Page 41 of The Rake’s Convenient Bride

Elizabeth’s mouth parted and he knew, he knew, she was remembering last time.

He put his hand on her narrow waist and clasped his hand with hers. “You truly do look beautiful.”

“I can scarcely breathe in this corset, if I’m being entirely honest.” Despite her deprecation, there was a pleased smile on her lips as she spoke.

“Perhaps you will be more comfortable when the corset is removed.” His mouth went dry at the prospect.

“Are you trying to live up to your reputation?” Her lips curled around the tease, and he felt the familiar heat of desire tighten inside him.

“Do you want me to?” He shouldn’t have asked such a thing. And yet he was desperate to hear her answer.

Her eyes searched his, and suddenly they were dancing in a room with no one else in it. His entire world whittled away around them, until only the two of them remained.

“Would it matter if I did want you to?” she asked.

Yes. Yes, it mattered more than anything in the world.

But whatever he might have said in ready reply dissolved on his tongue as he imagined breaking his vow to touch her. How he might tug the dress from her body, stripping away the tight corset to kiss the prints marring her slender back from where the lacings hugged uncomfortably against her skin.

“Except you don’t touch virgins,” she said, her voice husky as he twirled her in the dance.

Good God, had she meant that to sound like a challenge thrown at his feet?

She met his gaze and lifted her lips in a sensual grin.

And promptly tripped.

11

The waltz could not end quickly enough. Especially not when the entire room had seen Elizabeth trip. This was precisely the reason she never danced. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Jasper, not when she fully expected the same sort of exasperated expression Mama threw her way after a bout of clumsiness. The kind of look that implored Elizabeth to be more mindful.

“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” she whispered under her breath as they walked from the dance floor. “And thank you for catching me.”

He had been quick with holding her upright as her feet confused themselves with each other. There had been a small gasp from the audience behind her, proof that there had, in fact, been witnesses.

“I wasn’t embarrassed.” There was a nonchalance to Jasper’s tone that pulled Elizabeth’s attention toward his face.

Surely he was not serious. Her parents, who loved her dearly, were always flushing with humiliation when her clumsiness plagued her in public settings. Except that Jasper looked absolutely serious.

Still assessing his demeanor, she cautiously said, “You weren’t?”

He shrugged. “People trip. It certainly is not the end of the world. If people take such stock in trivial matters, their lives are small indeed.”

Elizabeth had never thought of it that way before. But he was right—a little slip-up on her part mattering so much to the gossips really was quite ridiculous.

“I will always catch you, Elizabeth.” He gazed at her with those fathomless dark eyes.

And in the way that he made that vow to her, she knew he would.

The corner of his mouth quirked upward. “Not that you need my protection, of course.”

She smiled in reply. “Of course.”

“I confess, there is part of me that cannot help but protect sometimes.” There was a note of sadness in his gaze, and she didn’t dare speak in the hopes he might continue voicing his thoughts.

“I minded my older brother,” he said. “Benjamin was always ill, and my parents, well, essentially forced me to.” He gave a mirthless chuckle. “But I have a horse, a great powerful stallion of a horse, with a glossy black coat and mane. He was wild when I bought him, hence his name, Devil’s Snare.” A light touched his eyes as he spoke, and Elizabeth found herself wanting to meet Devil’s Snare. To know another thing that Jasper cared for so greatly, outside of his grandmother, for whom he held such obvious affection.

“My first stable master had no patience for Devil,” Jasper continued. “I found him once applying a whip in a barbarous way.” He caught himself and looked around. “Not that this is appropriate conversation for an engagement party.”