Page 8 of Alone with the Beastly Duke
“I know you are lost. And you are fortunate enough to meet a gentleman who is kind enough to offer you a ride in his carriage,” he observed.
Jasmine’s ears perked up immediately.
Could this be my way home?She wanted to say yes to the blue-eyed man’s offer, but she also remembered that she did not know him. While he looked attractive, and she enjoyed talking to him, she knew she could not trust him.
“Thank you, kind sir,” she declined, “but I will find my way home myself.”
“I suppose you know that the streets of London are dangerous and particularly so for a Lady like yourself,” he pointed out.
“I can look after myself,” she argued stubbornly.
“Trust me, you cannot. The streets of London are dangerous even for a man. You may be in danger if you do not get away soon,” he said
“Why do you care anyway?” Jasmine asked.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“Because I do not want you to get hurt,” he replied.
“How do I know that I can trust you?” she asked.
“How? Because I am a gentleman,” he replied.
“Your behavior was anything but that of a gentleman when we met at the bookstore,” she argued. He took a step closer to Jasmine, and while she knew that she ought to step back, she just could not.
“I was simply jesting around,” he replied. “Now, let me get you to your house.” Jasmine swallowed and blushed as his eyes bore into hers. She wanted to go with him, but her common sense prevailed.
“I would not spend another moment with you,” she said and immediately regretted it. Being in the same carriage with this giant man could not be any worse than roaming the streets of London.
“I could make you, you know,” he warned in a slight whisper, his breath caressing her neck and causing her entire body to heat up.
Jasmine jumped back, jolted at how her body had reacted to him.
“Do you fear me?” he asked, worry etched on his face.
Jasmine shook her head. “I do not fear you.”
“Your body says otherwise,” the stranger said, pointing at her arms. It was then that Jasmine saw that goosebumps covered her arms. She clasped a hand on her arms, concealing the goosebumps.
“I am simply cold,” she argued.
“Is that so?” he asked, closing the space between them and leaning toward her. “Would you like my coat? I do not need it.”
He made to remove his coat.
“No, I am fine,” she replied, but he had already gotten too close to her.
Despite his overwhelming height, she had to admit that he cut a fine figure for a man and had a face like no other—a face that she wanted to reach over and touch. Her breath became shallow, and she caught herself in time to realize that she was already leaning into him. She was now so close to him that if she inched just a little closer, their lips would touch.
That was when her eyes caught it, a pouch hanging by his sides. What Jasmine did next surprised even her; she snatched his hanging pouch and took on her heels.
“Hey! Come back!” he boomed after her.
Cling! Cling! The sharp ringing sound of coins trailed her as she ran. She found a coach, and since she now had the money, she could pay for her trip.
Jasmine felt alive as the coach pulled away. She had had an adventurous day and could not believe what she had just done. She could not believe that she had nearly kissed a man so much bigger than her size and then stolen his money.
Jasmine laughed loudly and quickly clasped a hand on her mouth, so the coachman would not hear her. Exciting things like this only happened to the heroines in the books she read. Later during the trip, though, she began to feel guilty about robbing the man.
