Page 10 of Wedded to the Ruthless Duke

“See what?”

He fears being discovered alone with me, that he will now be caught in scandal with me.

“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered. “Look, none of this is any of your business, Your Grace.”

“You are my sister’s friend,” he said, rounding on her again. “Who else’s business is it?”

“None but mine!”

“Shh.” He waved his hands at her. “You were right. We don’t want to be overheard out here, do we?”

“God forbid,” she agreed. “Please just leave this matter alone. Forget this and let us return to the ball and never talk of it again.”

“You expect me to ignore what has happened?” He waved his arm in the air, commandingly. “Really, Grace?”

“LadyGrace,” she hissed, for she could no longer ignore the fact he was not using her title. He was a man so usually set on propriety that even he looked amazed at the slip. He took a step back and thrust a hand through his hair, ruffling it and making the untidiness even worse.

He can tame every part of his life except his hair, can he not?

“I’m sorry,” she said, deciding it was time to try a different tact. “What happened here with Lord Morton was my business. I didn’t mean to bring you into it. I had no idea that you would stumble upon us and risk yourself being in a scandal. I suggest you run away at once before anyone sees you alone in my company.”

“Wait.” He turned to face her again, his manner suddenly as stiff as stone. “You think that’s why I’m angry? You think I fearmyselfbeing involved in scandal?”

“It is your usual thought, is it not?” she murmured. “The night we met, you could only think about how my clumsiness and falling into your pond might be misinterpreted if we were seen alone together by anyone other than your sister.”

“That is not it.” He shook his head, quite wild and passionate in anger. She could not remember ever seeing him so out of control before, his manner so flung to the wind with rage. It was almost as if she was looking at a new man.

“Then why? Why are you so angry?”

“Do you really think this is a way to be kissed, Grace?”

“Lady Grace!” she reminded him again.

“LadyGrace.” He emphasized the word and stepped toward her. “Do you think that no man would kiss you for any other reason? So much so, you had to drag out the first man you could find and try to cajole him into a kiss?”

“That’s not what it was.”

“That’s what it looked like.”

“No more,” she begged, holding up her hands. “I don’t want to talk about kissing with you.” She blanched, realizing how the words had sounded. “When I said kissing with you, I meant… well, you know what I meant.”

He jerkily nodded then hurried toward her. Startled by his sudden march in her direction, she moved back a step, but as before, his long legs ate up the ground. She was also in danger of slipping in the dewy grass so fell still very quickly indeed.

“You think no man would want to kiss you?” he hissed, his head bending down toward her.

He came so close that the words died on her tongue. His lips practically hovered over hers, his gaze burrowing into her own.

What is he doing? He has never done this before!

“Grace?” he said, waiting expectantly for an answer. This time, she didn’t bother to correct him about her title.

Her mind was a whir, startled by how close he had come and what on earth it was doing to her body. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, her blood was rushing fast, and a sudden heat was enveloping her.

She was all too aware of the handsome line of his jaw, the intensity of those eyes, and how tall and strong he was in figure, compared to her shorter and much rounder one.

Her mouth was dry as she tried her best to swallow, to shift any such attractive thoughts from her mind. Suddenly, everything was here that had been missing with the Marquess of Morton.

While she and the Marquess had just been talking pleasantly enough together, with the Duke of Berkley, she felt her gut stirring, a heat that made her think of kisses, and those lips hovering so near to hers.

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