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He pulled at her hands, but she placed a finger over her lips in a gesture of silence. He stilled but made sure that she knew he was displeased with her plan by glaring at her.

Did she really think that her strength would be enough to hold him down?

If he were to move quickly, he would be free of her grasp and escape before the guests came and caught them in such a compromising position, but the voices sounded so close. He decided against escaping, but that didn’t mean he would accept being trapped so easily.

He grabbed her shoulders and spun them around, so her back was pressed to the wall she had trapped him against. Her eyes widened, and she gasped, but he slapped a hand over her mouth in return.

“Did you hear anything?” a voice asked from beside them.

“No.”

“I’m sure I did,” the first person said. “Let’s return to the party. It’s too cold to be outside.”

Richard released her as soon as their steps faded into the distance, stepping back himself. She was still pressed against the wall and visibly shaken.

“If you wanted a marriage that desperately, I believe there are more effective ways than trapping a man in a scandal,” he scolded with a glare. “I would never have expected that from you, but I guess desperation makes people do things they never thought they would.”

Selina frowned, snapping out of the daze she had been in.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked, visibly confused. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, Your Grace, but I only meant to help when I saw what Lady Beatrice had planned to do.”

Richard raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief. “You do not expect me to believe that, do you?” he asked with a sneer. “You just happened to be close enough to pull me into a scandalous position, and we were almost caught before I stopped you.”

She scoffed, folding her arms. “I am not impressed that you would think so little of me, but you do not know me well enough to assume I would stoop so low.”

“You’re correct in your assessment that I do not know you, but you are nearing spinsterhood,” he stated. “Wouldn’t marriage to a duke be a very advantageous match for you, Lady Selina?”

“You disrespect me, Your Grace.”

“I am stating things as I see them.”

“You must visit a physician, then, because your vision isfailing,” she snapped. “I had thought you two knew one another, but upon closer inspection, I discovered the truth of her actions. Perhaps I shouldn’t have interfered—you would have been only a few steps from the altar with your bride, by now. If I want a match, I assure you I will not need a scandal to secure it.”

“Yet, you’re unmarried.”

“Because I choose to be.”

She made to step away, but he caught her hand in his.

“Unhand me, Your Grace.” She frowned at her hand in his. “You obviously find my presence as revolting as I find yours.”

“We are not done with this conversation.”

“I believe you already concluded that I was attempting to trap you in marriage, and I see no reason to continue defending myself,” she snapped, her eyes flashing with hot anger. “I must return to more appealing company before my absence is noticed.”

Richard could not help but notice how polite she had been throughout their argument, and he took a step back to analyze the entire ordeal.

If she had indeed wanted to trap him, would she not have made a noise when they heard the steps approaching?

She had actually saved him, and now that he realized it, he felt positively foolish to have accused her so.

He could choose to pretend that he didn’t realize his mistake and let her walk away, but his conscience would never let him rest.

He stepped closer to her, intending to apologize, but was intrigued by the way her eyes widened in shock.

He risked another step closer, his proximity bordering on impropriety, but her blush and inability to meet his eyes teased the part of his brain that loved mischief.

Her breath hitched, and a rapid pulse beat at the base of her neck. His tongue was tempted to taste it, but he cleared his throat, shattering the allure of the temptation.