Page 39 of If the Duke Demands

Another low laugh purred from her, falling through him in a simmering heat that inexplicably had him longing to follow Robert and Miss Morgan out into the dark garden with her. Good heavens, she was lovely tonight. Simply enchanting.

Except when she thought of Robert. So best to keep her attention away from his soon-to-be-dead ex-brother.

“We’ll practice flattery next,” he instructed.

“But you’ve already told me that I have a pretty smile,” she reminded him, giving him another one.

He was quickly learning to appreciate her smiles. “Not of you. Me.”

She blinked, surprised. “You?”

“If you want a man to know you’re interested in him without showing up in his bedroom at midnight—”

“Thatwas a mistake,” she interjected with an irritated huff.

“Then you need to let him know in more subtle ways.” He repeated for emphasis, “Subtleways, Rose.”

“All right,” she agreed suspiciously. “Such as?”

“A small compliment that makes a man feel masculine and handsome. Confident.” He led her through a gliding turn. “Most men like hearing that sort of thing, even if they know it’s rubbish.”

Her eyes narrowed as she took in that bit of dubious advice and contemplated what he asked of her, with a curious look of deep study and concentration. For a moment, her expression was damnably disconcerting as she tried to think up a compliment to give him, as if she had never truly noticed him before as a man. Which inexplicably irked him to no end. How could she have not noticed him before as someone other than the Duke of Trent, other than just a friend?

“What you’re asking of me is impossible.” She shook her head with a soft sigh of defeat. “Every man in this room knows the rank you hold, the power and influence you’re gaining in Parliament. As for the ladies, you should have seen the way they all watched you when you crossed the room to ask me to dance.” She shrugged. “What could I possibly add to what everyone has already told you about how wonderful you are?”

He stared at her, momentarily stunned speechless. What she’d just said wasexactlythe kind of compliment a man wanted to hear from a beautiful woman…

And he didn’t believe a word of it. When he saw her lips twitch with amusement, his eyes narrowed. “You are incorrigible.”

She laughed happily. “Perhaps.” Her eyes shined, and for a brief moment, she shifted closer, somehow rising up on tiptoes as she danced to bring her mouth close to his ear. “But itisall true, you know.”

Then she pulled back into her original position and looked at him shyly through lowered lashes even as the tip of her tongue darted out to wet her lips. The paradoxical effect of innocent seduction was mesmerizing, and for a moment, he forgot they were dancing in the middle of a crowded ballroom. For a moment, there was only Miranda. And the pull of her was undeniable.

“You are a wonderful duke, Sebastian, and you make your family so proud,” she admitted, suddenly serious. Her soft voice was barely audible over the music swirling around them, yet every word reverberated inside him with an aching throb. “As for the ladies, I think they’re all jealous of me for stealing you away for two dances tonight.” She smiled at him with a small squeeze of her fingers around his, completely unaware of how that small touch pulsed straight through him to his core. “Thank you for waltzing with me. You came to my rescue when I needed you.”

His mouth went dry, unprepared for the completely guileless, unpracticed allure of her as it spun through him and made him feel like a hero. Oh yes, she certainly knew how to flirt, even ifshedidn’t realize it. “You’re welcome,” he rasped out, his voice surprisingly husky.

She shifted her gaze to their hands, where he held hers securely in his. “I’m sorry that you had to give up your waltz with Lady Jane.”

“No harm done,” he answered, bewildered at himself that he hadn’t thought about Jane since their dance began. And a great deal confused that Miranda could so easily tie him in knots with only a smile but couldn’t capture Robert’s attention no matter what she did.

“The ladies in the retiring room will certainly be in a state for the rest of the evening,” she commented. “Do you want me to put in a good word for you, or leave you to your own schemes?”

He blinked. The only scheme he cared at all about right then was figuring out how to bring her even closer in his arms. “Pardon?”

“Our agreement,” she reminded with a soft smile. “You tried to make Robert notice me tonight, and it wasn’t your fault that he didn’t. But I can still be of assistance to you, if you’d like.”

As he stared down at her, his mind blanked. He had no idea what to say to her about that. At that moment, the only woman in his thoughts was her.

The waltz ended, and he twirled her through the final circle with a lively flourish, one that had her laughing and sparkling as brilliantly as the crystal chandelier shining overhead. He bowed as she dropped into a curtsy, then led her from the floor to return her to his mother. The heat of her hand lingered on his fingers long after he released her and walked away.

Circling once around the ballroom, he hunted through the crowd with a single-minded focus, his anger increasing with each step. Not finding Robert inside, and knowing Miranda was right in her suspicions of what his brother had been up to instead of waltzing with her, he stalked through the open French doors and out onto the dimly lit terrace.

Robert stood alone on the far end in the shadows, leaning back casually against the side of the house. Obviously, he had been outside with Miss Morgan and was now giving her time to find her way back inside without creating the gossip of being caught returning together.

“Hey, Seb.” Robert grinned as Sebastian approached. “How goes the wife-hunt—”

“You left Miranda without a partner for her first waltz.” Clenching his hands at his sides, he demanded, “Why?”