Page 43

He suppressed a shudder, holding out the crate to her.

She sat back, looking at the flowers with some interest, but then quickly put her hands on her hips, frowning at him.

“Are you putting me to work?” she asked coolly.

Seth ran his teeth over his lower lip to keep from grinning. He had never been so tempted to smile around anyone—it was infuriating.

“My gardener has cleared this bed for me. I asked to have a little more color visible from my study window. Would you care to plant them with me?”

Alicia blinked at him. “Youare going to plant them?”

“Yes.”

“But you are a duke.”

“I am aware.”

“But… why does the gardener not plant them himself?” she asked, frowning up at him, those full lips parted and begging to be kissed.

“Because,” he said, tightening his hold on the crate, “I have two hands and I am quite capable of doing it myself. Do you wish to help or not?”

He watched her beautiful lips pucker as she cleared her throat and leaned back, giving him a glorious view of her chest as it rose and fell with each breath.

“All right, I suppose I can help you.”

Seth smirked at that, the indignation in her voice contrasting with the confusion in her eyes.

Perhaps we are both a little mad.

He knelt beside her, enjoying her proximity and having the upper hand for once.

He took all the plants out of the crate, their roots trailing across the soil as he contemplated the little patch available to them.

“There are twenty altogether,” he said, looking at the tiny flowers bending in the breeze. “Perhaps we can have a competition.”

Alicia’s eyes lit up. “A game?”

“Acompetition.”

Alicia snorted. “Well, there had better be a prize.”

Seth’s mind went wild, imagining demanding a kiss for his troubles should he win. If she won, he might just ravage her on the grass and sink into her right there.

He watched Christopher flutter down to investigate the plants, hopping about as he examined them all.

“He is very tame,” Alicia said, looking delighted.

“He is a nuisance,” Seth countered, without really meaning it.

The robin gave him a reproachful look and fluttered away to perch on the handle of a spade at the edge of the bed.

Seth rolled his eyes at him and handed Alicia one of the plants.

“Let us see who can make the prettiest arrangement,” he said.

“The prettiest?” Alicia asked, her eyes flicking down his chest and back up again. He felt himself hardening in his breeches.

“Indeed. Men can admire something pretty just as much as a lady can,” he said, keeping his eyes on her bright blue ones.