Page 32 of Marry in Scarlet
“Lady Georgiana?” he reminded her. “The library.”
George gave him a long cool look. “Very well.” She would show the duke to the library and then, finally, she would escape.
Chapter Seven
Heaven forbid!—Thatwould be the greatest misfortune of all!—To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate!—Do not wish me such an evil.
—JANE AUSTEN,PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Hart opened the door to the library—it was empty—and held the door for her. “Just a quick word,” he said. She gave him a narrow, suspicious look, but stepped inside. He followed her in and closed the door.
Her smooth complexion was delicately flushed—temper, he assumed. She hadn’t liked being given no choice about going with him. Just as she hadn’t liked being forced to dance with him, and going in to supper with him.
He didn’t think it was an act either. At the opera he’d wondered whether her outrageous comments were designed to attract his attention—he was inured to the things women would do to make him notice them. But she’d made no attempt to follow them up or to engage his interest at any future point.
His friends seemed to think that was just how Lady George was—unconventional and outspoken. But they liked her anyway. No doubt because they’d all swallowed the nonsense about her planning never to marry and felt perfectly safe with her.
Hart wasn’t convinced. Of course she might have an aversion to men as a gender, and if that were the case, he had no use for her. But he didn’t think that was so.
At the opera, and in the conservatory he’d been aware of an undercurrent of sexual attraction between them. He’d certainly felt it, and he didn’t think it was one-sided.
His mouth dried each time he watched her cross the room, with that coltish yet oddly graceful, long-legged gait of hers. And her gaiety as she’d danced with her friends, sprightly and slender, laughing unselfconsciously—it was quite... appealing.
Just one question remained in his mind.
“So, what do you want?” she demanded. A few tiny crystals of sugar glittered at the corner of her mouth. Hart couldn’t take his eyes off them.
“Is it about what I said to you at the opera? Because if so, I’ll have you know—”
“It’s not about the opera.”
She folded her arms beneath her breasts. “So it’s about my horse, then? I told you, Sultan is—”
“Not for sale. I know.”
She frowned. “Then what’s it about?”
“This.” He drew her toward him.
She leaned away from him, pushing at his shoulders but not hard enough to break his hold. “What are you—?”
He cupped her chin. “You have sugar on your mouth, just here.” She blinked, and before she could react, he bent and licked it away, tasting the sweetness and crunch of the sugar along with a hint of her own female sweetness. The swift streak of heat startled him.
He drew his head back and stared at her. He hadn’t expected this. Sweetness, heat. Hunger.
Her eyes, wide and dark, scanned his face. She looked bewildered, troubled, surprised. And wary, like a vixen scenting a trap.
She’d felt that heat too, he was sure, and didn’t know what to think of it. Her lips were parted. Her breathinghitched—and he knew why it did, because his own pulse was pounding.
She pressed her palms against his waistcoat, holding him off, though not quite pushing him away. “What do you—mmph!”
He bent and kissed her again, softly at first. Her mouth was lush and soft. He eased her lips apart and deepened the kiss, hungry for more of her. Lord, but the taste of her swept through him like wildfire, hotter than before, as if he were already addicted.
She raised her fists—he half expected her to beat him off—but instead they wavered, and after a moment of hesitation she gripped his lapels and clung hard, angling her mouth to fit herself better to him. And pressing her body against his.
She tasted of sweet, hot honey, unexpectedly luscious and somehow wild. And there was anger and surprise and hunger, deep hunger.
By the time he released her he was breathing heavily. Stunned, he stared down at her. He’d thought her attractive, but this... His head was spinning. And his body was afire, hard and aching.
