Read Duncan's Rose for Free Online

castle. The walls were dark gray blocks of smooth stone. Trees spread all over the garden, which sparkled under the sunshine that filtered through the open roof. Mediterranean and silver-leafed plants decorated the pathway throughout the garden. Cheddar Pink, sage, and perovskias, gathered in groups of three, flaunting a magnificent color combination of pink, gray-green, and blue-lavender. As she walked on the pathway, her fingers brushed over the irises that decorated a Victorian cedar arch. It’s like the Garden of Eden . She spotted Mac reading a newspaper near a medium-sized pond with two small waterfalls.
    His attention turned from the newspaper to her. “Ah, good morning. Miss Blair. Please join me for breakfast.” He rose from his seat and pulled out the opposite white metallic chair for her to sit on.
    In the daylight, his fine-looking features were clear. Under the bright morning sun, his eyes were lively with an azure color matching his silky shirt. He was an attractive man, with chiseled features. But there was a rugged poetry in the structure of his face that made classical handsomeness utterly irrelevant. His character was too powerful to overlook, even behind his mask.
     “Good morning, Mr. Wardlaw.” She sat in the offered seat. “Please call me Miranda.”
    “Then please call me Mac, Miranda.”
    She smiled. He poured tea for her; she thanked him and helped herself to a piece of toast spread with jam and butter.
    He leaned back on his chair, crossed his legs, and watched her, studying every move she made. A sparkle of mischief in his eyes made her shiver to the marrow of her bones. “You look dashing this morning, Miranda. You slept well?”
    “Thank you, I did.” She licked the excess of jam on her lips and saw him watching her lips. Her cheeks turned molten beneath his scrutiny. Their eyes met. The way his eyes glittered with unleashed desire sent shivers up her spine.
    He rose from his chair and walked with unhurried strides to the corner behind his chair. Blue flowers covered the gate he slipped through, barring her sight. Within a few seconds, he returned, holding his hands behind his back. “I know why you’re here, Miranda. Do you know why I wanted you in the castle?” His velvety voice swept over her body like warm honey and made her toes curl in her sandals.
    So, it was he and not Mr. Kenneth Wardlaw who wanted me brought to the castle.
    “No, I don’t know why you canceled my reservation and invited me here.” She continued in a firm tone, “And I didn’t like the way your men treated me. I felt as if I were being kidnapped .”
    He raised his eyebrows. “How did they treat you? Were they rough or rude? Did they handle you in a way that was offensive?” He leaned toward her and whispered into her ear with a bourbon-smooth tone. “Because if they did, I’ll fire them all.”
    She held her breath for a moment, then a sigh escaped her lips. “No, they just made me uncomfortable. Their invitation sounded like an order.”
    “It was an order,” he declared as he shifted to stand beside her. He held up a lilac bud. “Here, your favorite flower.”
    She froze and gazed at the white bud. Thunder rose in her ears at the sight of it. Her hands started to sweat as she clenched them into fists.
    Miranda accepted the partially opened flower and held it in front of her. “How did you know it was my favorite?” she croaked, her gaze locked on the bud.
    “You smell like one.”
    No, I don’t. She had stopped using that fragrance ever since she smelled it on Rose in one of her visions. She narrowed her eyes into slits, not liking his answer.
    He brushed his mask with his hand. “You look beautiful, Miranda, shining under the sun, as fresh and innocent as a lilac.”
    What is he trying to do to me? She hoped he wouldn’t hear her pounding heart. She had to change the subject. “Why did you want me here in your castle?” she asked, allowing a sharp tone to creep into her voice. She