Page 14 of Seeking Ruin

“Trying to work out your seduction plans now that you have me alone?” He leaned back and crossed one ankle over the other, a picture of undisturbed calm despite the infuriatingly persistent heat sliding through him at the thought of her trying something untoward.

She huffed and ran her hands down her thighs. “You see through everything, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he said stiffly, trying in vain not to imagine his own hands running down her legs in a similar manner.

She looked up at him, seeming shy now. “Well?”

He rose an eyebrow. “Well, what?”

“Have I tempted you?”

God, yes.“Not in the slightest, my dear.”

She smacked her head against the cushion in annoyance. “Blast.” Her breasts bounced becomingly from the action, and he let out a quiet breath to stem his body’s traitorous reaction.

“I don’t dally with debutantes, far too dangerous for my tastes.”

“Me? Dangerous?”

“Such women are in dire need of husbands, and your circumstances are particularly desperate.” Which was the other reason he hadn’t even humored answering her overtures. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that Kitty Highbridge was a crafty woman.

She stared at him for one long moment before bursting out into that hideous laughter of hers. “Oh, my.” She said after calming a bit. “Now that is funny. Me? A duchess? I’d be lucky to have any man at all. No,” she shook her head, “I am well aware you will never marry me, and I have no intention of trapping you into doing so.”

“Then why this show?”

“Because I want to know.”

“Want to know what?”

“What having a lover is like.”

**

So much for subtlety, Kitty thought as she resisted the urge to bury her face into her lap out of sheer mortification. Ashford was staring at her in barely concealed bewilderment, eyes furrowed and mouth hovering on some unspoken rebuttal. At least he’d hadsomekind of reaction, certainly better than the casual indifference he’d displayed all evening in the face of her admittedly embarrassingly obvious overtures. She’d been desperate to get some kind of rise out of him and would admit to being just a tad insulted that her interest had been chalked down to mere fortune hunting. As if she was anything like James. She’d meant to explain her purpose in a far more suave manner, but staring at his handsome face and teasing eyes as he called her bluff had blasted any shred of wit left inside her addled brain.

Kitty kept her eyes straight, hoping that a show of false bravado would make her look like less of an uncultured ninny, even if that was exactly what she was when it came to these intimate matters between the sexes. “You heard me,” she said after Ashford remained silent for several more seconds.

“You…” He snapped his mouth shut, crossing his arms and wiping away all traces of his earlier disarray. Though, from the way his fingers fidgeted slightly on his arms, she could tell he was still bothered. Whether that stemmed from disgust or interest remained to be seen, even if she hoped for the latter.

“I find you very interesting,” she continued on after it became apparent that he would say nothing more. “And I’ve been putting some thought into this.”

“Your betrothal was called off barely a day ago, and you say you’ve been ‘putting some thought into this’.” His tone was mocking, even as his mouth curled with amusement. “Do you even know of what it is you speak of.”

Indignation fired within her. “I’m not a child.” Even if everyone insisted on treating her like one. She may have only a vague idea of what she was getting into, but she knew the general principles of it.

“No,” his eyes raked her up and down, and her skin prickled with awareness at his perusal. “But you are naïve.”

“I’m trying to rectify that,” she snapped back, his condescending statement chilling her ardor almost as quickly as it had come. “Everyone already thinks me ruined, so why shouldn’t I make the most of my situation?”

“I’m not saying you can’t,” he replied before rapping his cane on the roof. “My objection lay with the fact that you want me in particular to be the one to enlighten you.”

“I’d very much like you to,” she mumbled back, holding her breath as he rose and leaned towards her until their faces were mere inches apart. His gaze stopped briefly on her lips, and she tensed in preparation for his kiss.

“You, Miss Highbridge,” he said instead, his voice low and scathing, “are the last person on earth I’d be interested in dallying with.”

Kitty swallowed a wave of hurt, unsure as to how much he’d meant the words. “Oh, I see.” She raised her chin, attempting a disinterested air and hoping her lips wouldn’t start trembling. “Off you go then, Your Grace.”

His lips crunched together as an embarrassing sniffle left her, his hands digging into the cushion. “Fine. I didn’t mean it.”

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