Page 19 of The Duke's Hellion

Nobi covered a cough, but the pity didn’t leave her eyes. Yes, that was a pity. Mimi could see it clearly now, and she most definitely did not like it. Before she could give it much thought, Chris and Sam entered the room having finished their drinks with the men and headed straight to them.

Sam glared at her the entire march across the room, and when he finally arrived in front of her, he tossed her his profile. Chris feigned ignorance to his friend.

“How was your dinner?” he asked in a polite attempt at conversation.

“The same as yours,” Mimi bit back. She was not in the mood for the shallowness of etiquette.

Sam scoffed, but said nothing.

“You have something to say, Sam?” she drawled his name finally securing his gaze.

“Everything I have to say I already said to you.”

“Your scoff says otherwise. Why don’t you just say what’s on your mind? I’m a big girl, I can—”

“That’s just it. You’re a girl in woman’s clothing—”

“I’m a woman of marrying age looking for a husband.” The hem of her dress covered the toes of his shoes, her chest was heaving in front of him. The man infuriated her. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I know more than you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes. I. Do.”

“Prove it,” Chris interjected the budding insanity.

“What?” Sam and Mimi both asked at the same time.

“I said, prove it, Sam. If you know so much, advise the young girl—woman.” He gave Mimi an apologetic look which she dismissed, because really, that slip of the tongue was the least of her concerns.

“I wouldn’t take advice from him if he were the last man on earth.” Mimi turned her shoulder to be perpendicular to his chest.

“That suits me just fine, since I wouldn’t give her advice if she was the last woman in thegalaxy.”

Ooooh. Just to show her up, he had to emphasizegalaxyover earth. That dratted man!

“I’d rather take advice from Chris.” The second the words were out of her mouth, she knew they were the wrong thing to say. Everyone in the group knew why, too, but she didn’t want to bring attention to it anymore than she had already.

Chris broke the silence.

“That’s settled then. Each of you knows more than the other, but neither is willing to rise to the challenge and prove it,” Nobi added quietly with an altogether too smug of a smile. “Shall we carry on with the rest of the evening?” She held her hand out for Chris to take. “I feel like a nice game of whist.”

“Let’s.” Chris took her hand and the two turned and made their way to a table set up with cards.

Thus leaving Sam glaring at Mimi and Mimi shooting daggers at Sam.

Sam was too old for her. Ahem—for her to listen to. The man smelled of tea and whiskey. Old man scents that did absolutely nothing to stimulate the inner workings between her legs. He would know nothing about how she could go about seducing aman. He would understand nothing about her. Probably tell her that she had to change herself for a man to be attracted to her. Well, if she wanted to change herself she would do it in her own damn time. In her own way. Hadn’t she changed how she dressed to attract Roger?

Yes, she could change some things if she wanted to. That was the key, if she wanted to. No one was going to convince her to do something she didn’t want to do. And if she wanted to flaunt herself, dangle herself, throw herself prostrate in front of Roger, she damn well would. If…she wanted to.

The only way to shut Sam up had been to beat him. When he had clamped down on her foot at dinner, she absolutely had to respond. Her body ached to respond to him. Beat him. Show him who she was. What she was made of. So…she slid her toe up his strong, muscly leg. The effect had been immediate. His body had stiffened, and she could see his molars clenching a farthing between them. Now…it was true that those muscles had called to her toes and her toes had taken a slight detour from her original plan. But massaging the back of his calf had been key to keeping him distracted.

The hand on his thigh though…that was genius. She half grinned recalling it. Again, not part of any calculated plan she had, but it somehow all worked perfectly for her good.

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