She laughed, the sound a bit forced and stilted. “Society? It would prefer to have nothing to do with me.”
“I find that difficult—”
“Oh, they all love my family, my title, my wealth and future dowry well enough,” she interrupted with just a hint of spite in her tone. “Me, however…”
Phin chuckled. “Surely, you’re not going to try to convince me you are not totally adored by the ton.”
She arched a brow and slid him a glance from the corner of hereye. “You haven’t heard what they say about me?” When he tilted his head in question, she continued. “That I’m utterly without personality. I’m passionless, dull-brained. Frigid.”
Amused by the absurdity of it, Phin laughed, but his amusement only deepened her frown.
“You must be joking,” he insisted.
“I assure you, I’m not.”
“Anyone who spoke with you more than a moment would see that you’re intelligent, discerning, and quite articulate. I suppose I can imagine your forthrightness might put some people off who prefer not to hear the truth. But there are just as many who’d value such a quality.” He stopped when she turned to him with a wide, direct stare. His heart seemed to bounce around a bit when he met her glimmering gaze, causing his next words to escape without filter, “You’re also undeniably beautiful.”
As soon as he uttered the last, her expression twitched into a subtle but obvious grimace. The glimmer fled her gaze, leaving it flat and cold. A humorless smile twisted her gorgeous lips.
“Ah, there it is.” Her tone was as dry as a desert. “For a moment, I thought you might be somewhat original.”
There was more to her response than simply having heard similar compliments many times over from others. It wasn’t just disillusion or disappointment that he saw in her eyes. It was genuine regret.
“You’re upset that I find you beautiful,” he observed with a hint of incredulity.
She sighed and her gaze flickered to the side. “I find it tiresome that people put so much value on something that is undeniably shallow and irrelevant.”
Though she answered simply, he sensed a buried thread of frustration in her tone.
He cleared his throat and flashed a smile. “Then I promise not to say another word about your soulful stare or the satin gleam of yourhair. For the rest of our association, there won’t be a single comment about how gracefully you move or the regal elegance in your form. I’ll swear not to stare too long at the lovely shadow of your collarbone or the delicate curve of your ear…” Though he’d intended to keep his tone light and teasing, he couldn’t maintain the air of nonchalance as his gaze followed the direction of his words. His voice deepened and roughened. “And I certainly won’t say a thing about how smooth and warm your skin looks or how your lips present a perfect lure for the drift of my fingertips.”
Phin hadn’t meant to say such scandalous things. His teasing had slipped quite unexpectedly into something more akin to seduction, but he’d quickly become bewitched by the loveliness of the features he was vowing to ignore. A feeling that deepened as she turned her wide eyes back to his. A lovely rose colored her cheeks and she parted her lips in surprise as the pulse at the base of her throat fluttered.
He suddenly wished he were making another promise—to say such things to her whenever possible. All day and all night, if it would put that starry look in her eyes.
“Would that please you, my lady?” he asked.
She blinked. Then slipped her tongue along her lips to wet them before pressing them firmly together.
Phin tensed as the heat of desire rushed with unexpected force through his veins.
Then she took a long breath through her nose, forcing the air to fill her lungs and straighten her spine. The muscles along her fine jaw tightened again as she cast a swift glance about them before bringing her dark gaze back to his.
“It would please me more if you refrained from all interactions with me. I do not know your game, Lord Waring, but I’ve no intention of playing along.”
Though he’d already crossed the line from harmless, friendly flirtation into something more dangerous, Phin couldn’t hold back hisirreverent reply. “Games can be fun.”
She made a soft, derisive sound and lifted her chin, but he was certain he detected a sharp glint in the depths of her eyes.
“I had suspected before, but now I know for certain; you are a hazard, Lord Waring. A risk that offers no reward.”
“I wouldn’t say that—”
“You have nothing to offer that I could want,” she interrupted curtly. “Now, I suggest you move on before my brother reaches us. He does not look pleased.”
Phineas glanced in the direction of her pointed stare and saw the Marquess Redington baring swiftly down upon them. The man didn’t seem to like him much.
Knowing that momentary retreat was often the best tactic when attempting to accomplish a greater goal, Phin gave Lady Eleanor a tilted nod and a wicked grin. “You may not wish to join the game, my lady, but you play it well.”
