Page 26 of The Matchmaker Meets her Duke
Agatha gaped at Pandora before smiling. “Yes, you see exactly what I mean! She is a particularly nasty woman.” Pandora nodded but was spared a response as Lord and Lady Notley approached. Again Emmett tuned out the introductions and did his best to look polite and to nod at the correct spots.
His wife was up to something. Why was she out of breath? Why not borrow a necklace from his grandmother or Rose, instead of making the long trip back to Ravenswood Manor? He glanced down at her. She was playing the perfect hostess, all smiles, and he supposed that made sense. Her matchmaking parties succeeded because of her personality.
Pandora rushed forward to meet him, hand raised, and he hastily raised his own. Dancing was one set of lessons he had been unable to escape, not with his grandmother watching, and it was easy to let his thoughts drift once again as the music swirled around them.
Pandora was in her element, cheeks flushed as she took swift steps, not a foot out of place. Her pale skirts swirled above her ankles, revealing silk stockings, and Emmett was reminded of that night in her bed, which felt so distant now that he had been banished from her side.
Perhaps now that they were on better terms, they could try again. The song ended, and he reclaimed his wife’s arm before the vulturous Lords who had been eying her could claim the next dance. He leaned down, lips brushing her ear, and he felt her shiver against him.
“I am already quite warm. Can I show you what the gardens look like at night?” Pandora laughed, low and sweet, but again she hesitated. “Pardon me, Your Grace, but do you have somewhere else you have to be?” Pandora went very still on his arm, and he took the opportunity to guide her toward the garden doors before people could stare at them.
“No, of course not!” said Pandora with wide eyes. “I have only the guests on my mind. What will they think if we disappear so early?”
Emmett smiled down at her as they wove through the crowd. “They’ll think we are freshly married and in love.” Pandora’s eyes widened even more as she mouthed ‘love’ and Emmett laughed.
“Don’t get any ideas, I’m hardly struck down by you. But if our guests choose to believe it, it will only solidify our marriage in their eyes. There are rumors about us, you know.”
Pandora grimaced. “So I’ve heard. The special marriage license you got certainly didn’t help matters.”
Emmett shrugged. “I wanted this to be over with swiftly. Waiting around for months seemed pointless.”
“Ah yes, your sterling reputation was at risk of tarnishing.”
“No, yours was. I did this all for you, you know.”
Pandora laughed under her breath. “I am sure. Let us be honest with each other. You needed a wife and an heir, and I was convenient. There is no other reason for choosing me.”
Emmett trailed his fingers along a flowering bush as they stepped deeper into the garden. “You forget that you are a beautiful woman in your own right, not to mention clever, and driven. I can think of worse traits in a wife.”
Pandora arced an eyebrow. “I would think you should want a meek, compliant wife, not a clever one.”
“I would tire of a woman like that within weeks, let alone a lifetime,” said Emmett with a shrug. He paused and pulled Pandora down onto a bench in the shadows of a large statue.
Pandora shuffled back out of arm’s reach with an arced eyebrow. “Something tells me you have much familiarity with this secluded bench.”
Emmett grinned. “Am I so obvious?”
“Do you intend to ravage me now, here in the gardens?” Pandora smiled as she spoke.
Emmett smiled back. “I seem to recall you banishing me from your bed. Do you see any beds around here?”
Hesitation spread over Pandora’s face. “Did you really bring me out here to seduce me?”
“No, though I am open to the possibility of being seduced myself,” said Emmett with a wink. Pandora flushed.
“I wouldn’t know where to start. I don’t have your experience in that area.”
Emmett reached out and took her hand and brought it to his cheek. “Start here, with gentle touches. Let me know you are interested.” He released her hand, and she kept it in place.
Her thumb rubbed over his stubbled skin, so warm compared to the night air. Curiosity filled her eyes, and Emmett sat very still under her touch. She trailed her fingers down his jaw to his chin. Her thumb brushed over his lower lip, and it took willpower for Emmett not to lick her. This was no courtesan. This was his wife, his shy, uncertain wife. He had to go slowly, even if her hesitant touches were making the heat rise to his face.
“What would I do next, were I trying to seduce you?” asked Pandora in a whisper. Emmett’s lips quirked into a smile under her thumb, and he motioned for her to move closer. She pushed herself along the bench and laid her other hand on his chest.
“Yes, exactly like that,” said Emmett. To his surprise, his breath was tight in his throat. “You might slide your hand to the back of my head, and lean in for a kiss. I would certainly find that seductive.”
Pandora licked her lips and drew his eyes. She moved as slowly as a winter frost until he could feel her breath on his lips. The hand on his chest flexed and she closed the rest of the distance in a rush.
Her kiss was gentle, tender even, but it brought more heat to his chest, making it feel as if his cravat was too tight. The urge to take her in his arms and smother her with kisses was strong, but he knew he had to let her do this herself.
