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“You’re alone with a strange man, in a bedchamber, and you think you have no reason to worry?” he asked incredulously.

“If you are a gentleman as you claim, then you would do the honorable thing and leave the chamber.”

He scoffed at her gall. “I pity the man who marries you.”

He did, in fact, but he also envied the man who would get to see her curves without the trappings of so many layers of fabric. Hepermitted himself one last look at her, his eyes lingering on all the places it should not.

His eyes drifted back to her face, and he realized that she noticed his perusal. He looked away, curling his hands into fists.

“I shall take my leave first, then,” he announced, turning to the door.

“Wait,” she called suddenly, stopping him with a hand on his arm.

Heat licked up from where she touched him, causing him to pull his hand back in shock.

“I apologize. I should not have touched you,” she said, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.

The action made his need to kiss her burn hotter, and he moved for the door again.

“Please, may I ask you for a favor?” she asked, unable to meet his eyes.

He raised an eyebrow, knowing that whatever she may ask would be entirely improper. Yet, he was sorely tempted to hear it.

“Go on.”

“I…” she stuttered. “Would you kiss me?”

CHAPTER 3

“Would you kiss me?”

The words were out of Eveline’s mouth before she could think better of the consequences that would surely follow if he refused her and took offense at the request. After all, he had accused her of attempting to trap him in a scandal by locking herself in a room with him.

He was silent for a moment, but she saw a hint of surprise cross his features before he schooled his face into an unreadable mask. She wondered if perhaps she had made a grievous error in choosing him to help her enact Lily’s scandalous suggestion.

Damn her for putting such thoughts in my mind.

If she escaped this encounter, her friend would definitely be getting a thorough talking to.

She wondered why she suddenly decided he was a worthy candidate to explore such a salacious notion with, considering that only a few minutes ago, she had thought him a rude cad.

And he had been rude in his assessment of her as nothing more than a desperate lady seeking to secure a match by trapping a man in scandal. He had a haughty air about him that could only come from someone confident in his standing in Society. It was natural that she felt averse to him, considering how much she detested pompous men. Yet, she had found his voice pleasant and his brooding manner not uninviting.

Then, there had been his quiet perusal of her figure. She had felt his eyes linger more than was proper on certain parts of her, as though he found her attractive. That feeling reduced her insecurity.

She wanted to hold onto that feeling as long as she could. Almost desperately, in fact. She did not think herself ugly, but she also did not think herself desirable.

Seeing as he had not still said anything, and he seemed stunned into an even colder silence, she was quick to apologize, hoping he would at least forget that she had ever made such a request.

“I am sorry if I have offended you with my request,” she started. “It was only meant to be a joke, and?—”

“Why?” he asked, interrupting her.

“Pardon?”

“Why do you want me to kiss you?”

She felt the weight of his scrutiny and wondered if honesty was the best approach to dealing with the problem she had created for herself.