any warning. Matthias captured
her wrists in his hands and pinned them to the carved mahogany
door behind her head. Holding her there, he freed her mouth to
trace a scorching series of kisses down her throat. At the same
time, he drew his thigh up between her legs. The skirts of her gown
foamed over his breeches.
Good heavens." Imogen sucked in her breath. Matthias's leg
moved higher between her thighs. I cannot think"
Neither can I at the moment." He released her wrists. His
powerful, elegant hands settled around her throat. He tipped her
head back.
Imogen grabbed awkwardly at the handle of the wardrobe to
steady herself. But at that exact instant Matthias whirled her away
toward the bed.
Imogen forgot to let go of the handle. The wardrobe door came
open with a jarring crash. The large object sitting on the middle
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
shelf shuddered beneath the impact and started to topple forward.
Matthias tore his mouth away from Imogen's throat. What the
devil.?"
Imogen watched in horror as the bowl slipped over the edge of
the shelf and plummeted downward. Oh, no'
Matthias moved with startling, graceful speed. He released
Imogen, stepped around her, and caught the bowl in a single lithe
movement.
Bloody hell." Matthias gazed at the bowl cradled in his hands.
Imogen breathed a sigh of relief. That was a very near thing, my
lord. You move quite quickly."
When there's a good reason to do so." He smiled slightly as he
studied the bowl.
His eyes still gleamed, Imogen noted, but not precisely the
same way they had a moment earlier. She took a closer look at the
bowl. It was delicately sculpted from a translucent blue-green
stone. The stone was unique to Zamarian artifacts. Imogen had
been told by one of her correspondents that the fashionable had
labeled the color Zamarian green. The bowl was inscribed with
words written in a flowing script that was as elegant as the vessel
itself. Imogen recognized the language immediately.
Zamarian." She gazed at the bowl with wonder. Uncle Selwyn
told me that he had some Zamarian artifacts, but I did not realize
that he possessed anything so lovely."
It probably came from a Zamarian tomb."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Yes." She leaned closer to examine the bowl. This is a very fine
piece, is it not? Look at the words. Informal script rather than
formal. A personal offering left in the burial chamber of a loved
one, if I am not mistaken."
Matthias tore his gaze away from the bowl long enough to give
her an assessing glance. You recognize the script?"
Yes, of course." Gingerly she took the sea-green bowl from him
and turned it slowly in her hands, marveling at the beautiful workmanship. lAs Zamaris embraces
Anizarnara at day's end, our two
spirits shall be joined for all time. Isn't that a lovely sentiment, my
lord?"
Hell's teeth." Matthias stared at her with a dark intensity even
greater than that with which he had gazed at the bowl. There is
only one person other than myself in all of England who could
have translated that line of informal Zamarian script so quickly
and so flawlessly."
Too late, Imogen realized what she had just done. Oh, dear."
I presume that I have just had the pleasure of kissing I. A.
Stone?"
My lord, I assure you, I never intended to deceive you."
No?"
Well, perhaps just a trifle. I was going to explain everything."
Eventually?"
Yes. Eventually. At the proper time." She tried to summon up
what she hoped was a placating smile. We have been so busy since
you arrived, what with one thing and another, that there simply
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
has not been an opportunity."
Matthias ignored the weak excuse. The first initial is plain
enough. And it's obvious where the Stone came from, Miss
Waterstone. But what does the middle initial stand
her wrists in his hands and pinned them to the carved mahogany
door behind her head. Holding her there, he freed her mouth to
trace a scorching series of kisses down her throat. At the same
time, he drew his thigh up between her legs. The skirts of her gown
foamed over his breeches.
Good heavens." Imogen sucked in her breath. Matthias's leg
moved higher between her thighs. I cannot think"
Neither can I at the moment." He released her wrists. His
powerful, elegant hands settled around her throat. He tipped her
head back.
Imogen grabbed awkwardly at the handle of the wardrobe to
steady herself. But at that exact instant Matthias whirled her away
toward the bed.
Imogen forgot to let go of the handle. The wardrobe door came
open with a jarring crash. The large object sitting on the middle
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
shelf shuddered beneath the impact and started to topple forward.
Matthias tore his mouth away from Imogen's throat. What the
devil.?"
Imogen watched in horror as the bowl slipped over the edge of
the shelf and plummeted downward. Oh, no'
Matthias moved with startling, graceful speed. He released
Imogen, stepped around her, and caught the bowl in a single lithe
movement.
Bloody hell." Matthias gazed at the bowl cradled in his hands.
Imogen breathed a sigh of relief. That was a very near thing, my
lord. You move quite quickly."
When there's a good reason to do so." He smiled slightly as he
studied the bowl.
His eyes still gleamed, Imogen noted, but not precisely the
same way they had a moment earlier. She took a closer look at the
bowl. It was delicately sculpted from a translucent blue-green
stone. The stone was unique to Zamarian artifacts. Imogen had
been told by one of her correspondents that the fashionable had
labeled the color Zamarian green. The bowl was inscribed with
words written in a flowing script that was as elegant as the vessel
itself. Imogen recognized the language immediately.
Zamarian." She gazed at the bowl with wonder. Uncle Selwyn
told me that he had some Zamarian artifacts, but I did not realize
that he possessed anything so lovely."
It probably came from a Zamarian tomb."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Yes." She leaned closer to examine the bowl. This is a very fine
piece, is it not? Look at the words. Informal script rather than
formal. A personal offering left in the burial chamber of a loved
one, if I am not mistaken."
Matthias tore his gaze away from the bowl long enough to give
her an assessing glance. You recognize the script?"
Yes, of course." Gingerly she took the sea-green bowl from him
and turned it slowly in her hands, marveling at the beautiful workmanship. lAs Zamaris embraces
Anizarnara at day's end, our two
spirits shall be joined for all time. Isn't that a lovely sentiment, my
lord?"
Hell's teeth." Matthias stared at her with a dark intensity even
greater than that with which he had gazed at the bowl. There is
only one person other than myself in all of England who could
have translated that line of informal Zamarian script so quickly
and so flawlessly."
Too late, Imogen realized what she had just done. Oh, dear."
I presume that I have just had the pleasure of kissing I. A.
Stone?"
My lord, I assure you, I never intended to deceive you."
No?"
Well, perhaps just a trifle. I was going to explain everything."
Eventually?"
Yes. Eventually. At the proper time." She tried to summon up
what she hoped was a placating smile. We have been so busy since
you arrived, what with one thing and another, that there simply
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
has not been an opportunity."
Matthias ignored the weak excuse. The first initial is plain
enough. And it's obvious where the Stone came from, Miss
Waterstone. But what does the middle initial stand
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