Page 31 of How to Ruin a Rake

“I’ll loom as much as I want,” Max said, and leaned in until their eyes were on a level. He held her gaze, cupped her chin, and kissed her hard on the mouth.

She glared up at him. “What are you doing?” she asked. And promptly kissed him back.

Max forgot everything except the shock of her, the taste of her, and her very enthusiastic response to his kiss. He was the first to draw back.

“Now will you behave?”

She raised her eyebrows. “You think that your kiss is so powerful that I’ll immediately become the kind of woman who fawns all over you? I can assure you that will not be happening.”

“Stop talking.” Max kissed her again.

She went up on tiptoe and wound her fingers into his hair, her body pressed against him from knee to shoulder. This time, she was the one who eased away.

“This is not helping anything. If you insist on coming with me, then we should leave as soon as possible. We don’t want your friend coming back.”

“As you wish.” Max stepped back. “I’ll go and speak to Mr. Archer.” He was almost at the door before he ventured another remark. “By the way, that kiss did help.”

“How so?” She glared at him.

“It made you agree to me accompanying you home.” He winked and whisked himself out of the door before she could throw another book at him.

Half an hour later, they were on their way. Max had decided to do the driving, and as he guided the horse and gig out of the stable yard, he kept a wary eye on the street in case Roberts was watching. He didn’t see anyone suspicious and turned onto the turnpike road leading away from the coast. Due to the surprising amount of traffic, the journey was slow-going, and Max had far too much time to think—something he generally avoided.

He wasn’t sure how to react to the lady currently sitting beside him. She’d kissed him back, and yet she seemed unaffected by the experience, which was something of a novelty for him. Usually, the women he kissed not only reciprocated but asked for more.

“Why did you kiss me?” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“I didn’t. You kissed me.” Frustratingly, her bonnet shielded her expression.

“You kissed me back.”

She shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you are a spinster lady of high status?”

“Would you have preferred it if I’d screamed and drawn more attention onto us? It was only a kiss.”

Max felt vaguely insulted. “I suppose those are ten a penny to you.”

“Despite my status, I have been kissed before, you know. Your effort was very similar.”

“I’ll have you know that I am regarded as one of the best lovers in society,” Max said.

She finally turned to look at him, her expression amused. “Whoever told you that?” She paused. “Don’t tell me—all the women you’ve seduced believe you’re a god, don’t they?”

“Naturally they do.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that they might be saying that simply to appease your colossal vanity?”

“No.”

“Well, you won’t be getting such praise from me. You were adequate.”

Max turned his gaze forward and wished he hadn’t opened his bloody mouth. Adequate? That word hadn’t been applied to him since he was at school and struggling with conjugating Latin verbs.

“And I really didn’t have any choice about kissing you back,” Lady Allegra continued.

“Don’t you dare suggest I forced my attentions on you.” Max scowled at her.