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The Hathaways #1 Read Kindle PreviewFrom the blockbuster New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas comes Mine Till Midnight, the first title in the beloved regency romance series The Hathaways Excerpt Cam Rohan, the sexy half-gypsy from βDevil In Winterβ saves Miss Amelia Hathaway from the thing she fears most . . . Anxious to demonstrate her competence, Amelia strode to the other window and began jerking at the closed draperies. βThank you, Mr. Rohan, but as you can see, I have the situation well in hand.β βI think Iβll stay. Having just stopped you from falling through one window, Iβd hate for you to go out the other.β βI wonβt. Iβll be fine. I have everything under--β She tugged harder, and the rod clattered to the floor, just as the other hand done. But unlike the other curtain, which had been lined with aged velvet, this one was lined with some kind of shimmering rippling fabric, some kind ofβ Amelia froze in horror. The underside of the curtain was covered with bees. Bees. Hundreds, no, thousands of them, their iridescent wings beating in an angry relentless hum. They lifted in a mass from the crumpled velvet, while more flew from a crevice in the wall, where an enormous hive simmered. The insects swarmed like tongues of flame around Ameliaβs paralyzed form. She felt the blood drain from her face. βOh God--β βDonβt move.β Cam Rohanβs voice was astonishingly calm. βDonβt swat at them.β She had never known such primal fear, welling up from beneath her skin, leaking through every pore. No part of her body seemed to be under her control. The air was boiling with them, bees and more bees. It was not going to be a pleasant way to die. Closing her eyes tightly, Amelia willed herself to be still, when every muscle strained and screamed for action. The air moved in sinuous patterns around her, tiny bodies touching her sleeves, hands, shoulders. βTheyβre more afraid of you than you are of them,β she heard Rohan say. Amelia highly doubted that. βThese are not f-frightened bees.β Her voice didnβt sound like her own. βThese are f- furious bees.β βThey do seem a bit annoyed,β Rohan conceded, approaching her slowly. βIt could be the dress youβre wearing--they tend not to like dark colors.β A short pause. βOr it could be the fact that you just ripped down half their hive.β βIf you h-have the nerve to be amused by thisββ She broke off and covered her face with her hands, trembling all over. His soothing voice undercut the buzzing around them. βBe still. Everythingβs fine. Iβm right here with you.β βTake me away,β she whispered desperately. Her heart was pounding too hard, making her bones shake, driving every coherent thought from her head. She felt him brush a few inquisitive insects from her hair and back. His arms went around her, his shoulder hard beneath her cheek. βI will, sweetheart. Put your arms around my neck.β She groped for him blindly, feeling sick and weak and disoriented. The flat muscles at the back of his neck shifted as he bent toward her, gathering her up as easily as if she were a child. βThere,β he murmured. βIβve got you.β Her feet left the floor, and she was floating and cradled at the same time. Turning her face into his shoulder, she let him carry her. His breath fell in a warm, even rhythm on the curve of her cheek. βSome people think of the bee as a sacred insect,β he told her. βIts presence in your home is a sign of good things to come.β Her voice was buried in the fine wool of his coat. βWh-what does it mean if there are thousands of bees in oneβs home?β He shifted her higher in his arms, his lips curving gently against the cold rim of her ear. βProbably that weβll have plenty of honey for tea-time. Weβre going through the doorway now. In a moment Iβm going to set you on your feet.β Amelia kept her face against him, her fingertips digging into the layers of his clothes. βAre they following?β βNo. They want to stay near the hive. Their main concern is to protect the queen from predators.β βShe has nothing to fear from me!β There was a catch of laughter in his throat. With extreme care, he lowered Ameliaβs feet to the floor. Keeping one arm around her, he reached with the other to close the door. βThere. Weβre out of the room. Youβre safe.β His hand passed over her hair. βYou can open your eyes now.β Clutching the lapels of his coat, Amelia waited for a feeling of relief that didnβt come. Her heart was racing too hard, too fast. Her chest ached from the strain of her breathing. Her lashes lifted, but all she could see was a shower of sparks. βAmelia . . . easy. Youβre all right.β His hands chased the shivers that ran up and down her back. βSlow down, sweetheart.β She couldnβt. Her lungs were about to burst. No matter how hard she worked, she couldnβt get enough air. Bees . . . the sound of buzzing was still in her ears. The sparks danced and collided, and when they faded there was nothing around her but layers of gray softness. She sank into the quiet billows without a sound. After what could have been a minute or an hour, pleasant sensations filtered through the haze. A tender pressure moved over her forehead. The gentle brushes touched her eyelids, slid to her cheeks. Strong arms held her against a comfortingly hard surface, while a clean, salt-edged scent tickled her nostrils. Her lashes fluttered, and she turned into the warmth with confused pleasure. βThere you are,β came a low murmur. Opening her eyes, Amelia saw Cam Rohanβs face above her. They were on the hallway floor--he was holding her in his lap. As if the situation werenβt mortifying enough, the front of her bodice was gaping, and her corset was unhooked. Only her crumpled chemise was left to cover her chest. Amelia stiffened. Until that moment, she had never known there was a feeling beyond embarrassment, that made one wish one could crumble into a pile of ashes. βMy . . . my dress . . .β βYou werenβt breathing well. I thought it best to loosen your corset.β βIβve never fainted before,β she said groggily, struggling to sit up. βYou were frightened.β His hand came to the center of her chest, gently pressing her back down. βRest another minute.β His gaze moved over her pale features. βI think we can conclude youβre not fond of bees.β βIβve hated them ever since I was seven.β βWhy?β βI was playing out-of-doors with Win and Leo, and I stumbled too close to a rose bush. A bee flew at my face and stung me right here.β She touched a spot just below her right eye, high on the crest of her cheek. βThe side of my face swelled until my eye closed . . . I couldnβt see from it for almost two weeksββ His fingertips smoothed over her cheek as if to soothe the long-ago injury. ββand my brother and sister called me Cyclops.β She watched him struggle not to smile. βThey still do, whenever a bee flies too near.β He regarded her with friendly sympathy. βEveryoneβs afraid of something.β βWhat are you afraid of?β βCeilings and walls, mostly.β She stared at him in puzzlement, her thoughts still coursing too slowly. βYou mean . . . you would rather live outside like a wild creature?β βYes, thatβs what I mean. Have you ever slept outside before?β βOn the ground?β Her bewildered tone made him grin. βOn a pallet beside a fire.β Amelia tried to imagine it, lying undefended on the hard ground, at the mercy of every creature that crawled, crept or flew. βI donβt think I could fall asleep that way.β She felt his hand playing slowly in the loose locks of her hair. βYou could.β His voice was soft. βI would help you.β  Captivating book picks up where her wonderful Wallflower series ended.Like indulging in a dark chocolate mocha frappuccino; decadent, sensual, and satisfying! Start Reading MINE TILL MIDNIGHT Now The Hathaways
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