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What was he doing? Why was he coming so close? Why was she shaking? Perhaps, not quite shaking, but she felt her body tremble as shivers darted through her body. His eyes, faith, but his eyes were so blue. And all at once, she knew—she wanted him to kiss her, hoped absurdly that he would kiss her. Was she mad? He was annoying and arrogant and all she wanted was for him to take her into his arms and kiss her.
He evidently did not have any intention of doing so and she stood breathless as he continued to talk in the low husky seductive voice of his. “Shall I call you Amanda, then?” he asked again.
“No, I prefer Mandy,” she managed to say and then waved her hand as she continued to explain, hoping to banish her wayward thoughts. “You see, Amanda was what my father called me when he was angry and he was angry with me a great deal of the time. My mother always called me Mandy, as did my grandpapa, and of course, Mandy is what Ned calls me…” she chuckled and added, “Among other things, but you see, Mandy is who I am.”
He eyed her and a brief smile lit up his face. It occurred to her that a woman could get lost in his smile—she could get lost in his smile.
He spoke softly when he finally said, “Mandy it is, then.”
She needed to say something, anything for suddenly she couldn’t think. Was that her feet that took her closer to him? That couldn’t be her, moving toward him, could it? She felt a fool because she couldn’t stop herself as she looked up at his face.
Her hand fluttered as his bright blues stared down at her and she saw something there, something that made her sure he was going to kiss her.
She had to say something. She simply couldn’t just stand there like an idiot. Her mind was frazzled with flitting thoughts as she said, “I…I interrupted you earlier. You were saying, something…”
“Was I?” he waved it off as his gaze drifted over her mouth, down her neck, back to her mouth and then met her eyes intently. “I only want you to know, that I will see you and your brother though this tangle—I am determined.”
His lingering survey of her features had left her with her toes literally curling in her boots. How she wished her hair was brushed long around her shoulders, and that instead of the boy’s clothing covering her, she had something fashionable, feminine and alluring covering her body. She turned partially away from him, unable to meet his penetrating eyes and said, “Matters do look grave, Your Grace.”
“Even so, we shall get out of this.” He sighed heavily and then said encouragingly, “As I have already told you, I believe your twin innocent of the charges. What I think is that I have a great deal to do, if I am to prove it so. He was not the father of Miss Celia’s unborn child, of that I am certain. He never meant her any harm, and could never have injured her let alone murdered her in cold blood. That could only have been done by someone with little heart and no conscience, and your brother has both.” He sighed and pulled a face before he continued, “However, I visited with your deplorable cousin Alfred earlier this morning and it appears as though he and his father mean to run you to ground if only to show themselves as above board in this matter. And if you are thinking of marrying that oaf, I, as your guardian, strongly advise against it.”
“Marry Alfred?” Mandy suddenly was side-tracked from all else. “Such a nightmare never occurred to me.”
He was now so near, she could feel his breath as he towered over her, bent his head a bit and touched her cheek. “Tell me lovely Mandy, how is it no one has applied to me for your hand in this past year?”
His nearness was almost overwhelming. This is what it meant when Lucy had told her that her blacksmith left her unable to breathe. This is what ‘desire’ felt like. Lucy had tried to describe it, but nothing came close to what she was experiencing.
She felt the heat swim through her blood and burn her cheeks. She felt the steam cloud the vision before her eyes, “Well as to that, other than a few school girl crushes I had while growing up, and I have never felt a decided partiality for anyone.” She frowned and because she was incurably open, added, “Although more recently Sir Owen well, then this happened and…”
“I see. Sir Owen, you say?” returned the duke zeroing in on one thing. “Are you saying the rogue has been courting you?”
“I wouldn’t call it courting…as he has made no declaration to my brother even, but he has shown…an interest.” Her eyes opened wide. “Do you know him?”
“I know of him, and have seen him in passing often in London,” he answered abruptly and then remarked, “You have never had a London season? How is that?”
“Well, when I came of age…grandpapa fell ill and I couldn’t leave him—wouldn’t ever think of doing so. Then the following year, we lost him and I was in mourning and then, well time simply slipped away.”
“I should have seen to it,” he said frowning. “It seems I have been thoughtless.”
She was startled to hear such a declaration of him. She hadn’t thought that he was capable of such sensibility. By this time, he was so very close to her that she could swear his hard rock self was an inch away.
Step away, she told her traitorous body, but she didn’t want to. Her heart had taken over and she could hear it arguing with her mind. It was time she was kissed by someone who knew what he was doing. It was time she wanted to be kissed by someone she found this attractive, it was time, it was time, it was time.
She was all too aware of her heart beating faster than she had ever thought possible. Could he hear her heart pounding as blood rushed to her brain? Could he hear it? She fancied that she could hear it. It was as though her heart had two large fists and was slamming them against the inside of her chest, telling her what it needed. Faith, she had never felt this way before and this was trouble, so much trouble.
He had the look of a rogue, a rogue who had a bevy of women. No doubt he did not find her desirable. She was, in fact, quite a mess with her hair in disarray and running about like nothing more than a dirty urchin.
She was suddenly ashamed and even so, she was unable to turn away from him.
She stared into those deep blue eyes of his and found herself getting onto her tippy toes. What was she doing? What? But she knew, he was going to kiss her, and she…she moved toward that kiss.
* * *
He had seen her lying back against the mossy boulders, her eyes closed, her dark knit cap cast aside near her slender hip. Her blonde hair with its wispy curls around her forehead and dainty ears was fetching and…egad! She was stunning.
Her leather waistcoat was wide open and her full breasts pressed against a shirt that was obviously her brothers. Her nipples poked at the thin material as though begging for attention—so very pert and inviting. He felt his shaft get uncomfortably large and hard and reminded himself that he was her guardian.
He cleared his throat and the sound got her attention.
