Page 3 of An Earl’s Christmas Temptation

Together the two women laughed and although it lightened Julia's heart a little, it was not enough to sweep away her melancholy entirely. With a younger sister to think of and a precedence to set, Julia was feeling the burden even more than she had the year before.

No longer young and naïve to the ways of men and their desires for lust and money, she was finding it harder than ever to make a match for herself that she would be entirely happy with. Of course, there were those her own parents would instantly rebuke, but there were also the ones who tried to slip under her parents’ radar in order to entice her.

So far she had seen right through them, yet her gut churned with the worry that maybe one day she would come across a man who could trick even her.

“I promise that for the rest of the Season I will do my best to be a buffer between you and your suitors,” Chelsea promised, gripping hold of Julia's hand and urging her up from the chaise lounge. “But for now, will you please help me go through these dresses before your mother arrives and forces us to pick one for this evening before we have had the chance to examine them?”

With a deep sigh, Julia did as her friend requested, and for a time, she could forget about her doubts and concerns. She even managed to have a little fun. Soon, they had both picked a dress for the night's festivities, though the one Chelsea had set her heart on was not quite right.

The hem was slightly too long, and if she were to avoid tripping over it all evening, then adjustments would need to be made. Julia was all too happy to escort her best friend to the modiste's shop with the dress in tow, knowing that just next door lay her favourite bookshop.

It was there, while Chelsea was stuck on the modiste's stool, that Julia found peace among the bookshelves. Her love of reading had been a godsend in recent weeks, allowing her to remove herself from the troubles of the Season and reduce her stress at her mother's constant urgings to pickup the newest volumes so that she would not miss a single story, Julia plucked a few from the shelves and perched them on a nearby table in order to purchase them at the end of her visit.

Not pleased with her meagre pickings, she returned to the shelf nearest in order to have one final browse about the place, hoping not to miss a hidden gem. The bookshop was fairly quiet and having grown used to her visits and her lack of needing any help, the assistant left her to do as her heart pleased until she called for help.

Brushing back a stray strand of golden brown hair that had fallen loose from the pins atop her head, a particular book caught her eye and she stepped forward to examine it more closely. With a single raised hand, she stroked the book's spine, feeling the gold embossed lettering of the curious title beneath her fingertips.

Then, just as she was about to pull the book from its position on the shelf, she felt it beginning to move away from her. Stifling a gasp, she instinctively grabbed hold of the spine, wondering whether maybe she had touched it harder than expected and caused it to slip out the back side of the shelf cabinet.

Tugging it back into place, she felt resistance for only a moment. Pulling just a little harder, she was surprised when the resistance failed and she suddenly reeled backwards with the book firmly clutched in her hand. Correcting herself quickly, she glanced through the hole left by the book, curious as to what had been gripping hold of the book so tightly.

Her breath caught in her throat the moment she saw a pair of eyes staring back at her. A tingling sensation ran down the length of her spine, causing her to shiver with goosebumps. She hadn't realised that there was anyone but the old shop assistant in the store, but these were not the old and wise brown eyes of the balding man who always greeted her warmly whenever she entered.

These eyes were striking, mysterious… intoxicating. She had never seen eyes so green before. Even in the dim lighting of the bookstore, they seemed luminescent. And they distracted her so badly that the book she had been so intent upon before slipped from her fingers.

It dropped, thudding on the hardwood floor so thunderously that it caused Julia to almost jump out of her skin. She blinked and when she opened her eyes again; the eyes were gone. Disappointment clawed at her stomach.

Then she heard footsteps of someone wearing heavy boots. Suddenly, a man stood beside her with dark brown hair and olive skin; he looked quite foreign. If Julia had to have guessed, she might have said he was Spanish or maybe even Italian.

His charming smile left Julia speechless, and he said nothing as he crouched down before her and picked up the tome she had dropped.

"I believe you dropped this, miss," he said. Although there was a slight Italian note in his voice, he sounded very much English. It was both intriguing and fascinating to Julia to hear, and she could not help but smile as she nudged the book further into his hand. "You keep it, sir."

"Please, I insist that you take it, miss," he insisted, trying again to hand her the book. His smile broadened as he added, "Any young lady looking to read John Locke deserves every opportunity to do so."

Julia raised an eyebrow at that and discreetly took the book from him, unable to look away from those striking green eyes. "What a peculiar thing to say," she mused under her breath, tilting her head slightly as she examined him a little more closely. A little more loudly, she asked, "Can a young lady not have an interest in John Locke?"

She gritted her teeth, knowing what the answer would likely be. She had heard it enough times from both her parents and her older brother that she need not concern herself with such things. They would rather have her read foolish titles of love and romance than concern herself with the serious subjects of the world.

"I can admit that I have rarely seen a woman reading such works," the man responded with a half-shrug and the way he looked back at her with such an intensity not only made her feel uncomfortable but it also made her feel… well, it made her feel. And that was something unaccomplished by any man ever since her last Season.

"In fact, I don't think I have ever seen a young lady even pick up a Locke book, let alone read one."

"Then I cannot help but wonder, sir, as to the kinds of ladies you keep as company," Julia retorted, feeling heat rise into her cheeks the very moment that the words escaped from her lips.Did I just utter that out loud?She gasped inwardly, biting the inside of her lip to stop herself from saying anything else foolish.

The man scoffed at her response, looking quite amused and somehow even more handsome than he had before. Julia felt the urge to run her fingers through his luxurious brown locks even as he did so, pushing his hair back from his face and looking at her from beneath devilishly long eyelashes.

"Forgive me, miss, it was not my intention to offend you," he told her, bowing his head slightly and placing his hand behind his back. Julia's insides twisted with delight and she felt her stomach beginning to fill with butterflies.

Whatever is the matter with me?She thought, begrudgingly, reminding herself of the fact that she had practically sworn off men ever since she had learned that she was only well-liked for her money and her easiness on the eye.

"I am not offended, sir, merely astounded," she replied carefully. Cautiously, she took a step backward, worried that she might be able to continue to control herself if she remained as close to him as she was. Instinctively, she glanced around for the safety of the shop assistant close by.

Yet it appeared that in this part of the store, at least for now, they were alone. The knowledge caused her heart to hitch up in her throat and she struggled to gulp past the sudden lump that had formed there.

This is entirely inappropriate,she thought, wishing that she could take her gaze away from his though while knowing that she could not without showing him just how uncomfortable she was in his presence. More than that, she feared to give away just how badly he had affected her.

It was not any kind of creepiness or even malice that caused her to feel discomfort, but in fact, quite the opposite. Shedid not know how to handle the things that she was feeling in that moment. Just the musky sandalwood scent of his cologne made her breathless.

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