Page 66 of If the Duke Demands

Miranda rolled her eyes. Leave it to Sebastian to charm his way into the hearts of even the most overbearing matrons with just a smile. More proof that the man was a force of nature.

She frowned, turning in her chair to finally look at him. “Why are you here?”

“My brothers are at Boodle’s for the night,” he informed her.

Her heart skittered as a pang of longing pulsed through her. She knew what he meant—that they would have Park Place all to themselves for the night, and that he had come for her. All she had to do was whisperyes, and she’d spend another magical night with him. He probably had the carriage waiting out front for them right now and a ready excuse for Lady Emily so he could spirit her away.

Squeezing her eyes closed, she shook her head, at both his invitation and at her own foolish temptation to accept. What good could come of it? Another wonderful night of being in his arms, of feeling beautiful and special in that way only he could make her feel, simply to be reminded again at dawn that he could never be hers for more than a few fleeting hours secreted away during the night…and then not at all once he decided on a wife.

“Lady Jane Sheridan is also in attendance this evening,” she informed him as evenly as possible, not wanting him to notice the unbearable jealousy swelling inside her and mock her for it, for daring to be jealous of a woman so far beyond her social rank that the two of them weren’t even comparable. “I’m certain you’ll want to pay your regards to her.”

Cold silence answered her. As she held her breath, fearing his biting reply, she knew she hit the arrow home and that he was seething behind her. In the few weeks since they’d arrived in London, she’d come to know him so well that she could sense his moods even without seeing him.

The lecture ended. Everyone stood to applaud as Miss Bradford took her bows.

But when Miranda started to rise, he placed his hand on her shoulder and gently kept her in her chair as he murmured, “But roses are my favorite evening flower.”

Her eyes stung that he could say such things yet still not want a future with her. That he could plan a night alone with her when the woman he wanted to marry sat at the front of the room. “A pity then,” she muttered as she shrugged off his hand and rose to her feet, no longer caring if he thought her jealous, “that dukes preferprimroses.”

She moved to walk away, but he took her arm and stopped her.

“Please let go,” she demanded gently, unable to jerk her arm away for all the pairs of eyes around them. Then she seized on a feeble excuse. “I want to meet Miss Bradford. Your mother generously gave me one of her books, and I wanted to tell her how much I enjoyed reading it.”

His gaze flicked to the front of the hall and to the crowd already gathering to meet the daring adventuress. “It’s your debut season,” he reminded her pointedly, as if she needed a reminder of that! “Discussing a book in front of these people will make you look like a bluestocking.”

“Good, because that’s exactly what I am. And it’s time everyone realized that.” She choked out, unable to stop herself, “Especially you.”

He arched a puzzled brow. “I know who you are, Miranda.”

Oh, that was a lie! He only thought he knew because he’d seen her naked and exposed. But even then, when his hands and mouth had been on her, with the weight of his body pressing deliciously down on her, he saw the woman he wanted to see. Not the woman she truly was. One capable of being just as fine and proper as the society ladies standing around her. One who would make him as equally as good a wife—better, in fact. While these ladies saw only his title when they looked at him, Miranda saw the man beneath. While they wanted his title and fortune, Miranda only wanted to make him happy.

Suddenly aware of everyone around them, and desperate to flee before he saw her distress, she pleaded, “Please let—”

“Spend the night with me,” he countered, briefly lowering his mouth as close to her ear as he dared. “We won’t make love if you don’t want to. We’ll simply sit together and talk.” His eyes softened on her. “I just want to be with you tonight, however I can.”

She stared at him, her lips parting, so stunned at his unexpected words that her heart stuttered with anguish. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

God help her, even now with her heart breaking because she knew she could never truly be his, she still wanted him. She still wanted to yield to that velvet voice and the strength of his body, to the happiness and peace she felt when she was alone with him, to the laughter and joy he gave her.

She glanced toward the front of the room, where Lady Jane now stood watching them, patiently smiling at Sebastian as she waited for him to approach. As was her right. And of course, he would. After all, he belonged at Jane’s side, not here in the back of the room with her.

She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I do. A remarkably fine one.”

“Sebastian,” she whispered, pleading for his mercy yet unable to help the pained longing in her voice. She wanted to be with him in the wonderful way he was offering, held safe and warm in his strong arms all night, talking and revealing themselves. But would one more night of happiness ever be enough recompense for the heartache she knew would follow?

Turning her face away so he couldn’t see the raw emotion flashing over her, she choked out, “I cannot.”

“Yes, you can,” he insisted.

“No—I want to be withyou, Sebastian.” Sadness pained mercilessly inside her chest. “Not the duke.”

“IamTrent,” he bit out in frustration.

With a slow shake of her head, she lifted her gaze, and a dark flicker of surprise crossed his face when he saw the glistening in her eyes. “When you’re with me, when you’re laughing and smiling and free…who are you then?” With every ounce of her being, she desperately willed back the hot tears blurring his handsome face. “Because that’s the man I want to be with, the man I want to see happy, now and for the rest of his life. And the pity is that he doesn’t want that enough for himself to claim it.”

She pulled her arm away and shifted past him quickly enough that he couldn’t make a second grab for her without causing a scene, right in the middle of the quality’s most staid and respectable ladies.