Page 20 of The Duke Says I Do
“Because of Vanessa Gould.”
“Yes.” Vanessa was Granville’s first fiancée.
“Did you kiss Vanessa?”
The question was inevitable. At least he had nothing to confess when it came to his first engagement. “No. That was a family arrangement. We danced a few times and I called on her, but we were mere acquaintances. She was always very quiet in my presence, I assumed out of reticence. I had no idea that she loathed the idea of marrying me until she ran off with Evesham.”
“Who you shot.”
Unfortunately, not fatally. “Yes.”
“I’m glad.”
His grunt expressed amusement. “That I shot that devil Evesham?”
“No, that you didn’t love Juliet. It makes me feel—”
“Like you’re not treading on her territory?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re happy to do it again?” he asked with rising optimism.
It was her turn to laugh. “You know, when I woke up this morning, the last thing I imagined I’d be doing was discussing kisses with my sister’s jilted fiancé.”
“I’m sure.” He was astonished, too. “I deserve horsewhipping.”
“We’re in the right place for it.”
Dear God, how had he missed what a jewel she was? Right now, even the way she’d imposed Jupiter on him seemed charming.
Granville hadn’t encountered a girl this enchanting since his days courting Vanessa, and he’d come to see that his interest in her had been based on wishful thinking. He’d only been twenty-one and woefully inexperienced in the ways of the world.
That was no longer true. Despite his proper reputation, he’d enjoyed a number of discreet liaisons. He understood and appreciated the lure of sensual pleasure. But nothing in those affairs compared with his craving to whisk this gorgeous creature off and have his way with her.
“I was joking,” Portia said, as the silence extended.
“I know. I’m just a bit nonplussed. Kissing you wasn’t even on the horizon. Now it’s all I can think of.”
“Me, too,” she admitted with audible glumness. “You’ll think I’m a complete hoyden.”
He shot her a disbelieving look. “I think you’re utterly magnificent.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I’d consider it a privilege beyond measure if you let me kiss you again.”
Although that erratic blush rose again, she was brave enough to meet his eyes. “I’d like that.”
Her shy curiosity tightened every muscle in his body. Somewhere at the back of his mind, a warning clanged. She was an innocent. Even more of an innocent than he’d realized. Sheasked for kisses, but he had a horrid presentiment that kisses wouldn’t be enough for him.
She’d grant him a glimpse of heaven while casting him into a hell of frustration.
Undoubtedly he invited trouble. So did she, but he had the experience to guess how all this would go. A sensible man – he’d always considered himself a sensible man – would run a mile.
“You can trust me,” he said, as much for his own sake as hers.
She rolled her eyes. “Even when I didn’t like you, I knew you were as straight as a die. You even admitted that you kissed Juliet.”
