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Maggie’s lips quivered at his anger. No one had ever expressed such fury at her before. Whenever she got into mischief in the past, her family would explain what she did wrong and then laugh about it later. She didn’t know how to respond to Lord Dracott’s reaction. For the first time in her life, she stayed silent. Perhaps if she never responded to him, he would calm down and escort her back inside before her family learned of her disappearance. Shoot. They would learn anyway since it was Graham’s assistant who had found her wandering alone.
“Do you not understand?” Dracott bellowed.
Darn. Her mind had wandered again. What was it about Lord Dracott that always distracted her? However, his question was easy enough to answer. “Yes. I understand, my lord.”
Dracott narrowed his eyes at the young miss. He recognized the dazed expression to know that he didn’t hold her attention during his rant. Perhaps if he showed her what might happen to her, she would think twice before sneaking away again.
He dragged her to him, pressing her arms to her side in his clutch. Her head jerked up, and she stared at him in surprise. When she didn’t resist his embrace, he pressed her tighter against him. With one arm wrapped around her waist, he used his other hand to caress her, starting with a brush of his fingers across her cheek. Then he traced a path along her neck and settled against the curve of her breast. Dracott felt the hitch of Maggie’s breath deep in his soul. His body warned him to cease his attempt to teach her a lesson, but he ignored the warnings and continued the sweet torment.
Maggie struggled to catch her breath. She didn’t understand Lord Dracott’s intentions, nor did she care. Was this passion? While she should question him, she also longed to see where this might lead. Did he intend to kiss her? Her eyelids drifted down as she waited in anticipation. While she never wished to have her first kiss in the stables, she didn’t care as long as he placed his lips upon hers soon.
Maggie’s lips opened enough for her to run the tip of her tongue across to wet them. Her body tingled in anticipation for his mouth to press against hers when his warm breath tickled against her cheek. Her fantasies of late were about to come true. When Dracott growled, she knew he was about to fulfill them.
However, instead of kissing her, he dropped his hold and strode away. Maggie’s eyes flew open, and she grabbed at the railing to steady her trembling limbs.
Soon he was upon her again with his hands fisted at his hips. Instead of shame washing over Maggie, a rush of desire settled between them. And she watched Lord Dracott fight against the attraction. With each ragged breath he drew in, Maggie realized he had attempted to teach her a lesson but failed. Was it because he found her desirable? Or did he realize he had overstepped his bounds by placing his hands on her person? If either of her brothers learned of his impropriety, he would be a dead man.
With a smile, she picked up the slippers she had dropped and sauntered out of the stables, confident that Dracott would keep her brief visit to the stables a secret. Well, at least for now. She glanced over her shoulder at him and saw how he followed her at a discreet distance. She bent over, slid on her slippers, and then skipped her way through the garden.
What in the hell had he done? He had almost kissed her. At least he had come to his senses and stopped himself before he made a horrible mistake. While attempting to show Maggie what might happen if a gentleman came upon her with dubious intentions, he’d almost committed the very act of ruining her.
Now he couldn’t give Worth a detailed report of her activity without implicating himself. Because if he told of Maggie’s adventure to the stables, then she would spill the truth of their encounter. The devious minx had him right where she wanted him. He would ruin everything he had worked to achieve and risk his position if he told on her. Also, Maggie Worthington had proven this evening how much of a temptation she was and how he must avoid her at all costs.
No matter how alluring she might be.
