Page 47 of It's All About the Duke
He never expected it of his ward, but he was enamored by her. He wanted to hold her supple body next to his, feel her in his arms, and kiss her beautifully shaped lips, no matter of the wrongness of it.
“I can tell you right now, Your Grace, you will never fool me again as you did the first day you came to my house. Even though we are in the garden, I know I don’t have a bee, a ladybug, or anything else on my cheek. So if there is dirt, a grass stain, or even a piece of dried leaf or twig on my face, it can stay there.”
“That is a clever assessment, Marlena, but I’m not trying to fool you this time. I am being truthful.”
Rath leaned toward her and lowered his head closer to hers. Despite knowing it was not the right thing to do, he wanted to kiss her. He simply didn’t want to stop himself.
And he wouldn’t.
She would have to do it, and she’d proved herself capable before.
Rath laid the handkerchief on top of her hands, which were still resting in her lap. “This was a very effective tool to remind me we shouldn’t kiss. I’m giving it back to you so you can use it now to keep yourself from kissing me.”
“Me kiss you?”
He nodded.
She looked down at the handkerchief resting on the top of her fingers and then back to his eyes. There wasn’t an immediate answer from her. He took that as a good sign. She was contemplating. He had no doubt she wanted to kiss him, but he didn’t know if she would give in to the desire that was so very strong between them and do it.
“That is,” Rath added, “if you want to kiss me.”
Chapter 13
He could be a rake if he offers a lady his handkerchief.
MISSHONORATRUTH’SWORDS OFWISDOMANDWARNINGABOUTRAKES, SCOUNDRELS, ROGUES, ANDLIBERTINES
Oh, he was a rake of the highest order.
Of course, she wanted to kiss him.
But shouldn’t he just catch her up against his chest and kiss her madly, force a kiss on her whether or not she wanted him to? He was a rake. Shouldn’t he act like one?
Apparently not.
He knew she wanted him to kiss her. Was dying for him to kiss her. Why couldn’t he just do it? Without her making the first move. Wasn’t that what rakes were supposed to do?
Marlena sat silent.
And so did the duke.
It wasn’t fair. He had been the one promising her a kiss almost from the first day he arrived at her door with his short, captivating glances, long compelling gazes, and provocative words that kept her wanting more and moreattention from him. Why did he want it to be her decision whether or not they kissed? And how could she once again be contemplating it at all? She should be feeling nothing but shame over her desire for him.
He was a rake, a rascal, and a scoundrel! But more than that, he was indirectly responsibility for Veronica marrying Mr. Portington. And Marlena had no idea how many of the other young ladies’ lives the Rakes of St. James had upended by their secret admirer letters.
And why, after all his years of being a scoundrel of the highest order, would he decide at this very moment to be a gentleman and not kiss her?
Maybe this was his plan all along, because he was a master of seduction? For surely he knew that denying her his kiss made her want it all the more. Her outrage over his past couldn’t extinguish the continuing attraction she had for him. He stirred emotions inside her that were too complicated for her to understand right now.
Marlena kept her hands still, the handkerchief resting on top of them. “Why are you making this my decision?”
“You are an innocent.”
“Why does that matter to you? You have kissed innocent young ladies before, haven’t you?”
His gaze searched hers. “Not for a long time.”
“Because?”
