Page 11 of Enticing the Devil

“If I could withdraw from the competition, I would,” he replied in a gruffly lowered tone.

So, instead of an apology, he decided to add further insult to injury. Was she really such an undesirable partner?

Finally turning to face him, she was once again surprised by his significant size. Lifting her chin, she noted the thick column of his throat, then the hard line of his jaw—freshly shaven—and his firmly pressed lips. He was closer than she’d expected, which caused a swift disturbance through her system. With a quick blink, she lifted her gaze the rest of the way to meet his darkly glowering stare.

“Withdraw, then,” she replied, her tone cool despite the flames licking along her nerves. “I shan’t try to stop you.”

His thick brows drew together in a fierce scowl and the muscles of his jawline tensed, hardening to stone. She could almost hear his back teeth grinding together.

Had he expected her to beg for his participation?

Not a chance.

“Perhaps you could try to convince another gentleman to switch partners,” she suggested, “so you can pair up with someone more to your liking.” The man glared down at her with frustration evident in every hard-edged line. But he didn’t speak. “Otherwise, I’m afraid you’re quite stuck with me, sir.”

He visibly swallowed, drawing her attention to the muscles of his throat, which was right about at her eye level. When he responded, she found herself watching the play of his Adam’s apple as it lifted and fell with his words.

“I’ve no interest in participating in a bunch of silly parlor games.”

“Parlor games?” Anne repeated, wondering if he’d even bothered to glance at the schedule he’d been standing in front of for the last several minutes.

When her eyes flew back up to his, she noted a distinct glimmer of disdain in his gaze. Was he expecting quaint little rounds of Kiss the Nun and Bullet Pudding?

Drawing herself up a bit to dispel the unusual sense of smallness she experienced when face-to-face with the man, she offered a tense smile. “There’s nothing I can do if you choose to forfeit your position in the competition, Mr. Thomas. However, if you intend to stay in the games, I hope you come to the first event a bit more prepared than you are now.”

After dipping her chin in a quick nod, she stepped past him and strode from the room. As a set down, her parting words hadn’t exactly been cutting, but at least this time, she’d been the one to walk away. A small victory.

Chapter Five

Beynon had never been very good at admitting a mistake, so he was well aware his apology to Lady Anne had fallen short of the mark. But it was the best she was likely to get from him.

He’d struggled with a difficult temper all his life. It had gotten him into more than a few scrapes as a lad, but as he’d matured, he’d worked hard to correct that failing. Unfortunately, there were still those rare occasions when his emotions got the best of him and he’d speak or react without thinking. He realized his frustration in being roped into some frivolous competition—even if they weren’t exactly parlor games—might have colored his interactions with Lady Anne. But the idea of putting himself on display for entertainment when he was already the focus of so many unwanted whispers and distasteful gossip quite frankly irritated the hell out of him.

The only other option, however, was not an option at all. Requesting a change in partner would only cause further insult. And as his sister, Caillie, made clear to him, she expected him to be on his best behavior for Lady Anne. Apparently, the girl had taken a liking to his partner. He suspected it was a case of championing the underdog, since Caillie’s lecture included comments on how the lady had endured three failed seasons despite being as kind and gracious as a princess and certainly didn’t deserve any poor treatment from him.

Beynon was just a bit concerned with how the girl had gotten so much information while not even being a full participant at the party. But he’d reluctantly agreed to his sister’s demands, acknowledging to himself anyway that anything other than cooperation would bring even more attention his way. The best way to get through this wretched ordeal was to lend himself to the competitions in a capacity that would not draw additional gossip.

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