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“That isn’t true.” He knew many a woman who had found herself in huge sums of debt thanks to her gambling addiction. He had no doubt a woman as skilled at cards as Demeter could earn vast sums from many members of theton.
“It’s different playing with friends.”
“Do you need money? Is that why you were in disguise? Is your father in financial trouble?”
“Oh no, nothing like that.” She peered at the backs of her hands, then brought one up to nibble on the end of a finger.
“God’s teeth, woman, you are not making this easy.”
“Am I meant to make this easy?” she shot back.
He pressed his lips together to smother a grin. Oh, he liked it when she did that—shot fire at him. Few women did. Most swooned into his arms or crawled over him either to get at his wealth or body. He didn’t mind usually but it had begun to get a little tedious.
“Why do you care anyway?” she continued. “You are not my protector.”
“I hasten to point out that I did protect you from those men that night—”
“I could have seen them off myself.”
“And it would be remiss of me to allow you to continue such behaviors now that I am aware of them.”
“Allow me?” She twisted so she could meet his gaze head on. “Allow me?” She prodded his chest with a finger. “You, Blake, scarcely know me. What on earth do you mean, allow me?”
He grabbed the lone digit and held it still, making her gasp. Her familiarity didn’t surprise him. Everyone called him Blake—from the lowest ranking members of the ton to the highest. And as a duke’s daughter she could call him a rat and he’d still have to accept it.
“Very well, I put that poorly indeed. What I meant was I am duty bound to warn you against such behaviors. As a gentleman.”
Demeter snorted. “You are hardly a gentleman.” She tore her finger from his grasp and stuffed her hands back into her gloves. Or at least tried. Her fingers wound up in the wrong holes and the white tips flapped about comically while she fought with them.
Blake took the glove from her and carefully directed her hand into it, easing each finger into the right place then drawing the silk down her slender forearm. Wordlessly, he worked on the second glove and settled it over her elbow. He ran a finger inside the seam and she shivered.
“You are cold,” he stated.
“No.”
He met her gaze. His heart gave a sudden thud against his chest, the sensation so unexpected he had to gulp down a breath. He scanned her gaze, though he could not be certain what he was searching for. Answers, he supposed.
How had he never noticed this woman before? Not properly at least. Of course he’d been aware of her. How could he not be? She was rich and at the top of society. But he’d nevertrulynoticed her. Never spotted the fire in her eyes or the determination in her bearing.
“You wouldn’t understand,” she finally said, her tone so low he had to strain to hear her.
“Perhaps not.”
She closed her eyes briefly. “I wanted excitement.”
But of course she did. Damn it. Could she not have said something else? Like,I was following a lover thereorit was an entire accident and I will never do it again or even do anything remotely interesting so you can forget about me entirely.
“And coin,” he reminded her in the hopes she might persuade him she was entirely uninteresting. Perhaps she wished to pay for new jewels or something predictable.
“Well, yes that too.” She twined her gloved fingers together. “I am patroness of a children’s hospital and they suffered a fire recently. I’m trying to raise money for the repairs.”
“Ah.” He supposed that cause could be considered unexciting but it also made her too damned noble. “So you dressed as a boy to win money for your charity and to experience some excitement?”
She shrugged. “I suppose so.”
“Do you do it often?”
“I’ve only done it three times so far.”
