Page 22 of His Tempting Duchess

No. No, it washopethat glittered in the depths of those remarkable blue eyes.

The look was gone as soon as it came. Shifting to face away from him, she extended her wrist. The dance card was affixed there by a piece of colored ribbon, red to match her costume. A tiny pencil dangled from a ribbon, and could be tucked into the card to keep out of the way.

Cassian opened the card, careful to let his fingertips graze the inside of her wrist, and paused.

“Why, it’s empty,” he noted, surprised. “You haven’t marked down any names.”

Miss Belmont gave him a pointed look. “Goodness, youareas intelligent as they say you are. What an accurate observation!”

He rolled his eyes. “You are most amusing, Miss Belmont. I don’t understand why your card is empty.”

There was a brief silence.

“Because,” Miss Belmont said, as carefully as if she were speaking to a slow child, “as I said, nobody has asked me to dance. How do you feel about signing your name on a blank dance cardnow?”

He held her gaze for a moment. Was it hurt he saw there? Everybody noticed when a lady did not dance. Gentlemen could avoid dancing if they chose, but not the ladies. If she was not approached, it would be humiliating.

Gentlemen went out and chose the ladies they wished to dance with, but ladies did not choose. They waited.

“What sort of fools are they, then?” He let out a harsh laugh. “Blind ones, certainly.”

She sighed. “I expect they do not care for Aphrodite with spectacles.”

Cassian pursed his lips. “Poor, silly fools. Ah, well, too late now.”

With a flourish, he took the pencil and set about signing his name in every single dance slot.

It took Miss Belmont a moment to notice what he was doing, and when she did, she squawked.

“What are you doing?! I can’t dance all of those sets with you—there’ll be a scandal!”

“Ah, but you and I are no strangers to scandal, eh, Miss Belmont?” he answered, giving her a wink. A most becoming blush bloomed on her cheeks. “I am the God of War, after all. Ares would not care whether one worespectaclesor not. As if such a thing matters in the slightest. Ares, I am sure, would adore Aphrodite regardless of what she wore.” He paused, drawing his tongue leisurely over his lower lip. “Or what she didnotwear.”

Miss Belmont clearly understood his meaning, for the blush spread across both of her cheeks and descended to her neck. It was most endearing.

He felt the urge to press the back of his hand against her cheek, to feel how hot her skin was. Her hand was still outstretched towards him for him to sign her dance card, and he slid his forefinger across the soft underside of her wrist, feeling her pulse jump.

“That,” she hissed, narrowing her eyes and jerking her wrist away from him, “was not funny.”

“On the contrary, I found it remarkably amusing.”

She glared at him, inspecting her now full dance card. “Why did you do that? Dancing two sets with you would make us the object of gossip. More than that and it will be a scandal.”

“Ah, but you and I thrive on scandal, don’t we?” he remarked, leaning forward.

She gave him a level look. “No, I do not. I like peace and quiet. I thought you knew that about me. And anyway, what are you on about? Now that blackmail didn’t work, you are trying to seduce me?”

He gave a theatrical gasp, pressing his hand against his heart. “Seduction?I? I would never.”

She looked as though she very much wanted to laugh at his display, but fought manfully through it.

“Well, it will not work,” she insisted. “I am not a debutante or a silly Society miss. I am two-and-twenty, and I consider myself quite well-versed in the ways of the world.”

“Brava,” he intoned, leaning back and draping both of his arms over the backs of the chairs beside him. “Let me be the first to congratulate you. As for seduction, I can assure you that I do not need to resort to such tactics. You and I are already such a fine pair, don’t you think?”

She looked away, flushing. “I don’t think so. Aphrodite is already married to Hephaestus, you see. You’re too late.”

“Oh? Have you a dull, block-headed blacksmith waiting for you somewhere in the wings? Shall I challenge him to a duel?”

---