Page 64 of Winning Her Duke

“I didn’t hate it. You are quite an accomplished kisser.”

She fairly beamed for a few moments, but the smile faded again.

“But we cannot be friends because we’ll want to do it again?” she whispered.

“Aye.”

The way she caught her bottom lip between her teeth made him want to go shut the door and claim her lips once more, but he took a step back. He wanted to ask what she was thinking.

It seemed she was contemplating something. But he knew Gia well enough by now. She always told him her thoughts without him having to ask.

“I think I will still want to kiss you, whether we are friends or not. In the last week, I’ve thought of it many times and wished I hadn’t made a muck of it so I could do it again and again.”

“Gia…” He nearly groaned. She was killing him with her honesty and innocence. “I must go now.”

“Will you think of our kiss?” she asked.

He glanced toward the door a second before he placed his hands on her jaw and tipped her chin up to place a kiss on her lips.

Why did it have to be as perfect as the kiss last week? Why did it have to feel so right, like a promise of everything he wanted and thought he couldn’t have.

Why did she have to look up at him as if they were made for one another?

“I must go,” he heard himself saying before he turned and rushed from the room before he did something they would both regret.

*

Gia was nearly as surly as Owen as they left the tavern that morning for the Newmarket racecourse. The day before had been spent in silence as Gia and Bess bounced along in the carriage.

“It looks like it might clear up in time for the race today, miss,” Bess said.

Gia smiled sadly as she looked out the window. Bess was correct. The sun appeared to be making an effort to fight off the clouds. But what amused Gia was that she was conversing about the weather. Something Hale would have found appalling. It was what was expected of proper ladies.

As she had since she set out for the race, Gia wondered if Hale would attend the race.

When they arrived, Gia passed on taking the parasol Bess offered and headed for the starting area. She saw Dante easily but was shocked to see Godspell standing beside him.

“Godspell is racing?” she said to Owen, who shrugged.

“It doesna hurt to see what the old boy does,” her groom answered, but Gia was no longer looking at the horse but at the crowd. If Godspell was here, Hale was as well.

As the riders mounted, she spotted Hale toward the back of the crowd, but he wasn’t watching his horse. He was studying her with a frown on the lips she’d kissed just two nights ago.

At the sound of the starting shot, his head snapped up as the horses were set off on the race.

“Maybe if the two of you spoke you could get all of this over with,” Owen surprised her. He never spoke of things like this. And she surely didn’t wish to speak of them with him.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m sure you do. You’ve been moping around for over a week and the duke has been suspiciously absent during that time. Something set you two off. You were in each other’s pockets and now you can barely look at each other.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Did he do something he shouldna done?”

“As if I would tell you and have you rush off to defend me.”

“If you’re needing defending, I’ll do what I’m called upon to do.”