Page 6 of Her Rogue to Kiss Good Morning
He smiled then.“Fair enough, my lady,” he said.“But that does not mean I will not try to change your mind.”
She could not give him the opportunity to do any such thing.Clara’s lips pressed into a thin line.She knew, in that moment, that she should retreat, disappear into the sanctuary of her chambers, and wrestle with her thoughts in private.And yet, a small, irrational part of her wanted to linger, to watch the mischief and earnestness war in his golden eyes.That part wanted to see if perhaps, just perhaps, he might be different than every man she had known before.Different enough to tempt her to risk the fragile, carefully constructed peace of her heart.
She might not be completely happy with her life, but she also knew that it could be far worse.She had seen worse, and she didn’t want to relive that ever again.He was far too handsome and charming.He could break through the walls she had erected around her heart if she allowed him to become close enough.
She didn’t want to want him, and yet…as she set down her teacup and straightened her shoulders, Clara could not deny the storm his presence stirred within her.A storm she had sworn she would never entertain again.
Four
The warm light of the late afternoon filtered through the tall windows of the library at Sinbrough House, dust motes dancing lazily in the beams, as Grant, Viscount Oakwood, crossed the polished parquet floor with a restlessness that would not abate.Tea with Lady Cocwood and her sister, the Duchess of Sinbrough, had proven far more vexing than he had anticipated—not in the company of Lady Sinbrough, whose wit was ever so pleasant, but in the presence of her lovely sister, Lady Cocwood.
The lovely widow had excused herself some moments ago, yet he could not stay seated.There was a pull, subtle and insistent, that drew his attention to her, and it was a force he could not deny.Truthfully, he did not want to.There was something about her that he found he could not resist, and he had never been one to deny himself temptation.He certainly would not start now.After he excused himself, he left the sitting room with one purpose.He had to find her.
Grant’s boots made barely a sound on the floor as he traced the familiar corridors, his pulse quickening at the thought of finding her.He did not know what he would say to her once he did locate her.But that did not matter.He had never had trouble talking to a woman before and he doubted he would struggle now.He wandered the halls hoping he would cross paths with her soon.He did not want to actually appear to be searching for her though.That would not do at all… He slowly turned into another room.One he normally would not bothered to stroll into.Books were well and good, but he usually found entertainment in other areas.But the lovely widow… She seemed the sort to like a good tome.
He smiled as he entered the room and stopped short.There she was...Lady Cocwood stood before a row of well-worn shelves in the library; her figure bathed in the golden afternoon light.She seemed utterly absorbed in the books, her fingers lightly brushing the spines as if reading them through touch alone.Grant paused, taken off guard by the sight of her.The grace with which she moved, the thoughtful tilt of her head—it struck him suddenly, and he could not look away.She was the most enchanting woman he had ever beheld.The soft light haloing around he gave he an ethereal visage that struck him momentarily stunned.
A breath later, he shook himself, chastising the intrusion of his own fascination.He had to proceed with caution.She must not know the effect she had on him.He stepped forward, shoulders squared, lips curling into what he hoped was a rakish, yet respectful smile.“Lady Cocwood,” he began smoothly, bowing his head in formal greeting, “it appears the library offers far more intrigue than the sitting room.Though, I daresay, nothing here rivals your beauty.”He sounded like a right arse… Hopefully his inane drivel did not drive her away before he had time to actually speak with her.
She did not turn to face him immediately, her attention still fixed on the shelves, but Grant thought he caught the faintest twitch of her lips, as if she were fighting a smile.His chest tightened with a mix of amusement and desire, and he took it as tacit encouragement to continue.“Do allow me,” he said, moving closer, “to assist you in selecting a volume.After all, one never knows what treasure might lie hidden on these shelves.”
Her eyes flicked toward him at last, sharp and unamused, and yet the subtle lift of one brow suggested she was not entirely immune to his attentions.Grant’s pulse quickened at the challenge.This was precisely the sort of battle he lived for—wits against wit, charm against guarded decorum.He held back a smile that threatened to form.She was breathtaking.He did not want to show his hand.At least not yet.This woman had to be wooed carefully and with precision.Grant refused to fail in this courtship.He had a feeling it would be the most important pursuit of his life.
“And what makes you presume, my lord, that I require your assistance?”she asked her voice cool, though not without a hint of something more—something almost bemused.Something flashed in her eyes that made him think she was not as immune to his charms as she pretended to be.He could work with that.
“Only the conviction,” he replied smoothly, “that even the most formidable lady occasionally welcomes the guidance of a willing friend.”
Lady Cocwood’s lips twitched again, ever so slightly, and though she did not relent, Grant could not help but feel that the dance had begun.And he, for one, had no intention of stepping away.This was progress and he would march forward with the intent to win her.She tilted her head to the side and studied him.“Are we friends?”She lifted a brow.“I had not realized you were elevated to such a status in my life.”
“I like to believe we are.”He lifted the corner of his lip upward into a sure smile.One that had charmed ladies in the past.
“You are far too sure of yourself, my lord,” she told him.She turned away from him and wandered over to another shelf.“What you are to me is far from friendly.”
“You would me, my lady,” he said as he held his palm over his chest.“I thought that we had progressed to the best of friends.”
“I barely know you.”She glanced back at him.“And I do not wish to further our acquaintance.”
Grant did not believe her.She seemed far too interested in him for such a statement to be true.“We will cross paths often,” he told her.“Your sister is married to my favorite cousin.”
“That is true,” she agreed.“At least in part.I could not say with any certainty what cousin of yours is your favorite.I will have to take your word on that.”She plucked a book off of the shelf and flipped it open.“As to our paths crossing…” She sighed.“I suppose that is an inevitability.The often part I am not so certain about.I hope to leave Sinbrough House soon and therefore you and I may rarely cross paths after that.”
She was leaving?He did not like that revelation.“Then I suppose I will have to use this time we have to win you over.”
“Win me over?”She narrowed her gaze.“For what purpose, my lord?”
“I am determined we will be friends,” he told her.Actually, he hoped they would be far more than that.The extent of what he wanted from her he had not yet determined.But he had to kiss her at the very least.Not yet…but hopefully, soon.
Grant suppressed the urge to grin at her sharp retort.Her words might have been cool, but the faint flush along her cheekbones told another story entirely.She was not indifferent to him, not truly.That knowledge was dangerous—and intoxicating.
“You’re delusional, my lord,” she retorted.“Perhaps I should be concerned for my sister’s welfare if you are to remain here at Sinbrough House.”
He stepped closer, slow and deliberate, until he stood but a pace from her.“I assure you I am quite sane,” he said lightly.“I am not in the habit of forcing my company on unwilling ladies.”He smiled though he wasn’t sure he felt it.“Your sister, and you, need not worry about me.”
“I suppose I will have to take your word for it,” she said, then sighed.“You do not look like you have lost your sanity.”She shrugged.“But I have been wrong before.”
He wasn’t sure what she meant by that.“Do you want to know what I think?”he asked.
“I’m not certain that I do,” she replied and placed the book she was holding back on the shelf.She plucked a red tome off and flipped it open.He didn’t think she was actually reading any of it.
