Page 34 of A Relentless Rake

“I’m proud of living my life honestly, and recently that includes living it respectably, despite what the gossips believe. That also includes managing my fortune, maintaining my estates, taking care of my family…” A mischievous gleam sparked in the depths of his eyes. “And occasionally asking beautiful women to dance.”

Her stomach pinched. He was standing over her the same way the masked man had in the alley, and she couldn’t help but make comparisons. The two men were alike in build, with the same muscular shoulders and broad chests. But that was where all similarities ended.

She much preferred her masked man tohim.

“Why me?” She was exasperated and wanted nothing more than for him to leave. And to leave her alone. “I’m not an heiress or a fashionable widow. I’m not even supposed to be here tonight. My invitation was a mistake.”

“It wasn’t.”

She froze, just long enough to feel her heartbeat hammer against her ribs. “Then why?”

“You intrigue me.”

“Iintrigueyou?” A strangled laugh of disbelief tore from her before she could stop it.

“You’re a contradiction, Miss Everett. A puzzle. You’ve put yourself on the shelf in dedication to your school, yet you’re alluring enough to find a suitable husband. You let your brother take credit for your work—”

She shook her head. “My brother’s work is—”

“Of no interest to you, I know,” he finished, repeating her earlier lie back to her. “Yet you lingered in the lecture hall just to correct his equations.” He added huskily, “As I said…an intriguing contradiction.”

He reached down to take her hand and brushed his fingertips over hers, as if expecting to find chalk dust there.

She slipped her hand away. But he held tightly enough that his fingertips caressed across her palm as he released her, and a shiver sparked up her arm.

She didn’t like him. She didnotlike him— Damn those goose bumps on her arm!

He touched one of the tendrils of her hair that had fallen free of her combs and curled it around his finger. “Every other innocent miss would have fainted the moment she realized I’d seen her in her shift,” he murmured. “But not you.”

“I would never faint in front of a scoundrel.” She meant the words to chastise, but they emerged as a throaty hum. She scowled at herself. She didnotlike him!

“I’m not nearly the scoundrel you think.” He released her curl, but instead of dropping his hand away, he brushed his fingers down her neck. “But your contradictions make you the most interesting lady at tonight’s ball.” He traced his fingers over the hollow at the base of her throat, where her pulse raced uncontrollably. “So which contradiction will win, Olivia—do you want me to think of you as an untouchable schoolmistress, or do you want to be kissed?”

He was so close that the warmth of his body heated down her front, and she could smell the spicy, masculine scent of him, of port and cigars, leather and… “Lemons?”

He tilted his head. “Pardon?”

She frowned. The fragrant memory was fuzzy, remaining just beyond her grasp as his nearness fogged her mind. “You smell like lemons.”

“Do I?” His mouth lingered so close to hers that his warm breath tickled her lips. “Would you like to find out if I taste like lemons, too?”

She should cry out, scream, slap him—

Yet she couldn’t find the will to do any of that. A traitorous part of herdidwant to know how those sensuous lips tasted, how they would feel against hers.

Why this man should raise her curiosity in such a primal way she had no idea. He’d done nothing but threaten the peaceful existence she’d worked so hard to create for herself, the proper reputation she guarded like a treasure. He saw her as nothing more than a toy to be played with, a mouse to be batted around by a—

Oh.

Dear.

God.

Her breath ripped from her stunned lungs. He couldn’t be—he simplycould notbe! It was impossible. But her mind replayed every word, every move and gesture, every grin and laugh…She knew.

And she felt like a fool.

She ducked beneath his arm and slipped behind the screen. She grabbed the dress before he could snatch it away again, ripped off his jacket, and yanked the gown over her head and into place. The reeking punch sickened her nearly as much as realizing his true identity, and she swallowed in great gulps of air to calm herself. Heavens, she couldn’t reach the buttons at her back! Fabric ripped as she twisted to fasten up as many of them as possible, but the tears couldn’t be helped. She needed to leave, to flee from him—now.