Michael arched an eyebrow.Widowed Silence Hollingbrook is impoverished, lovely, and kind-and nine months ago she made a horrible mistake. She glanced up and her heart squeezed at the gentle look on Michael’s face.Īs if she understood she was the subject of conversation, Mary lifted her arms-to Michael.

“She looks a rare treat,” Michael said softly, watching the toddler. She kept one hand on Silence’s skirt and popped two fingers from the other into her mouth as she stared solemnly at Michael. The baby grabbed a handful of her skirt and stood up. Silence followed his gaze and saw that Mary had crawled over to investigate.

Silence fought to keep her face from flaming as she remembered the last time she’d peeked through Michael’s door. “Well, now, and when did ye decide to start knockin’ at me door?” He was so very big this close-every time it surprised her and made her breathless. Michael leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb, a wicked smile playing about his sensuous lips. “Silence rose and crossed to the connecting door and knocked. “The dog ’as a wonderful affection for ye,” Harry said brightly.” He completely ignored Harry, his supposed master. Lad sat, one back leg sprawled out to the side, tongue hanging from his mouth, and grinned up at him. The dog seemed to think that his apology was done-or perhaps he’d already forgotten that Mick was mad at him-for he gamboled over as frisky as a lamb. “Christ!” Mick watched disgustedly as Lad made the edge of the bed and slithered off, thumping to the floor. “I do believe it is,” he said as if making a discovery. “Is that mud on his paws?” Mick asked in outrage.

His tiny triangle ears folded back, his eyes narrowed worriedly, and he rolled so that he could crawl toward the edge of the bed on his belly. Seemed an awful shame to leave ’im there all alone.” “Well, see, ’e was lookin’ so forlorn, like, out in the courtyard by ’imself. Hearing his name, Lad opened small, piggish, upside-down eyes, gazing with idiotic adoration as his whip-thin tail thumped the covers. “What,” Mick said softly, “is Lad doin’ in me bed?” His lips were quirked in a mocking smile, but his eyes-his fathomless black eyes-seemed to hold a great pain as if his strong chest really had been split open.” She simply inhaled and stopped, looking at him in wonder. Me lungs, me liver, and me heart cannot stand to be thus exposed.” Me chest breaks apart and gapes wide open when I see tears in yer pretty eyes. “Because”-he leaned down and licked at the tears on her cheeks, his lips brushing softly against her sensitive skin as he spoke, “ye’ve bewitched and bespelled me, my sweet Silence, didn’t ye know? I’ll agree that the sky is pink, that the moon is made o’ marzipan and sugared raisins, and that mermaids swim the muddy waters o’ the Thames, if ye’ll only stop weepin’.

“There, there, sweetin’,” he murmured into her hair.

Scandalous desires