Page 5 of The Matchmaker Meets her Duke
Pandora gathered her skirts and stood. “You are impossible.”
ChapterThree
Emmett watched with feigned disinterest as Pandora stood. Her gown was plastered to her body by the mud and dew of the pit, emphasizing her surprisingly curvy body. It had felt good pressed against him, and the treacherous part of him wondered what it would be like to kiss her when she was willing. The way she had gasped when he touched her, or how her red lips parted before his… it had been difficult to remember that she wasn’t a lover, but an enemy.
An enticing, cunning enemy. Pandora tried to take a step, but something in her skirts tripped her up, and she fell back to the floor of the pit. “Something wrong, Lady Datura?”
“Don’t call me that. And yes, there seems to be something tangled in my skirts, I can barely move my legs.”
Emmett shuffled over to her side of the pit. “Allow me to assist.”
Pandora pulled her legs closer to her body. “I should think not! As if I’d ever allow a man like you up my skirts.”
Emmett’s head tilted even as he reached out. “And just what kind of man do you think I am? You have a strong opinion of me.”
“A deserved opinion. You are the worst kind of rake, seducing women then leaving them in tears after false promises.”
Emmett’s head jerked up. “Where did you hear that? I’ve never once promised marriage to a woman before bed sport.”
Pandora blushed at the word but plowed on. “I heard it from Lady Miriam herself.”
“Lady M… you mustn’t be serious. I kissed her, yes, but we were to be wed, it was all arranged. It would have been perfectly fine if not for your interference.” Emmett reached for her skirts again and ran his hands up her legs. He couldn’t help but tease, the faces she made were most amusing. Pandora froze under his touch and for a moment he feared he had gone too far. But she didn’t pull away, and there was just enough moonlight for him to see a faint blush spread over her pale cheeks. Interesting.
Emmett pulled her legs straight with gentle hands before reaching for the hem of her skirts. Pandora gasped. “You mustn’t.”
“Do you want to get out of this pit, or don’t you?”
“Just pull me up, I’ll be fine.”
He moved down her legs, tracing the shape of her long legs with the tips of his fingers. She was well proportioned, and images of what she might look like undressed sprang to mind. Her skin would be white and flawless, her legs tapering down from her wide hips. They would wrap around his waist and…he cut himself off. That was a dangerous line of thought. This was Lady Datura, the woman who had ruined his engagement.
His hands reached her calves and gave them a gentle squeeze. Yes, very shapely. His hands continued until he reached her ankles and skimmed the hem of her mud-splattered skirt. He slowed again, watching her face for her reaction. When she failed to scream bloody murder, he pushed the fabric upward, revealing her slim ankles and white-silk stockings.
The silk was smooth under his fingertips as he worked his way up, still watching the emotions flit across Pandora’s face. She was curious, he was certain of that. A fruit to be plucked. But this was hardly the time or place for seduction. Kneeling in the mud of the pit, he swiftly untangled a sharp twig that had woven its way through several layers of fabric. He tossed it over his shoulder and watched as Pandora stared at it.
“That small thing was what caused all this trouble?” she said in a voice faint with disbelief. He couldn’t help but laugh as he settled his hands back on her legs. He gave her a teasing smile, but before he could speak, a light shone down on them from above.
“Pandora!” Edward cried. “And Willcrow! What on Earth! Get your hands off my sister!”
Emmett’s world froze. Edward stood over them, lamp raised high, a look of shock painted over his pale face. He knew what Pandora’s brother was seeing. His sister, with her skirts hiked up, and he, a renowned rake, with his hands all over her. His life was over. Hands reached down from above and hauled Pandora out of the pit by her armpits. Emmett stood.
“I can explain,” said Emmett in a firm voice, doing his best to collect his thoughts.
“Edward, it’s not what it looks like! I fell in the hole, and–”
“And nothing, Pandora. I have eyes, I know what I am seeing. You will pay for harming my sister,Your Grace.” Edward set the lamp on the path and hopped into the pit and tackled Emmett to the ground.
The sudden impact caught Emmett off guard, and he went down hard. But he was taller than Edward, with greater muscle mass, and quickly had Pandora’s brother on his back. He blocked Edward’s punches by swiping them to the side.
“Come to your senses, Danvers. This is hardly proper behavior,” said Emmett.
Edward snarled and tried to push Emmett off him, but he was immovable. “After what you did to my sister? I’ll have your head.”
Delicate hands landed on his shoulder, and Emmett flinched. But it was just Pandora. Her blue eyes were wide in the moonlight, pale and luminous. Her hair was wild and her lips were still red from being kissed. In a word, divine, like some pagan moon goddess descended to Earth. He shook himself and turned back to Edward. The woman was beautiful, what of it? She shook her shoulder and tried to pull him off her brother.
“Edward, Your Grace, enough!”
Emmett eased part of his weight off Edward. “Will you behave yourself if I release you?”
