Her reputation was lost.
So she made one last attempt to grab Mr. Bates. She touched his arm before he swung open the door, then waited until he gave her his full attention.
“Can you not see? Look at all the greedy gossipmongers on the street. Thetonwill never accept you after this.”
Rather than becoming dismayed, his expression lifted into a grin. “That makes the challenge all the sweeter when I win.”
Good God, was everything a game to him? “You don’t strike me as someone who ignores reality.” She gestured to the walkers who were not walking by. Every single one had stopped to gawk at them. “They will never accept you or your children.”
He appeared to think about that. His expression sobered, and he looked at her closely. She had no idea what he saw, but his inspection was thorough, and her skin tingled the longer he looked at her. And then, as if to further imprint himself upon her, he touched her face.
He wore gloves, as was appropriate, but the calfskin had warmed to his body. He stroked across her cheeks and then down to her lips. She didn’t want to surrender to his caress. Indeed, with what she was about to face in the countess’s parlor, seduction was the furthest thing from her mind.
But his touch was gentle, and no man had ever touched her so sweetly.
“You may be right,” he conceded.
Then he pressed his lips to hers.
Hope surged within her, and though she knew she should not allow it, all her defenses dropped away. She had picked this man. If a kiss would help to sway him, then she would do everything in her power to seduce him.
He swept into her mouth, fire burning into her with the power of his thrust. He stroked her in ways that surprised her—the top of her mouth, the edge of her teeth—and that startled her out of desperation and into need. She no longer thought about how to seduce him. Instead, she felt the solidness of him as he supported her face, the passion in him as he pushed deeper and harder into her. One of his hands stroked her neck and she angled her face to feel that tingling caress.
And as her head tilted, he had more freedom to move within her mouth. She dueled with him. How could she not when he stroked her with such ferocity? A twisting push of tongues while her skin burst with fire. She felt her nipples tighten as she made a mew of surrender.
He was everything she wanted, and—
He broke off the kiss.
He tore himself backwards as if dragged. Then he looked at her while she searched for something—anything—to say. He found words before she did.
“Maybe,” he whispered. “You would be worth it.”
She wanted to grab him. She wanted to make him stay in the carriage until he promised to help her. But after that kiss, she was too dazzled to react quickly. Then he shoved open the door and hopped down before she gathered her wits.
Meanwhile, Sadie whistled under her breath. “Hewould be worth it,” she murmured. “If you can catch him.”
Iseabail swallowed, her gaze still pinned to Reuben as he tipped his hat and lifted his chin in the same moment. Damn, he was handsome, especially when his lips curved in that dare-you smile. He challenged everyone who looked upon him to disparage him, dismiss him, to do anything but worship his prowess. And with the last of her pride gone, she tumbled faster than she thought possible.
She wanted him. She might even love him. She certainly adored him whenever he smiled in that cheeky way.
You would be worth it.
His words echoed in her head, and she grabbed onto them as her lifeline. She had one night, didn’t she? There had to be some way to convince him.
But there wasn’t time to make a plan. She had to get out of the carriage. So she squared her shoulders and grasped his outstretched hand. She descended into the sunshine with a serene expression and firm jaw. Then she waited as Sadie took his other hand and joined them on the street.
“And now,” he said with a happy chuckle, “we enter the lion’s den.”
Chapter Fifteen
Reuben had expectedthat the countess’s home would be the center of theton’sattention, but he didn’t anticipate that the lady’s house would be bursting to the gills with all manner of visitors.
The butler threw open the front door the moment the three of them descended from the carriage. Reuben could hear the whispered speculation about them on the street and see the ugly expression of the butler as the three of them approached. The man clearly did not approve of the situation.
Damn it, why had he kissed her? Now his body was burning from the memory, and he had to focus all his wits on the situation at hand.
Once inside the door, they busied themselves with setting aside gloves and hats. All the business of a peer arriving home while Reuben covertly surveyed the situation. The most immediate problem was the watch. Two men stood in the foyer looking both angry and uncomfortable in escalating degrees. Fortunately, he knew the name of one. That might help. Next was the countess who was busy chastising the watch for making outrageous accusations. He’d have to adjust her fury. A little bit of anger at her charges would help soften the attitude of any authority. Too much and she’d help send them all to prison. And lastly, a profusion of ladies all peering through the parlor door at them.
