Page 26 of Moonstone Angel
“Now you’ve just hurt yourself.” She was wearing no shoes and had likely bruised her toes against the thick leather of his boots.
He lifted her in his arms.
“Put me down!”
“No. You’ll run away from me again, and I have no intention of letting you go. Do you hear me, Cara? You are my angel.Mine.”
“Put me down, you big oaf. Someone will see us and then my reputation will be in utter ruin.”
“Stop struggling. You are never going to best me in strength. I will put you down, but first, you must promise not to run away.” He liked the feel of her in his arms. He liked everything about this irritating girl. But she was such a contrary little baggage. Other ladies did not run from him after he kissed them. Quite the opposite, they always wanted more.
He never had to work hard to gain a bed partner.
Women flocked to him.
He did not even have to be actively on the hunt.
He was no coxcomb, but he knew he was handsome. Added to his wealth and title, no lady ever resisted him…except this beautiful bundle in his arms. “Promise me, Cara.”
She grumbled but finally agreed. “I won’t run.”
“Good.” He set her down and then crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at her. “It was just a kiss. A delightful kiss. Why are you so angry?”
“Because you had no right to kiss me.”
“No, I don’t suppose I did. But there is something between us, and we both feel it. Don’t deny it. We feel it right here.” He thumped on his chest at the spot over his heart.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Your problem is that you liked our kiss more than you expected, perhaps more than you could handle.” He arched an eyebrow, awaiting her protest, but she looked ready to burst into tears again. “You gave me your heart the moment our lips touched,” he said gently. “I know it, Cara. There’s no use pretending it is not so.”
She released a ragged breath. “I did not mean for it to happen.”
“I know, but it did happen and cannot be undone. There is no going back for us, so why not move forward and see where this will lead us?”
“No. Whatever my feelings are, it will change nothing between us. I refuse to be your mistress.” She tossed her chin up in defiance.
He could not resist giving that pert chin of hers a tweak. “Did I ask you to be? Is this all you think of me? I do not want that either.”
She had been glowering at him, but now regarded him with some surprise. “You don’t?”
“You look insulted. But I will not have you as a dalliance. I think you can be something more. Someone quite dear to me. However, I’ve known you less than a month. I am not going to make you any promises.”
He cupped her face in his hands, loving the delicacy of her features and the fire in her teary eyes. “What I am going to do is court you properly. I am going to court you as a lady ought to be courted because you are one in every sense of the word, and you deserve my respect and honor.”
She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. “And what happens when summer is over, and you return to London? The weather is already turning cooler, you can feel it in the night air. Autumn will soon be upon us. Please, do not spout love declarations when we both know this supposed courtship can only end badly.”
He rubbed his thumbs lightly along her cheeks to wipe away the tears still falling upon them. “Do you love me, Cara?”
“I will not answer that.”
“Fine, don’t. I have my answer anyway. Those big, lovely eyes of yours reveal everything. But it would give me pleasure to hear you say it. You are frowning at me again. That is no way to respond to a duke whose intentions are honorable. What flowers do you like? I’ll have dozens of bouquets delivered to you every day.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t you dare. I will not have everyone in town remarking on it. Besides, I have no place to put more than one or two of them.”
“Then I’ll buy you jewelry.”
She gasped. “I am going to kick you again. I will not accept expensive gifts from you. Is this how you think to court me?”
