Page 44 of The Trouble with Tigers
“Good evening, Lord Thurgood.”
His gaze drifted over her, helplessly taking in the creamy expanse of skin revealed by the demuredécolletéof her gown, and the tiny span of her waist. From there the gown hugged her hips only to flare out again below her knees. She looked damned delectable.
His eyes narrowed on her face as it occurred to him to wonder if she had an ulterior motive.
Her smiled faded, and her pale green eyes widened in concern. “My lord, is something wrong?”
“Not at all. Why do you ask?”
Her feathered brows shot upward as if the answer were obvious. “Because you’re scowling.”
Damn it all. He cleared his expression. He was smarter than to out-and-out accuse her of trying to seduce him into a real marriage proposal, wasn’t he? Besides, whether she was fool enough to try to barter on her looks, pretty girls were a dime a dozen.
“I was thinking how lovely you look in a dress,” he said curtly.
Her cheeks bloomed a fine shade of pink. “Er…thank you, my lord?”
“I was also thinking you might need a few things clarified concerning our arrangement.”
“Of course,” she whispered, and inched closer to him. She peered over her shoulder at the doorway, as if ascertaining they were alone then gazed up at him. “Go on.”
His eyes locked with hers, and a shock of awareness coursed through him. Out of nowhere he was gripped with the most idiotic desire to sweep her into his arms and feast on her plump, rosy lips. He blinked. Felt a trickle of sweat course down his back. “Excuse me?”
Her brows furrowed slightly. “You just said you wanted to clarify a few things.”
He did want to make things clear. So why did he feel like a cornered hare?
“Later. We’ll need privacy. Obviously a walk through the gardens will be impossible thanks to this rain.”
“We’re alone now,” she insisted.
“My aunt will join us any moment.”
“Perhaps you can come to my antechamber later, when everyone retires,” she whispered “It’s the last one on the—”
“I know which is yours. It’s out of the question,” he snapped.
“Oh? Why?”
“You’re a young, unmarried lady. I’m a man. Need I say more?”
She arched a brow. “You’re planning on ravishing me, then?”
He drew a hand to his forehead and strove for patience. “I think you know that’s not what I meant.”
“It isn’t as if I haven’t been inyourchamber once before.” She had the gall to grin.
“Yes, but you shouldn’t have been there.”
“You’re the one who invited—nay,demandedI follow you in.”
“That was because I thought you were a lad.” He spoke through clenched teeth.
She sniffed. “Very well. Where then?” She crossed her arms under her breasts, drawing his eyes to the hint of cleavage her demure bodice revealed. Her skirt jostled, and he heard a repetitivetap, tap, tap. Her evening slipper on the flooring? What cause did she have to be annoyed?
He crossed his arms over his chest, aping her stance.
Tap, tap, tap.
