo you into signing the money away so I could take what was due me. And that’s all I’ve taken, Marlee, only the amount that Richard owed me. The rest of the money is yours, the estate and the title are yours—everything belongs to you.”
He stopped, feeling a
The moment of truth came sooner than Lark expected. Marlee stirred and rolled onto her back. Her beautifully formed breasts were bare. Lark wished he could make love to her again, just once more before he left her. Turning her head, she spotted him. A timid smile curved her lips and she sat up, immediately covering herself with the sheet. “You’re up and dressed already,” she said more as a comment than a question. “I best get up and dress, too. I must look a mess.”
“You look beautiful, wonderful,” Lark hastily assured her and stifled the urge to sit beside her. He wanted to kiss her pretty mouth, to hold her and never release her. Instead, he resisted the inclination to touch her, but he impressed her delicate features upon his mind for later, when he needed to remember her.
“You look wonderful, too,” she praised and dimpled. “You are wonderful.”
He couldn’t help groaning aloud when she took his hand and brought it to her lips. Her kiss felt like golden fire upon his flesh. “I love you so much, Richard. I shall love you forever.”
“Marlee, stop!” he ground out and realized he’d startled her by the vehemence in his voice. He wasn’t angry with her but with himself—so disappointed in himself that he wished to slither away and never face the light of day again.
“Have—have I been too bold?” she asked him and there were tears shining in her eyes. Instantly she withdrew her hand and held onto the sheet.
“It’s not that, not anything-you’ve done. God, Marlee, can’t you see that I care for you? You’ve turned my life upside down.”
“Is that so bad?” A delighted grin spread across her face, expressing her happiness and awe that he cared. “That’s what I want, Richard, I’ve prayed for it—”
“Stop it, Marlee, no more, please.’’
“But I love you. I do.” She started to get up, to reach out for him again, but he purposely backed away. “What is it, Richard? What have I done?”
“Stop calling me Richard for one,” he said with such pain on his face that he noticed she immediately stiffened.
“Should I call you something else, my lord?” She sounded frosty. “I had thought that after last night you’d consider me as something more than a commoner.”
“That’s not it. You’re making this very hard for me—and I deserve things to be hard, I deserve your hatred.” Lark raked his hand through his hair. The agony in his eyes sent waves of fear spinning through Marlee, but he didn’t realize this. All he knew was that he must confess his deception to her but he was unable to look at her. Instead his gaze found one of those infernal grinning cherubs on the ceiling. His attention was on the little carved statue the whole time he spoke. “First of all, Marlee, I am the Baron of Arden Manor, but I’m not Richard Arden. I’m Lark Arden, Richard’s cousin, from Virginia. I’ve deceived you, Carpenter deceived you—”
He took a quick look her way and found her gaze was riveted on him. Never in his life had he seen another person’s eyes grow so large. Swallowing a number of times, he thought his throat had closed up, but no, his voice came out surprisingly strong.
“I arrived here the same day that Richard had an accident. He died a few days later.” He heard her audible gasp but continued, “You did marry Richard; never doubt that you’re a baroness. But, well, I desperately needed to finance a voyage. My grandfather left me a trust, money which Richard illegally squandered. I arrived here to claim my fortune and found nothing. After I got over my frustration and anger, I learned about you, about your being an heiress. My only recourse was to pretend to be Richard, to woo you into signing the money away so I could take what was due me. And that’s all I’ve taken, Marlee, only the amount that Richard owed me. The rest of the money is yours, the estate and the title are yours—everything belongs to you.”
He stopped, feeling a
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