Page 19 of The Scoundrel and the Lady

He chuckled. “Actually, I was going to say that it is like the fiery copper you only find in warm summer sunsets.”

Her mouth formed an O. “I see.”

He took both of her arms and held them out at her sides. “Lady Iris,” he said gently.

Her green eyes met his. “Yes.”

“Breathe.”

She puffed out a breath. “Right. Sorry.”

He measured her waist. God, she smelled good. Like lemons and cake, sweet and a little tart. He gently wrapped the tape around her neck. Her hair was impossibly soft as his hand brushed several curls, and then he moved his hands down to her hips.

Standing this close to her, he could clearly count every freckle gracing her nose and cheeks. She was not beautiful by Society standards, but there was something compelling about her face, comforting even. It was the type of face he could look at for long moments.

He moved the tape up to measure across her chest.

Her breath caught and her mouth opened, highlighting her remarkably perfect lips. How had he not noticed them before? And just like that, he bent and kissed her. One hand tilted up her chin, and his lips took hers in a soft embrace. She did not slap him, nor shove him away. Instead she merely sighed into his mouth. It was a most dangerous reaction.

He broke off the kiss before he completely lost his mind. He stepped away from her.

“I beg your pardon, my lady.”

Her eyes fluttered open. “Oh my.”

…

For the third time in the scant quarter hour it took to travel from Lord Ashby’s townhome to her own, she started humming.

As soon as the rig arrived at her door, she withdrew and made her way inside. “Oh for heaven’s sake!” she blurted out.

“Iris, you’re finally home,” Harriet said as she entered the foyer.

“Harriet.” Iris had forgotten that she’d asked her friend to wait at her townhome until she returned from her meeting at Lord Ashby’s.

“For heaven’s sake, what?” Harriet asked. “What happened?” She grabbed Iris’s arm and pulled her into the parlor. “You must tell me everything. Did he agree to pull the articles once he realized your proposal?”

Her body still hummed with awareness from the kiss.

“No, he did not.” They fell together onto the settee. No man had ever even tried to kiss her, yet Lord Ashby had done so. Gently and sweetly. And she’d felt that simple kiss all over her body. Granted, because of his thorough measuring, she’d already been grossly aware of parts of her body she rarely considered. “He kissed me.”

Harriet’s eyes rounded. “He did what?”

“Yes, he kissed me. And instead of having the appropriate reaction and chastising him for taking such liberties, I merely said, ‘oh my.’” She leaned her head back onto the rounded ridge of the settee. “He must believe me the silliest of ninnies.”

“You have to start at the beginning.”

She took a deep breath and tried to rid her mind of the kiss. She did not have time to muddle this current assignment with a girlish fancy for the roguish Lord Ashby. Especially since he was the man responsible for her brother’s disastrous behavior.

Iris detailed the events of the evening. How she’d arrived and given him her proposal that she be the one he transform into a gentleman, and how he’d eventually agreed. “That is when he came back into the room with a measuring tape. He obviously couldn’t allow his tailor to measure me, else risk my secret.” She paused for a moment. “A man is measured quite differently than we are for our gowns.” If she said more, gave the true details, she would scandalize sweet Harriet.

“It was nothing but a plot to frighten me, that much was evident. But I will not play such foolish games. Not when my brother is at stake.” She sat upright and eyed her friend. “Besides, he’d been close to giving up. I feel certain I can persuade him to relent before this wager gets out of hand.”

“Are you certain? It seems that your virtue might be in danger, as well as your general reputation,” Harriet said.

“I’m positive. I know what I am doing. I’ll prove to him how erroneous and dangerous his advice to gentlemen is. Then he’ll apologize, and hopefully all of this will happen before Jasper ruins his life.”

“I sincerely hope you are right.” Harriet paused for a moment. “What was the kiss like?”

---