Page 250 of Dukes for Dessert

Carole and Adam were already almost at the billiard room and missed the rest of whatever fictional explanation they were making up on the spot.

He stole a kiss the moment they were out of sight.

Every moment in his arms was like spring after a long winter. A riot of color, of scent, of taste. Everything seemed to bloom at once, filling her with a desire so sharp and so sweet she thought she might swoon from the headiness.

When she regained her breath, Carole shook her finger. “That’s the last of the free kisses, Your Grace. If you want more, you’ll have to earn them.”

“Can I earn them with the extremely clever opening lines I’ve been practicing?” He asked innocently.

She selected a cue. “You’d better hope you’ve been practicing billiards. Any other questions?”

His eyes twinkled. “If I were to ask you for one more kiss, would your answer be the same as the answer to this question?”

“Beast.” Laughing, she shoved a cue into his hands. “Show me a cannon.”

“You have no idea how much I’d like to,” he murmured.

Carole arranged the three balls on the baize. “You first. Three in a row earns a kiss.”

“Three in a row?” His cockiness turned into dubiousness.

She took pity. “Can you do two in a row?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Watch.”

He chalked the leather tip of the cue, aligned himself at the far end of the table, then struck his ivory so that it hit Carole’s first, and then the red ball.

She clapped her hands. “Do it again.”

He strutted to the opposite side of the table, carefully arranged his cue, then hit first the red, and then Carole’s ivory.

“Two in a row, as promised.” She lifted her gaze from the table. “Now what?”

He pulled a face. “Now is when it falls apart. The second cannon takes a fair bit of luck, and a third is all but impossible. No one could hit a cannon with the balls all spread out like this.”

“Exactly.” She returned them to their original position and picked up her cue. “This is how you hit both balls and send them only as far as you want them to go.”

Although he was inexperienced with billiards, Adam copied her motions with control and grace. Not only was he physically in fine form, his grace and coordination were impressive. He was more than a quick study. He was talented. It wouldn’t be long at all before he no longer needed her.

Her stomach twisted with dread at the impending loss. She would have to try even harder to maintain emotional distance.

This flirtation is just a game, she reminded herself sternly. You might not be thinking of anyone but him, but Adam is practicing in order to woo someone else.

She could play along. She’d been playing games her entire life. It was all she had.

“Afternoon post, Your Grace.” A footman entered the billiard room with a silver tray, and headed straight toward Adam.

“Leave it on the table, please,” Adam responded without looking up from the shot he was aligning.

The footman started with obvious surprise, then did as requested. He sent one last intrigued look over his shoulder before disappearing back into the corridor.

Carole watched with interest. It was obvious the footman had fully expected Adam to immediately drop whatever he was doing to attend to his correspondence. Either Adam regularly received letters of utmost importance and urgency… or he was breaking a long-held habit simply because he preferred to spend his time with Carole. Although her stomach fluttered, she tried not to read too much into it.

She cleared her throat. “If you need to pause our lesson to review your correspondence…”

He glanced up, brown eyes wide and a little confused, as if he’d already forgotten the footman’s interruption.

“I already know what it is.” He shrugged a shoulder. “A few different committees want to nominate me as leader, but I barely have enough time to dedicate to them all as it is. They’re trying to convince me otherwise.”

---