To her surprise and outraged dismay, he then kept going. Gliding past them without missing a step.
Evangeline clearly oblivious to the simmering undercurrent of the exchange, smiled sweetly at Monsale. “Your grace. Tonight, has been wonderful. And thank you for the generous gift of the roses, they are beautiful.”
A heated volcano of rage flared up inside Naomi. There could be no mistaking what Monsale had just done. She glanced down at her glass, furious that she had finished her champagne. If she hadn’t, she would have thrown the drink in his face.
You dirty rotten tease.
As Monsale continued on his way, his gaze shifted to George and Jane. He held up a hand and gave them a cheery greeting. “Ah, just the people I was wishing to speak to, do you have a minute?”
“Excuse me Evangeline, I must attend to an urgent matter,” said Naomi, her voice quaking with fury.
With her teeth sunk firmly into her bottom lip, Naomi spun on her heel and marched toward the door. An attending footman barely caught the champagne glass as she thrust it into his hands. She couldn’t get out of the ballroom fast enough. Any moment now she was going to explode.
Chapter Ten
Naomi made it most of the way out of the ballroom and along the adjoining hall before the pounding of heavy boots had her looking back over her shoulder. Monsale was bearing down on her at a furious rate.
He didn’t bother to speak, rather he seized Naomi by the arm and dragged her into the nearest room, closing the door firmly behind him. To her surprise, he locked it.
“What the devil are you playing at?” she exclaimed.
“You are the one who seems to think this is all a game. What I want to know is when are you going to stop? There is only one name left on the list, and it’s not yours,” huffed Monsale.
Naomi yanked her arm out of his hold and stepped away. She needed distance between her and Monsale. More for his safety than anything.
How dare he come in here and accuse her of being a tease. “You asked Mama to prepare a list of women who might want to marry you. My name is not on it because I chose not to be included.”
He took several quick steps toward her, grinning when Naomi didn’t flinch. Most other women might be intimidated by such a move, but she certainly wasn’t. And any attempt on his part to tower over her, was also doomed to fail. She wasn’t short of stature for a female, with the top of her head being level with his nose.
“Stubborn. Bull-headed. Intractable,” he ground out.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I think you mean pig-headed. And you forgot determined.”
“Determined to be what?”
Damn. I shouldn’t have said that word. I meant willful.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her wits.
“Determined not to be a weak female who can be pushed around by someone like you. I know what you were doing just now in the ballroom, you seek to put me in my place. To have me begging you yet again for a dance, all the while knowing you will refuse. Well, I am done with you dangling that rotten carrot in front of me, and then whipping it away. You think just because you are a duke, and therefore top of the pile that I should yield. I would rather remain on the shelf and…”
He suddenly leaned in, his gaze settling briefly on the fresh roses in her hair. His deep growl sent a bolt of lust through Naomi’s body. It settled between her legs, where it lingered and pulsed. She blinked slowly, doing her utmost not to reveal what this was doing to her. How aroused she had suddenly become.
Monsale inched closer. They were now closer than they had ever been before. She caught the hint of his gentleman’s cologne. Warmed by his skin, it held a dark, musky allure. Primal urges stirred in her veins.
Her heart danced to a quick pitter-patter beat as she stared helplessly into his stone-gray eyes.
Closer.
“You are the most stubborn of females.”
Her breath was a struggle. “I know.”
Closer still.
Her gaze drifted lower and settled on his lips. So, often they were set hard, but now they were gently parted. Soft. Inviting.
Kiss me. Tell me I am the only one. That no other woman will ever hold your heart. That I have your love. You have mine.
