Page 62 of The Lady Who Said No to the Duke
‘I had been thoughtless,’ he admitted.‘I did not see.I did not seeyou, only a woman who would make me the perfect wife and who, surely, would want to marry me once I had apologised.’
Thea made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snort, and he saw she was shaking her head and smiling, just a little.
‘What have I said now?’
She was laughing at him, although there was still something lurking at the back of her eyes that made him certain that she was not entirely happy.‘That is such a male way of thinking.’
‘Well, I am a male,’ he said, baffled now.How else was he supposed to think?
‘I had noticed,’ Thea murmured demurely, then blushed.
That was his cue to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her until all resistance crumbled, Hal thought.Then he heard voices outside.Perhaps not now.
‘I think I had better leave,’ he said, ‘or I am going to scandalise your mama.’
That really did make her blush.He found it left him with a warm glow too.
Chapter Nineteen
Hal was beginning to think that if he never attended another At Home for some society hostess to show off her new conservatory, or her latest portrait, or the entire refurbishment of her reception rooms in the Egyptian style, as was the occasion for this one, then he would be a happy man.
On the other hand it did give him the opportunity to see Thea looking dazzling as she was that afternoon.When she saw him across the Templeton’s drawing room she blushed, just as she had the day before.
‘Walk with me,’ he said when he reached her side and found himself ridiculously pleased to see that colour in her cheeks.‘I am sure there are many more couches with crocodile legs to admire.’
She laughed, but she slipped her hand under his elbow and allowed him to steer her through the rooms, further and further away from where their hostess was holding court.
Hal glanced around.They were alone in an empty parlour.Ideal.
‘I see we are quite alone,’ he said, ‘I would very much like to kiss you, Thea.If you permit.’
‘Permit?’Thea seemed confused by the question.‘We are to be married.I had assumed…’
‘That I would demand my marital rights?Or whatevera betrothed man might want?I would neverdemandanything of you, Thea.’
He turned her, gathered her close, close enough for him to feel the brush of her breasts against his chest.
Thea said, ‘I have been kissed before, you know.’
Of course she had.She was enchanting and she had already been out for one Season.No doubt any number of men, from young bucks to serious suitors, had claimed a kiss.
‘So have I,’ Hal said, straight-faced, and was rewarded by that smile again.
‘I guessed,’ she whispered and met his lips as he bent his head.He kept himself in check, did not demand or press, kept his hands still once he held her, but she tasted so sweet, even through closed lips, and he could not resist sliding his tongue between the swell of the upper and lower.
With a little gasp she opened to him and her tongue flickered out, as tentative as a mouse from a hole when it thought the cat might be about.Hal knew he desired her, but that instinctively sensual response, the heady taste of her, all Champagne and woman and nerves, ran through him like a lightning strike.
Then he heard voices coming closer and broke his hold.‘Quickly, sit down.’He pushed her into the nearest chair, threw himself onto the sofa opposite it and crossed his legs, wishing he could dump one of the cushions into his lap.That had been exceedingly arousing…
Thea gave her hair a quick pat, smoothed her gown and said brightly, ‘I must disagree with you, Duke.I think Herr Mozart superior to Mr Handel, except for church music.I confess I find his oratorios very moving,’ she added as another couple strolled in, looked highly disconcerted at finding the room occupied and went out again.
Hal, who was finding the thought of oratorios as effective as thoughts of iced water for dampening the evidence of arousal, stood up and offered Thea his hand.‘Perhaps we should return.And, I have to say, you handled that like a true duchess.’
‘The kiss?’There was that demurely teasing tone again.
‘The interruption,’ he said mock-severely and inwardly sighed with relief.That kiss had been… Best not to think about it again, not here.But Thea’s teasing was almost better—he had his friend back again.
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