Page 27 of In Scandal with the Duke
“Hmm, who else will protect you from wicked, unprincipled rakes and libertines lurking in the gardens?”
She cast him a pointed stare. The duke pressed a hand over his chest, and even in the shadows of the alcove, she saw the provocative deviltry dancing in his silver eyes.
“I am wounded, Elizabeth. I am far from being an unprincipled libertine; I am another breed altogether.”
“I am sure you’ll inform me of the distinction.”
His lips quirked. “Those men only care about their pleasures.”
She heard the hidden meaning that he would pay keen attention to his lady’s pleasure. Something heated stirred in her belly, and Elizabeth experienced a surge of helpless longing in her heart, drawn irresistibly to the hint of wickedness that his eyes promised.
“You seemed as if you enjoyed your dancing, but just now, as I approached, you seemed saddened. Are you well?”
Shock froze Elizabeth for a moment, and she lowered her lashes. Was she so transparent in her unhappiness? It could not be, for her mother had no notion of her lingering discontent. A slender and far too elegant finger was placed under her chin and nudged upward.
“Why do you hide your expression?”
A knot of emotion clogged her throat. “Who are you to know the hunger I have inside of me? Who are you for me to confide them?”
The face that regarded her had an almost cruel sensuality. Yet, inexplicably, she felt a sense of safety, and that frightened her. Elizabeth did not trust easily, and the duke was not coaxing her, but somehow, she was still pulled close.
“I could be your friend.”
Her heart began to hammer wildly, and her cheeks grew flushed. “Myfriend?”
“Yes.” He lowered his finger. “Why do you sound so aghast.”
“You do not seem like a gentleman one can call a friend.”
“I can tell you have no one to speak to of your worries.”
His words pierced her chest. “You offer this friendship freely?”
The duke arched a brow. “What are you asking me?”
“My brother says you have no wish to marry … and that … I should be careful with you.”
“Smart advice. However, I would never take anything that you do not willingly offer.”
An unexpectedly hot sensation kindled in the pit of her stomach and drifted lower. “What does that mean?”
“As I said.”
“I do not fully understand.”
His mouth curved faintly in provoking amusement. “Do you wish for me to show you?”
That warning prickled over her skin like a dark, heady flame, and Elizabeth did not understand why she shifted a bit closer to him. Perhaps she needed to understand the danger she flirted with so that she could shore her resolve against it. A wicked instinct pushed her to lift her hand and stroke over his jaw with the tip of her finger. He closed his eyes at that touch as if he savored her light caress. The idea this man was tempted by her closeness sent a languorous ache rolling through her body. The feeling was new, but she welcomed it.
Lowering her finger she softly said, “I merely had the thought that everything is the same. This is my sixth ball of the season … but I am already listless. I want … I want more, more of life, more ofanything, but I have no notion of where to find it. I certainly did not leave my gilded cage in New York. When I set sail with my mother, I thought that I was free to breathe at last. It has become alarmingly clear that I stepped into an even more restrictive one, and I feel as if I am suffocating.”
Her voice cracked, and flushing, she stepped back, creating a semblance of propriety. Hungers and needs long denied rushed through her with crippling intensity. “What would it be like to enjoy life a little.”
“What does this enjoyment look like for you?”
Elizabeth glanced away from his steady regard. There was something far too knowing in his gaze, and she did not want him to see too deeply inside of her heart. No one had that privilege, and certainly not this duke. “You do not think I am silly?”
“No.”
