Page 10 of The Duke's Hellion

“There’s something off about you today,” she said as though what she just did wasn’t the most impressive thing in archery he had ever seen. Mimi eyed him from toe to head. The perusalmade him quite uncomfortable. What was she looking at? Worse. What was she looking for?

Argh. He knew she would be the kind to notice the smallest anomaly.

Though, really, his aim was not thesmallestanomaly. They were actually quite obvious anomalies. Why had he agreed to this challenge again? Right. He needed a distraction. Well, this was as good as it was going to get right now.

With a scowl, he said, “If you beat me at my worst, it’s nothing.”

“Of course you would say that because I won.”

“You really think I was on top of my game just now?” he growled.

“I can’t picture you on top of anything right now.”

And oh, he could picture himself atop many things at the moment, but that was really veering toward dangerous ground.

“You think that right there was a display of my best?”

She scrunched her nose and conceded with a murmur, “Doubtful.”

“Exactly. And that’s why I’m grumbling. But I will say this, if you do beat me at my best, I’ll celebrate for you.” He had celebrated a woman’s triumph over him before, he could do it again. Surely. Even if it meant celebratingher.

“I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“And I’ll do it when you actually beat me.”

Harrumphs expelled from both of them. And they stormed off to retrieve their arrows.

Chapter Four

What a soreloser. Couldn’t the man just fake a smile and congratulate her? Ladies of society were basically walking in masked smiles all day every day, surely he could produce one for a second. Then again, she knew the win wasn’t really worth it. Something was definitely off with Sam. He was not the grumbling type. Competitive. Fierce in his own way. Sure. But not angry or bitter.

She should have let him win. Bah! That was a terrible idea. It was not in her nature to diminish herself. Not for anyone.

Some men wanted a woman that would play small. A woman who wouldn’t let herself shine. Mimi was not such a woman. For her to settle down, she needed to find a man who could celebrate her. And her wins. Just like Boudicca had found a man who appreciated her strengths, and just as Joan had found a man who called out her true self, so Mimi needed a man who was…man enough…for her.

A quick glance over at Sam’s tense shoulders and clenched jaw sent a ribbon of…something through her. Pity? Empathy? Curiosity? She couldn’t define it. He was vexing, if nothing else. Older than her by a decade, he was mature in ways she couldn’t even imagine. It didn’t stop her from trying…but she had no sense of the experiences he had. And if she were being honest with herself, she meant experiences with women. Not that she wanted to know his precise, personal experiences with women…but he was so much older than her, she couldn’t help wonderingwhat he could teach her in the bedroom. Again…not him, specifically, but a man his age. Someone like him, but not him.

He was too arrogant by half, and she knew how he felt about her.

She continued her study and noticed that he was in a huff. He roughly dropped the arrows on a nearby barrel and he was about to take off.

Hmm…that didn’t sit right with her. She didn’t want him to leave. At least, not in the mood that he was in. She didn’t like him. Him and his arrogant, condescending demeanor, but she also didn’t wish evil upon him. Even if he had basically called her a child. Well, that was a reason to let the man storm off. But…

It wasn’t reason enough.

And as always, words that should have been filtered poured effortlessly out of her mouth.

“Arm wrestle me,” she blurted out.

“What?” Of course that was what he said. Really, there was no other response—appropriate or otherwise—to a woman demanding an arm wrestle from a man.

“Mimi,” Nobi rebuked sharply but mostly in disbelief. Why, an arm wrestle of all things, caused such disbelief, Mimi couldn’t pinpoint. She had done countless incredulous activities over the years. Apparently this was one of them.

“Nobi,” Mimi sighed. “Do you really think those chastisements are effective?”

A blush crept up her sister’s neck. In another situation, Mimi might have checked in with her sister about her comment, but in this moment, she was more concerned about Sam. For some odd reason.

Repositioning herself to catch his eye, she repeated her suggestion, “The next activity should be an arm wrestle.”

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