Page 42 of The Duke of Ice
Violet took a deep breath. The cool night air filled her lungs and cleansed her irritation away, leaving the thunderous hum of her attraction to him. She worked hard to ignore it.
“I should like to make a hero of him again tomorrow in Wells.”
His brow knitted. “How?”
“He’ll need to rescue one of the ladies. I thought during a tour that one of them could trip or encounter some sort of difficulty.”
“And he would help them?”
She nodded.
“She’d have to be privy to our plans. Who would do that?”
“Me.”
Nowhe reacted. His nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched briefly before he schooled his features once more. He was trying to hide his response. Why?
“What’s wrong with that?” she asked.
“His wife died falling down the stairs. We must be careful.”
“Even more reason for it to be me, then.”
Again, the muscles in his jaw tensed.
She burned to know why this agitated him. “Do you have a better suggestion?”
“Not yet, but I’ll let you know if I come up with one.”
“Why does this plan bother you?”
He fixed his gaze past her shoulder into the darkness of the garden. “It doesn’t.”
She didn’t believe him, but she was also certain he wouldn’t tell her the truth. Perhaps it was just that he was worried about Simon. She hadn’t thought about any similarity to his wife’s death. “What if I pretend to take ill and faint?”
“Do you really think this will help his reputation? As you said, Lady Nixon and Mrs. Law seem immovable.”
Indeed they did. Frustration curled through her, and she stared at his cravat, her lips pursed.
“Please don’t do that.” His voice sounded strained.
Her gaze shot up to his. “What?”
“Never mind.” He avoided looking at her.
What if he was having the same problem she was? What if the desire pulsing through her was also careening through him? “I enjoyed this afternoon. The games,” she clarified, not quite brave enough to reveal the entire truth:I enjoyed your kiss.
“I apologize for what happened.”
He regretted it? She didn’t pretend to not know what he meant. “You’re sorry you kissed me? I’m not. I’m only sorry it was so short.” She stared up at him, her eyes drinking in the cleft in his chin and the sharp, seductive angle of his cheekbone and willing him to look at her.
His gaze dipped to hers finally. Ice and fire seemed to war within his stare. “It won’t happen again. There is no future between us, Violet.”
The hunger inside her coiled and grew into anger. “You really plan to spend the rest of your life alone? Why would youchooseto be the Duke of Ice?”
He leaned forward, his face scant inches from hers. “I didn’t. It chose me.” Their gazes locked for a long moment before he retreated. When he spoke again, his tone had cooled. “Whether I’m alone or not isn’t your concern.”
The pieces of her heart, broken for so long, seemed to sigh in her chest. “You shouldn’t be alone. You deserve happiness.”
