Page 26 of Seduced By the Rakish Duke

Jenny eyed him, waiting for him to continue.

He lifted one finger to her chin and tilted her face up towards his. “Your blush.”

Jenny gasped, horrified, and tried to pull away. Could there be anything more embarrassing?

His grip on her chin tightened while his other hand grabbed her arm, steadying her. “I mean no offense whatsoever, Miss Bennett. But courting is a game where your secrets will be usedagainst you. Due to your complexion, your secrets are usually written all over your face.”

Jenny had never been more embarrassed in her life. “I’m sorry, Your Grace. I never knew that,” she drawled. “I guess I should go change my complexion then,” she huffed.

The Duke ignored her impudence. “You might not be able to change it, nor should you, but you have more control over it than you think.”

Jenny laughed. “Trust me, Your Grace, I have lived with this affliction my entire life. It doesn’t take much to make me blush, unfortunately.”

David shook his head, releasing her chin but still holding her arm. “I beg to differ.”

Jenny raised an eyebrow. “Please, enlighten me then.” She rolled her eyes.

This ought to be good.

“You usually blush when you’re embarrassed, yes?”

Jenny lifted a shoulder in agreement.

“What makes you embarrassed?” he questioned. “Things you do not know,” he answered his own question matter-of-factly.“Situations you’re not used to.” He leaned in closer. “People saying or doing things you’re not accustomed to.”

Their breaths mingled. Jenny could feel the start ofsomethingbuilding low in her core.

“So, what are you suggesting?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“We put you in those situations enough times for them to become commonplace for you.” The Duke’s voice slid over her form like soft silk, and goosebumps erupted all over her body. His eyes trailed over her face. “Like now, your blush isn’t as it was before. But then again, you and I have been in this position before, have we not?” His eyes sparkled with mischief.

Jenny was mesmerized by his words. She searched his eyes for some sort of answer to a question she didn’t know how to ask. She nodded, hoping that he would take the next step—whatever that might be. She leaned in. Maybe he’d kiss her if she moved her body just so?

Instead, the Duke stepped back, leaving her unsettled.

“See? I proved my point. The first time we were in that position, your blush was so deep I could see it through the shadows of the library.”

Jenny blinked. How was he able to step away when they were mere breaths away from doing something more?

She balled her fists at her sides to remind herself she was here to get tips on how to find a husband. People always called her naive. If she wanted to prove them wrong, she needed to learn how to leave her childhood fantasies behind and learn how to be a woman. And by some strange twist of fate, the Duke of Marlow was her only hope.

Stepping away from her was the hardest thing David had done in recent memory. Damn her luscious lips for looking so plump and damn kissable. He turned towards the drink cart. He needed some distance to regroup and get back on track.

“My thinking is, the more we work on your flirting and being close to a man, the less likely your blush will expose you.”

He poured whisky into his tumbler, then turned to find Jenny still standing in the middle of the room, with a peculiar look on her face.

“Everything all right, Miss Bennett?”

She blinked, then shook her head. “Yes. Forgive me. It just amazes me how quickly you can go from one extreme to the other.”

David took a sip of whisky. “I’m not sure I understand.”

Jenny laughed. “Of course not.”

She joined him at the drink cart and nodded towards a tumbler, silently asking for a whisky. With a raised eyebrow, David poured her a healthy two fingers.

Jenny took a sip and sputtered. “Ugh! This is awful. How do you drink this?”

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