A Touch of Passion Read Online Free

fire-haired hellion who seemed to think the world was hers to mold and conquer. What he needed was a woman so boring she’d never engage his heart.
    He required a woman like his mother, a woman who turned a blind eye to her husband’s indiscretions while being true to her wedding vows. Many might find his stance hypocritical, but he wanted to know his children were his own. The perfect woman would be a lady of breeding, someone who would do nothing to bring the Blackwood name into disrepute.
    When he was fourteen and his father discussed what was required of him as the future viscount, he learned he was expected to marry the daughter of a duke or marquis. Just before she’d died in the carriage accident that had claimed his father and sister as well, his mother had suggested that he must choose his allegiance carefully. Her advice was to give his love to his mistresses, picking women who pleased him in bed. When choosing a wife he should look for a good breeder, and treat her with respect. That would keep the Blackwood house strong.
    However, Grayson’s view had changed over his years in the Flagstaff household. It was obvious to all that Lord Cumberland, Robert’s father, had loved his wife a great deal. Grayson had watched Lady Cumberland fall to pieces after her husband died. He had come to the opinion that the joy of loving someone was not worth the pain when it inevitably ended. He was thankful that there were plenty of dutiful, respectful women who did not stir his heart.
    Portia, on the other hand, more than stirred his heart. She stirred his body and soul too. Therein lay the danger.
    Grayson cast Portia from his mind, and set out to find Robert and offer his apologies. A thought, forbidden and dangerous, made his heart still.
Admit it, man—you don’t want to give her up.
    He’d been trying to deny the powerful and savage attraction for Portia for so long that he’d forgotten what a good night’s sleep was. Tonight had made the situation a hundred times worse. Now when he dreamed, he’d know exactly how she tasted, her scent would be swirling in his head, and he’d remember her soft, silken skin.
    Perhaps it was just as well he was leaving to fight Napoleon in three days’ time. A battlefield could make his problem moot. He knew he shouldn’t go. He was the last of his family, but he would not let Robert go alone. He owed Lord Cumberland that much at least.
    He must be the only man looking forward to war. Only then might he forget the red-haired vixen who haunted his dreams.

Chapter 1
    L ONDON , TWO YEARS LATER : D ECEMBER 1815
    “Don’t you dare get out of this carriage.”
    Portia ignored Rose’s command, one of the few people who could. Not many denied the Duchess of Roxborough when she used that tone of voice. Instead, she continued to stare into the darkening night.
    It wasn’t as if they were in the wilds of Scotland. The streets around the Thames and especially where the boats left to row to the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens were teeming with people. Noise, smells, and a brisk breeze swirled around them in comforting normalness. What could possibly go wrong? She’d have her footman with her. Any apprehension churning in her stomach had more to do with whom she was meeting and what his summons meant.
    Since Grayson’s return from Waterloo he had been a changed man. Robert’s death and the terrible injuries suffered by Grayson’s friend Lord Markham had destroyed the fun-loving rake. He blamed himself, and Portia knew that wasn’t fair.
    Rose added, “I swear I’ll end our friendship. Going into this crowd is foolhardy.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous. As if I’d fall for that threat! Since the age of five, when we became friends, you’ve threatened to terminate our friendship too many times for me to take you seriously.”
    “Women have been known to go missing from Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.” Rose pretended to shiver in the confines of Portia’s luxurious carriage. She pulled a fur