Page 24 of Earl, Enemy, Husband?

‘May I be of assistance?’

‘It seems there is a knot… Perhaps I will wait until I get home.’

Before the words were fully out of her mouth, he was at her side and moving around her to look. The cologne he was wearing was a subtle blend of something manly with definite undertones of thyme. She thought it was thyme; it smelled heavenly, intoxicating.

‘Let me see.’ Large, warm fingers brushed her hands aside.

He was so close, she could feel the heat of his body against her skin.

She held her breath, determined not to notice how wonderful he smelled, or how overwhelming his physical presence.

He fumbled at the strings, pulling the apron tight around her body so that she could feel it straining against breasts which were suddenly sensitive and tingling. She almost groaned aloud. Heat rushed to her face. Shame. She ought to be ashamed of herself. She had no right thinking such thoughts, feeling such sensations.

She tried to pull away.

‘Stand still.’ The words were spoken almost with a growl.

She jumped.

He leaned round to look at her face. ‘I’m sorry, but I almost had it and then you moved.’

What right had a man to have such beautiful eyes? They were velvety brown and flecked with gold. A woman could lose herself in the warmth of such a gaze. She stiffened her spine, holding her ground when what she really wanted to do was flee and hide her burning face at her reaction to his presence. Her shame.

‘I am standing still,’ she snapped, angry at herself for such foolishness.

He shook his head and went back to the task. And then she felt the fabric loosen.

‘There you are,’ he said.

‘Thank you.’ She stepped away from him, pulled the apron free and tossed it to one side, thinking to leave. But she was hemmed in by him, and by books in every direction. She certainly wasn’t going to walk on them in order to gain her freedom.

She started forward, expecting him to move. He didn’t.

She looked up and discerned him staring at her with a curiously puzzled expression. Puzzled, intense and not quite as stern as she’d expected.

Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. Could he hear it too? More heat scorched her cheeks.

‘Excuse me,’ she said. ‘I really must be going.’

He did not seem to hear. He was just staring at her, his chest rising and falling steadily, his body leaning towards her.

Her body tightened, her insides squeezing pleasurably in anticipation…

‘There is really no other way,’ he said. ‘You have to marry me.’

Her heart sank to her shoes, because the idea was so very tempting ‘I c-can’t marry you.’

‘Can’t?’ He sounded puzzled, as he well should. ‘Or you dislike the idea?’

She closed her eyes briefly. It was as if a rock were pressing down on her chest, but honesty was likely the only way to make him see reason, and now she would have to tell him the truth and see his disgust when he learned of her shame.

‘I mean, I cannot. I…’ She turned her face away, unable to look at him, unwilling to see his expression turn to disgust. She searched for words that would not seem as awful as she knew it to be. ‘I…’ She gritted her teeth. She would not make excuses. ‘I am ruined.’

The silence was horrible…

For a long moment, Graydon did not know what to say.

‘Who was this man?’ he asked and winced. He had not meant to sound so gruff.