Dangerous Diana (Brambridge Novel 3) by Pearl Darling

have been an excellent dancer.” Carter’s eyes unfocused, and his arms came up as if holding an imaginary partner in his hands.
    Hades frowned. He couldn’t remember much about dancing with Melissa apart from being angry with Freddie Lassiter and Melissa saying her name was Diana. And drowning mesmerized in her eyes of course . Where had her spectacles been then? His frown deepened. And why had she according to rumor refused at least ten marriage proposals and attempted to marry Lord Stanton?
    Carter coughed, and his arms fell back to his side. “I think you will find that your young lady is awake, sir.”
    Hades uncrossed his legs, blinking fiercely. His young lady? The important thing was that she was now awake. He had some questions he needed to ask her.
    He re-entered the study, glancing towards the leather chair. But she was not there. She stood on the highest step of the library chair, fully extended trying to reach a book at the top of the flora and fauna section.
    With an oath, he crossed the room quickly and, grasping her by the waist, swung her to the floor. As her feet touched the carpet, she gasped softly and stood as rigid as a board. But still he kept his hands on her waist.
    “What is the Viper to you, Miss Sumner?” Hades needed to know, had to know. What if she was the Viper’s woman?
    “The Viper is nobody to me.” Melissa’s voice dipped and strengthened. “I do not know who he is.”
    Hades started to remove his hands. She was lying. He could tell it in the sound of her voice. But she stepped forward and pushed his hands back onto her waist.
    “If I kiss you, will you let me go? Will you let me leave here?” she asked in a low voice. Hades could not say anything. Nothing had robbed him of his senses before such as this.
    In the silence she removed his hands from beneath hers, and stepped away, leaving him oddly bereft, as though he should have taken the chance when he was offered it. But then she returned, dragging the library chair behind her. With supple grace, she stood on the first rung and leaned forward and hesitantly brushed her lips slowly against his. His breath hitched at the fleeting contact, but almost matter of factly she stepped down off the chair and made to put it away again.
    Not fair. Grasping her again by her waist with his strong hands, he pulled her back towards him and bent his head. Her mouth was round in surprise. Without giving her any time to protest, he plundered her sweet mouth with his. She tasted of coffee and hazelnuts. With a groan, he deepened his kiss. Melissa moaned beneath him, and her hands stole up to rest lightly on his shoulders—
    A cough at the partially opened door stopped him from going further. He had been about to push Melissa into the bookshelves and work his way down to her sweet-smelling neck and then… damn Carter for never knocking . Releasing Melissa, he stepped away and she collapsed like a rag doll to the floor.
    He squared his shoulders and stared at the fireplace. “I think you will find, madame , that in the end it was I that kissed you. And no. You cannot go. You have something to do with the Viper, and I want to know what it is.”
    Melissa looked up at him, her spectacles askew on her nose, her skirt splayed out across the floor. He laughed harshly. She had tried to play him and he had taught her a lesson, the one that Lady Elsa had taught him. But gods, the sweetness of her lips!
    Pulling the study door open he strode into the hall. “Next time knock, Carter,” he said angrily to the bulging eyes of the butler. Hades needed something to drink again. And then he was going out to the Temple of Muses bookshop. There was nothing like a dry book to take one’s mind off… off… well things one didn’t want to think about.
     
    The Temple of Muses Bookshop didn’t help. Even the musty smell of books didn’t console him. It smelt like the study at home.
    Hades roamed among the dark, double stacked shelves, picking out books at