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“I’m glad you agree.” Cordelia huffed as she tried to keep up with Juliet. “I think you should turn your attention to someone other than Lord Dashlane. He’s not the best choice—”
“He most certainly is.” She cut her sister off as they came up behind the two lords. Dashlane was friends with Craven and Crestwood. The man wasn’t just good looking, he was dreamy with blond hair, blue eyes, and a flashing smile that could make a lady swoon. He was charming and funny with a light, witty personality that Lord Hartwell could only wish for. “Now let me listen. I want to know what these two are discussing.”
Cordelia groaned softly. “Juliet. Don’t cause trouble.”
Juliet didn’t bother to respond. She was too busy listening in to what Hartwell was saying. The men were walking up the stairs, and she was just a step behind them. “I know you only met her a week ago. You left my company less than seven days prior. How does a man go from being happily single to engaged in a matter of six days?”
Rathmore clapped him on the back. “It isn’t the sort of thing that can be explained. It has to be experienced.”
“Did she trick you? Trap you? Try and coerce you?” Hartwell held out his fingers, ticking off the options as he talked. Juliet’s fingers tightened in the folds of her skirts. It was just as she’d expected. How dare he accuse Ophelia of such things?
Juliet moved closer even as Rathmore shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve just…. Well. The truth of the matter is, I’ve fallen in love.”
Hartwell stopped walking, so abruptly that Juliet nearly ran into his back. She stopped just in time, so close, she could feel the heat radiating through his clothing.
“Love?” Hartwell scoffed. “That’s the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard.”
Juliet clucked her tongue unable to keep her opinion to herself. Before she could think it through, she found herself saying, “Love is not ridiculous. Love is beautiful and wonderful.”
He spun about, and Juliet realized just how close she was because she had to duck so that his elbow didn’t hit her face. But as she pushed out and away from his flying body part, she also stepped back where there was nothing but air behind her.
With a scream, she flailed her hands in a wild attempt to catch her balance but she continued falling, almost in slow motion.
Every muscle clenched, waiting for the inevitable pain that was coming when suddenly Lord Hartwell reached out, grasping her about the waist with two large, warm hands, which almost completely circled her middle.
In response, she grasped his biceps, feeling them flex underneath her fingers. Heavily corded muscles locked her in place and she gasped her surprise.
With her exhale, he brought her close to his body. Likely, he meant to steady her but Juliet had never in her life had a man touch her with so much intimacy. The feel of his long, lean length against hers sent her heartbeat rioting in her chest.
She snapped up her chin to look in his face. Confusion made her breathing erratic and she tried to steady her breath and she met his warm brown eyes.
“I…” She pushed out the single word. “I…”
“You nearly fell,” he said.
“I…” Why couldn’t she get out a single other word?
The corners of his mouth turned down, his brow marked in equally deep frown lines. He went from handsome to harsh in an instant. “You ought to be more careful and shouldn’t have been following behind me so close.”
She squeezed his arms tighter, which somehow made her bosom press into the hardness of his chest. “You ought to mind your own business.”
Her pulse raced even as her chin notched up. Who did he think he was telling her what to do? On her own front steps no less. And how dare he try to convince Rathmore he didn’t love Ophelia? The events before the near fall crashed into her memory. Suddenly she wasn’t awe-struck by the feel of his large hands or his muscular body. Her breath still hitched but that was surely irritation.
“I was minding my own business.” He still held her and if anything, he pressed her abdomen closer to his.
“You were not. Quite honestly, you were minding my sister’s business. Of which you have no right.”
Surprise widened his eyes, but then he grunted, leaning down closer to her face. “His Grace is always my business.”
She lifted up on her toes a bit only to realize that her body slid along his, causing her to shiver. “Now see here,” she started, nose nearly touching his.
He raised his brows, erasing the frown lines and widening his lids so the chocolate brown of his eyes danced in the sun. Cordelia had been right about one thing: he was quite handsome but in the most annoying way.
Chapter Two
Dane looked down at the lush little redhead currently nose-to-nose with him. Her tiny waist fit in his hands even as a rather plump bosom pressed into his chest. And that mouth… pouty dark pink lips pressed into a line, her nose wrinkling, making several little freckles scattered on her face darken into a shade of bronze.
Her eyes were large and sparkling green, her nose, before the wrinkling, was small, straight, and completely darling. And her hands… Small, small but surprisingly strong as they dug into his muscles.
