Page 137 of Ten Lords for the Holidays

How he’d stopped himself from lifting the man by his scrawny neck and sending him across the room, Evan didn’t know.

What he did know was that he wanted Holly away from him. And everyone else, for that matter.

As irrational as that was. As downright dangerous as it would be to be alone with her, he wasn’t leaving that ballroom without her.

So now, here they were.

And surprisingly, Angela’s brash manner had worked in his favour.

Come to think of it, every pleasant moment he’d had with Lady Holly had seemed to come from Angela’s interference.

Perhaps she wasn’t so bad. Or maybe she was just growing on him.

He opened his mouth to ask Lady Holly about her friendship with the woman. But when he looked over, she was wincing slightly and examining her hand.

“What –“

He stopped as he spotted the bloom of red beneath the pristine white of her glove.

“You are hurt,” he said, his tone accusatory to his own ears.

“Hardly.” Lady Holly rolled her eyes. “I simply caught a stray piece of glass. It’s nothing.”

“Let me see it.” He reached over to clasp her hand in his own.

“N-no, it’s fine,” she insisted, snatching her hand away. “Tis but a scratch.”

Evan knew she was uncomfortable. He could tell by the way she chewed her lip and refused to meet his eyes.

And he knew, too, that he was the cause of her discomfort. Knew that he shouldn’t have touched her the way he had. Knew that she’d likely never experienced more than a chaste peck on the cheek from a gentleman, nothing like his barely leashed desire.

He should apologise.

It was the right thing to do.

To set her at ease, if nothing else. Enough to let him check and make sure she hadn’t gotten a serious injury.

They hadn’t been alone together since their kiss on the balcony. Lady Holly had made sure of that with the way she’d flitted about the room like a butterfly, always managing to be on the other side of it than him.

That’s why he’d gone to sulk in the card room. That, and the fact that he didn’t have a clue what to do in her presence. How to act, and yes, how to be sorry for kissing her even though he wasn’t really sorry at all.

“My lady.” He spoke softly in deference to the quiet of the coach.

He waited, but she didn’t lift her head, stubbornly refusing to meet his eyes.

Evan felt a flicker of amusement. He couldn’t believe he’d thought the girl was docile. She had a spine of steel and a stubbornness even stronger.

And even though he knew it was madness and would likely make the situation worse, he couldn’t resist reaching out and clasping her chin, tilting it so she’d be forced to meet his gaze.

“Please,” he whispered, staring into the deep, dark depths of her eyes. “Just let me check. For my peace of mind, if nothing else.”

He waited while she eyed him.

And after what felt like an age, she reached out and placed her hand in his.

CHAPTER9

Holly’s heartthundered in her chest as she sat in the close confines of the carriage with Lord Stockton.

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