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“I would not get my hopes up. The Earl has not declared his intentions towards me.”

“But he seems interested, doesn’t he?” Martha asked, arching an eyebrow. “He had his attention on you the whole time, almost like he was entranced. Trust me, he will propose to you. He is a perfect match. He is an earl—one of the highest ranks in England—and a gentleman, and he is quite easy on the eyes,” she said, wiggling her brows suggestively. “Trust me, I think you could have a potential husband on the cards.”

Selina might, but why couldn’t she keep herself from thinking of Richard whenever she thought about a husband and walking down the aisle? She was doomed, and she knew it.

CHAPTER 16

“It appears you have become quite skilled at seduction games. I wager you will not require my lessons soon,” Richard said.

That indifferent mask was back on his face, so Selina could not know what he truly felt about the situation he’d just pointed out.

She hated it when he shut her out like that; she was always tempted to grab his shoulders and shake him vigorously until he admitted to the emotions he kept hidden. Since they were in public, she could do nothing of that sort.

She was the one who approached him. After her aunt congratulated her, she walked away, muttering excitedly about wedding plans.

Selina had looked up to see him standing just a few steps away, staring intently at her, and she walked over to him. It definitely did not have anything to do with the fact that her body wanteda respite from fighting the urge to go to him all day, and it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he had looked delicious standing over there, with his cravat missing and his shirt sleeves folded back to reveal his muscular forearms.

It did not matter why she had gone to him, but now that she stood before him, she had to compose herself enough to have a proper conversation with him.

“Peter seems nice and the type of man I want,” she said in a rush. “He is kind, interesting, intelligent, skillful…” She continued listing the Earl’s qualities, almost like she was trying to convince Richard of his suitability.

“And you call him by his Christian name,” Richard noted sharply, causing her gaze to flick to his face, which was as impassive as ever.

“He asked me to use his Christian name in private, since we are friends.”

“Friends? You seem to have grown skilled in this game, Selina. As your tutor, I am almost inclined to end my lessons her. I have no more wisdom to impart,” Richard said, his lips curling into a smile that did not reach his eyes.

“I still need your lessons, Ri-Richard,” Selina stuttered. “I’m far from being perfect.”

“What lessons could I possibly teach you? You have managed to snag a nice fellow. I do not see why you would require more lessons from me when you have evidently reached your goal,” Richard replied.

“I need to hold the attention of the ton for longer until I manage to get him to the altar. You said it yourself that men are hunters who are always looking for the best, so I still need to dazzle him a bit.”

If she had not been watching his face closely, she might have missed the anger that flickered in his eyes, which he quickly concealed, affecting his signature bored expression.

“So, which skills do you intend for us to work on?”

“I believe my dancing skills to be rusty. Perhaps dancing lessons to make them better?” she asked, trying to conceal the eager excitement in her voice.

“Alright then,” he said after a pause. “Meet me in the library for those lessons.”

It seemed to Richard that, at some point between the moment he met Selina for the first time and the present, he had developed a taste for playing with fire. That was the only explanation he could come up with in light of his latest decision.

Going by the events of recent days, he had a decent idea of what happened whenever he was with Selina in a secluded place. And, with every day they met and with each encounter, the tether that held his self-control unraveled until he was sure that he was very close to the end of the rope.

Any more intimate moments with her and he might not resist ravishing her in the way his body craved. He knew this, but somehow, he had still invited her to spend another evening with him. Alone. This time doing something that would require close proximity to her tempting body. Dancing.

Of course, it was ballroom dancing, but there was no way on earth he was going to teach her dancing without doing the waltz. In fact, when he imagined teaching her to dance, he had a mental image of waltzing with her.

It made sense that his mind would conjure that image. Of all the dances that had made their way to polite society, the waltz was the most scandalous and intimate of them all. The matrons had kicked off against it, and frankly, he understood why. The dancers had to be so close that it was provocative by nature.

Given the desire that crackled between them, it was ill-advised to dance with her in private, especially when his body was clamoring for a dance of a different kind.

In retrospect, he knew there were other ways to improve her dancing skills. He could have simply sent a dancing master to the house, and they could have made use of the empty ballroom. But somehow, he could not find the will to do this. The devilishpart of him that wanted a chance to hold her in his arms again insisted that he stick to the arrangement.

Soon enough, it was dark. Richard stood alone in the library, nursing a glass of brandy. Perhaps the drink would be bracing enough to prevent him from making a faux pas.

Not for the first time that evening, he found himself looking at his watch, wondering if she would come. Perhaps she had come to her senses and had decided to cancel their plans. If she had done that, she was wiser than he was at that moment. He struggled to remind himself that it was fine if she did, even though his body strongly opposed that decision.