Page 2 of Snowfall and the Duke (Cherish and the Duke #4)

She waited a moment for him to explain.

“Um,” she said when he remained silently studying her. Was she supposed to guess what was on his mind? “Your Grace? What may I give you?”

“How much are you hoping to raise at your charity ball?”

“One thousand pounds,” she replied. “This is what we project is needed to supply food and clothing for those who are worst off throughout the winter and into the spring.”

“That much?” he asked, obviously surprised.

“There are many families in dire poverty, a circumstance of the war ending and so many soldiers returning to find no work. I should think your estate manager would have reported this to you. But as I said, I am not seeking the full amount from you. There are other gentlemen of means in the area that I have yet to visit. I hope they will contribute. I am not asking for the entire sum from you.”

He released her hand and folded his arms over his chest. “Forget the others. You shall have it all from me…on one condition.”

She gasped in delight. “You would donate the entire amount?”

“Yes, but on one condition,” he repeated, taking a surprising interest in her lips as she graced him with a smile. “In exchange, I would like you to give me ten kisses.”

The smile froze on her lips. “What?”

“You heard me, Miss Temple of Virtue. You will receive one hundred pounds for every kiss. Care to start now? I shall write out the first bank draft for you this instant. It is completely up to you.”

“You are taking the ton ’s betting situation out on me, aren’t you? What wagers have been placed on you?”

“It is none of your business nor any of your concern.”

“I beg to differ. Why else would you make such a perverse offer to me? Ten kisses.”

“Do you want your thousand pounds or not?”

“It isn’t fair.”

“It may be so, but this is what you have walked into. You should have run away when I told Grimes I was not at home to you. Do we have an agreement?”

Her heart fluttered. “You are buying my kisses?”

“Think of it as a barter arrangement.”

The man was arrogant and a fool.

She had never kissed anyone before, as he well knew.

Was this why he set forth this demand? Did he think she would refuse him?

After all, he considered her insufferably priggish and must have thought himself quite clever devising this scheme as a means to beg off donating to the church by placing the blame on her.

Well, he would be shocked to learn that his Miss Temple of Virtue was going to take him up on the challenge.

Let him be mad at the world and behave like an oaf. She was getting his thousand pounds for the church coffers.

She tipped her head up and met his gaze. “I accept.”

His eyes darkened. “What?”

“I have just accepted you. Why are you so shocked?”

He cleared his throat. “Ailis, you have never been kissed before.”

“A fact that seems to have provided you with endless amusement over the years. And now I shall spoil your fun and be kissed.” If he wanted the worst kisses ever received in his entire life, then who was she to dissuade him from this bad bargain?

She stifled a grin at the look of surprise on his face. “Reneging, Your Grace?”

“No.” He tucked a finger under her chin. “Just hoping you know what you are getting into.”

“You bargained for my kisses. One hundred pounds per kiss. I hope you know what you have just gotten yourself into.” She glanced out the window, now worried, as the snow began to fall too rapidly for her liking. “Write that first bank draft, kiss me quickly, and allow me to be on my way.”

He looked horrified.

He was obviously realizing how inappropriate a bargain it was, and perhaps feeling some remorse for offering it.

Too bad. She wanted those donations for the needy.

It wasn’t as though she was giving him her body, merely her lips, which she intended to keep firmly pinched as his own pressed down on hers.

“Blessed saints,” he muttered, returning to his desk and withdrawing a ledger from an upper drawer. He wrote out a draft and signed it with authority. “Here, just take it.”

She checked to see that it was properly written out, then smiled and tucked it into her reticule. “All right,” she said, her voice unexpectedly wobbling. “You may now have your kiss for this one hundred pounds.”

She had not expected to feel quite so distressed. It wasn’t from fear of him or the kiss. It was mostly the fear that she might like it.

She closed her eyes, appalled to realize her heart was hammering with anticipation. Why? And why from him? He was a grumpy ogre. Yes, he was also impossibly handsome, especially with that tinge of silver in his hair. But still…

She felt his warm breath against her cheek.

“Ailis, I’m sorry,” he said with an agonized groan, and gave her a short, whisper-soft kiss on the lips. “Go, love. That wasn’t fair of me. Consider the wager off.”

Her eyes flew open and met the dark heat of his. “But you said one hundred pounds per kiss. I will not release you from the bargain.”

“So you think I owe you nine more?” He raked a hand through his hair. “Go home, Ailis. I am many things, but not a debaucher of innocents.”

“I was hardly in danger of being debauched by you. Was that the kiss? I hardly felt it. In fact, it was rather tepid, in my opinion.”

His mouth gaped open. “Tepid?”

She nodded. “Eminently forgettable.”

His jaw tightened. “Forgettable?”

“Eminently.” She shook her head and sighed. “Rather weak, if you ask me.”

He emitted a low growl. “Weak?”

“Yes, Your Grace. In fact, it was most disappointing.”

“ Disappointing? ” Growling again, he drew her into his arms.

Goodness, he was nicely muscled. Her eyes widened as those hard bands encircled her in his embrace.

She had never been held romantically before.

“Close your eyes, Ailis,” he said in a husky murmur that held a trace of irritation and determination.

Oh, this man was not used to women criticizing his kisses. He looked so deliciously out of sorts.

But should she not be the one irritated? What sort of first kiss was that? Barely a touch. Completely disappointing.

His voice was commanding and his eyes were blazing as he said, “Ailis, close them.”

“All right,” she grumbled, allowing her lids to flutter closed. Had she overdone it? “What next? I hope you—”

He crushed his lips to hers with an unexpectedly possessive heat and did not ease up until she was limp and melting against him. Somehow, her arms had worked their way upward to wrap around his neck.

She might have moaned softly, too.

“How was that?” he muttered, knowing he had completely set her insides on fire and was feeling quite arrogant and smug about it.

She looked up at him and smiled. “ That was kiss number two. You owe me another hundred pounds. Pay up, Your Grace.”