Theodora blushed. “Well, he should know it is rude to repeat conversations to others who were not involved.”
The Scarlet Duke smirked. “I will be sure to tell him the woman studying the effects of love and physical touch on men would like to have a word with him about social etiquette.”
Theodora turned her head so quickly to face him that her head spun. “You wouldn’t!”
He clucked his tongue. “No,” he admitted. “Like I said, I am not here to ruin your reputation. I am here to help, which you so plainly need.”
Theodora looked down at her notebook. Other than her interactions with the infuriating man next to her, she really did not have much luck inciting any other reactions with the men with whom she had spoken.
“Being purely speculative, how would you go about helping me?”
Her companion licked his lips, and Theodora’s eyes dropped to them. Every waking hour she had imagined how they would have tasted. She shook her head and the Duke nodded to the approaching group of women.
“Watch and learn how I can simply talk to these women and garner a reaction out of each and every one of them.”
Theodora rolled her eyes. “Highly doubtful. You are not that charismatic.”
“Ah ha! You admit I amsomewhatcharismatic.” He winked as he stood slowly and approached the women.
Theodora did not have time to respond, and he was already introducing himself to them.
She watched with rapt attention as sure enough each woman blushed when he complimented them. The ladies giggled as he shamelessly flirted. One woman even found a reason to touch his arm. His laughter rang through the air and caused Theodora to shift in her seat.
Perhaps having a rake as an assistant for my studies would not be such a bad idea.
He threw a glance over his shoulder in her direction. When their eyes connected, a smile lit his face before he turned back to the young women all vying for his attention. Theodora dropped her eyes and tried to control her suddenly elevated breathing. The tips of his boots appeared in her vision, and she looked up to see him standing in front of her.
“Each one of them asked if I would be at the next ball,” he said smugly as he took his place next to her, closer than before.
“Since I was not with you, and was not able to observe, I can only assume you bribed them,” she said primly.
The Duke let out a laugh that shook her senses to their very core and had her losing her breath again.
“That tongue of yours, sorceress, will one day get you into a lot of trouble.” His voice dropped low.
She risked looking at him out of the corner of her eye. She did not know what he meant by that statement but by the way he waslooking at her, she could take a guess. Her stomach flipped and she adjusted the way she sat. She was suddenly uncomfortable on this old wooden bench.
He fully turned to her and Theo held her breath.
“How about we make a trade?”
“A trade?” She allowed her body to turn slightly towards him. But not too much, because they were out in public at Hyde Park, after all.
He dipped his head. “I know your secret.” He nodded to her book. “And so far, I have told no one?—”
“How do I know you did not tell anyone?” She interrupted.
The Duke looked at her with furrowed brows. “This is theton,sorceress. If I told someone, everyone would be talking about it.”
Theodora scrunched her nose. He had a point.
“Now, as I was saying, I kept your secret and offer my assistance with it. Now you can find out a secret of mine and help me with it.”
Theodora sat up in surprise. He was right about thetonand its ability to keep secrets, or, that is, its inability to keep secrets. If the Duke had a secret, it must be one of immense importance.
“What do you need help with?”
He corrected his posture and returned to facing front. “For that, you will need to come to my home.”
