Page 27 of Her Wicked Duke
The way he cocked his head, leaning casually against the doorframe as his carriage was being prepared, made Anne’s stomach flip.
So, he had heard some of their conversation. And now he was so utterly smug about it.
“We do not wish to accept, anyway.” Anne sniffed and then walked onwards, down the path, toward the gate. “Good afternoon, Alexander.”
“Anne, wait,” he called.
Anne hesitated, drawing her shawl tighter around her. After spending a couple of hours on the terrace, watching him from afar, feeling his eyes on her, she was restless and tense.
“What about the next social event where you’ll need me to chaperone you?” he asked. “I wish to steal a moment away with you.”
Anne laughed. “Oh, I am sure if you wish to, you will a find way, Alexander.”
“Like now?” He smirked at her. “Is that what you wish, Anne? To know of my devious ways while you’re alone with me?”
He stepped closer to her, and her breath caught in her throat as she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. He was so much taller than her, and she could barely stand the way he loomed over her. And yet… the thought of his muscled figure, the sheer size of him, and how he might handle her…
What wonders lie in your palms, Alexander? What tricks would your fingers perform if they were to touch me?
“I could pull you away whenever I please,” he murmured. “But only if you wish it, too.” His eyes, so blue and beautiful—which she hated to admit—bored into hers, spreading heat through her.
Before she could answer or scold him for his boldness, her name was called. She turned around to see her mama joining her.
Annette looked beautiful, in a dress the same color as Anne’s, the two of them opting for different shades of blue. While Anne’s dress was powder blue, her mama’s dress was a stunning navy color—a dress that hugged every curve and complemented her pale skin.
“Shall we go home, darling?” Annette asked.
Anne nodded, stepping away from Alexander.
“Alexander, it’s been wonderful to see you again after all these years and catch up,” Annette said, letting him kiss her hand. “You must come visit us soon!”
“That would be most wonderful, Lady Angleton,” he replied. “My grandmother, as you might know, is here with me, and she would love to get to know you all!”
“Then we shall arrange it! My eldest daughter, Mary, is hosting a party this week. Please come and join us if you find your diary short of events. Come, Anne, let us go.”
As Annette went ahead to the carriage, Alexander smiled at Anne indulgently. “I wouldloveto attend the party,” he whispered to her. “Especially as it appears Lady Angleton doesn’t know about her son’s request.”
“Or the stalker,” Anne muttered. “So I would appreciate you not saying anything when you speak with my parents.”
“My lips are sealed, Anne,” he vowed. And she took him seriously for a moment until he grinned. “Unless you wish to kiss me again—in which case, they shall part for you again.”
“Youkissedme,” she hissed.
“And I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” he said, once again serious. But then, he straightened up and looked past her. “That is my carriage. I shall see you soon, Anne.”
Before she could process his statement at that moment—I’d do it again in a heartbeat—Alexander had disappeared and her mother was telling her to hurry up.
What a peculiar man.He cannot decide if he wants me or not. He is toying with me.
Anne was unsure of her feelings toward him, so perhaps it was fair. He climbed into his carriage, and she watched him leave while wondering how terrible a man he might be if he was so ready to tarnish his best friend’s sister’s reputation.
She put the thoughts out of her mind for now and climbed into the carriage alongside her mother.
“Have you missed me, Alexander?” Anne asked, smiling demurely as she lingered on the edge of the ballroom at another function later that week.
The Season was in full, glorious swing, and Anne was at her happiest when she was involved in every party, dinner, and gathering.
Alexander was brooding beside her, his eyes sharp, and while her skin tingled every time he was near, she knew that his presence comforted her.
