Page 48 of An Inconvenient Duke

“Would you mind if you were?” she repeated his words and delighted when he gave a low chuckle in response.

“Definitely not.”

A thrill surged through her at that half growl, and her arms tightened around his shoulders, not to keep him close but to keep herself from falling away.

“But that wasn’t the only reason I watched you,” he admitted.

“And what other reason would there be?”

He shifted into her, bringing her soft front against his hard chest. “Simply to watch you.”

Her fingers stilled in his hair. It would be so easy to believe his flattery, to let herself go deeper into this new—and refreshingly direct—flirtation that she’d never dared attempt with a man before. That had all the little muscles in her belly tightening with a mix of uncertainty and utter enjoyment.

But a reminder of why they were there in the gardens tonight crept out from the back of her mind, and it wasn’t because he wanted a secret assignation with her in the shadows.

“I haven’t had the chance to speak to Lady Hartsham alone yet.” She slipped out of his arms to put space between them and find her equilibrium. “There have been too many people around. But I promise that I will before the evening is over.”

He didn’t reach for her, but his eyes stayed keenly bright as they studied her from behind the mask. “You don’t have to, you know.”

“But I do. That’s what this evening is for, why we’re here.”

He shook his head. “If you think this is too dangerous—”

“It isn’t.” Yet she couldn’t stop a faint trembling from traveling up her legs to her knees. She wanted to believe it was because of the danger, but that would be a lie. It was only because of Marcus.

“If you’ve changed your mind,” he said pointedly, lightly grasping her upper arms, “I’ll understand, and the evening will become nothing more than an outing to Vauxhall. I don’t want you placing yourself in unnecessary danger.”

“We’re in the middle of a pleasure garden.” She gestured a hand at the property around them. “The only danger here is of drinking too much arrack punch and suffering a fierce headache in the morning.”

What she could see of his expression from behind the mask remained somber, the tightening of his jaw not eased by her teasing assurances.

But his overprotectiveness made her nervous, especially when she’d been so excited earlier to know that they were working together as a team. She couldn’t bear the thought of being left behind now.

So she quickly changed subjects. “By the way, when you paid for all those dresses the other afternoon, I know that I cornered you into it. You really don’t have to. I’ll make certain you’re reimbursed.”

“Consider it my contribution to Nightingale.” Yet he didn’t seem happy about being a benefactor.

“Thank you.”

“And the other?”

She couldn’t see his expression behind the mask, but she knew from the sound of his voice that he’d arched a brow in challenge.

“Am I to receive thanks for that, too?”

He meant the stockings. Her cheeks flushed. “Not at all,” she whispered, although no one could overhear. “Thatyou shouldn’t have done.”

“Why not?” The challenge laced his voice. “Don’t you like them?”

“They’re lovely, but it’s far too scandalous, you buying me clothes.”

“I didn’t buy you clothes.” He leaned in, lowering his face level with hers. “I bought you stockings.”

“When you put it like that,” she drawled dryly, “it’s so much better.”

His mouth quirked into a grin. “Are you wearing them tonight?”

Heaven help her, she was. She hadn’t been able to resist, privately amused by the secret she kept beneath her skirts. She should have answered that it was none of his business, that a proper lady would never answer a question like that from a gentleman. But she’d enjoyed their flirtatious sparring, enjoyed how feminine and desirable he made her feel—