Page 6 of The Lord Next Door I Wished For
He peered down at this fragile-looking beauty. Petite, delicate, and bewitchingly beautiful…
Or she would have been if she’d had the personality to match her visage. But no. The girl was exactly the sort of power-hungry social climber he’d come to abhor.
And she was still gaping at him, apparently shocked senseless that her brazen overtures were unwanted.
He couldn’t blame her there. Most men would no doubt be falling at this girl’s feet. She wasn’t just pretty, she was…she was luminous. Her fair skin seemed to glow in the moonlight. Her lips were lush and full, her eyes wide and…
And filled with anger.
The spark of passion made his lips itch to curve up in a smile, but he squelched it. There was no need to encourage the lady.
But apparentlysomeonewas not used to being dismissed.
“Listen here, you…you…” Oh yes, her eyes sparked with fire as she planted her hands on her hips and scowled.
He arched a brow as he waited for her insult. Despite the fact that he knew very well he should be horrified by her bad manners, his lips couldn’t help but twitch with amusement as he watched her fumble for words.
“Youbrat,” she finally spat.
His jaw fell open. Had she really just… “Brat?” he echoed.
Quickly he looked around to make sure no one was paying attention because he’d spoken much too loud.
At least this little termagant had the good grace to keep her next insults to a hiss.
“I know it’s been an age since we’ve seen one another, but I’d expect a kinder reception than that,” she fumed.
He blinked.Since we’ve seen one another…
Luke narrowed his eyes for a better look as she carried on.
“To think, I went to all this trouble to see you, because I thought…oh what a fool I am.”
Something constricted in his chest and the air rushed out of him. Those big eyes, those lush lips…it couldn’t be.
“I should’ve known you’d change,” she was muttering, and those lush lips now formed a pout that was frighteningly familiar.
His mind lurched and reeled as it tried to reconcile the petite beauty before him with the little tomboy he’d played with all those years ago.
It couldn’t possibly be…
The young lady huffed, her chin coming up in a defiant pose, which might have been intimidating if she wasn’t still a wee little thing.
“I should have known you’d grow up to be an insufferable, stuffed-shirt—”
“Jane,” he said, the name tumbling off his tongue in disbelief.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but her frown was back in a heartbeat. “Oh, so I suppose it’s all right for you to address me informally, but—”
“Jane, it’s you,” he said. He couldn’t quite stop a laugh, and she blinked in surprise again.
“Of course it’s me,” she said. Her brows knit together. “Didn’t you recognize me?”
Now it was his turn to blink in surprise. Did she honestly think he would? “Jane, it’s been…what? Ten years?”
“Nine.” There was that mutinous lower lip.
His own lips twitched again because…gad. “Little Jane Wrightmore,” he said softly, awe clear in his voice. But honestly. Look at her! He never would have suspected the gangly girl with the carrot-red hair and the overabundance of freckles would turn out to be a diamond of the first water.
