Ten Ways to Ruin

She stared into the depths of his sapphire eyes and trembled in fear. Steeling herself, she squared her shoulders. The last thing she needed was this man scrutinizing her every movement. “I don’t need a keeper, Kingsley. Go find yourself a mistress to occupy your time and leave me alone.”

“I should do just that, but I find you far too entertaining.” His lips lifted in a sardonic smile.

Cold air swept across her as he moved away from her. He opened the door and waited for her leave before following behind her. Was this what the Season would be like now? Simon Kingsley watching her with his hot gaze always on her.

She might go mad before the Season ended.

Chapter 5

Simon strode through the ballroom, grabbed a brandy from a footman, and then headed out to the gardens. Once there, he gulped his drink down, wishing he had brought a second. What had he just done? Treating Emma Drake like that had been wholly unjustified. He had no right to speak to her in such a manner, to trace her skin with the tines of the fork to see her reaction, to want to taste her.

She was an innocent who was clearly trying to defy something or someone. Convention? Her mother? Both were possibilities, but there were likely others such as that idiot Bolton.

That might explain introducing herself to Simpson. That smacked of defying her mother or Society’s strict conventions. The fact that she tried to steal from Lady Huntley might also point to an issue with her mother. But it still made no sense to him.

And why was she everywhere he went? Until this Season, he had rarely seen her except at some family functions Harry insisted he attend. Of course, he had never frequented many balls the previous years, but lately, he’d felt inclined to put in an appearance. Now, she was at every fete, dressed in some frothy concoction designed to make her look as innocent as she was, yet also cut low enough to entice every man in the room.

He wanted to throw the crystal snifter at the ground to ease his frustration.

Instead, a second glass appeared in front of him. Simon turned to see Harry sipping his drink with a brow raised in question.

Simon took the brandy. “Thank you.”

“What is wrong, Simon? I, and probably most of the people in the ballroom, couldn’t help but notice you storming across the room before heading outside.”

Simon inhaled, trying to invent a lie acceptable to his older brother. A half-truth might work. “I had hoped to proposition Mrs. Ackerman tonight.”

“She’s with Stanton now.”

How did everyone know that except him? He made his living keeping up with the ton. “As I just discovered.”

“Yes, and I might believe your story except for the fact she and Stanton left an hour ago,” Harry commented before sipping his brandy again.

An hour ago? He’s spent an hour of his night spying on a woman and then trapping her in the butler’s pantry. Bloody hell, he was a bastard. “I had been in the card room and brought the topic up to Ainsley, who proceeded to set me straight.”

Harry nodded with a slight grin. “Still seems a drastic reaction to learn a woman was already another man’s mistress.”

“Perhaps it’s been too long since I had a good fuck,” Simon retorted and gulped the rest of his brandy down. “So, I shall take my leave, return to Hell where I belong, and find a willing woman.”

Harry turned around as if to return to the house but stopped and looked over at Simon. “Just stop sniffing around Emma.”

“I have no intention of sniffing around that innocent chit.” No matter what he’d said to her in the pantry. He was done caring what mischief she managed to get herself involved with. From now on, she could do as she liked.

AS SOON HOOD OPENED the door to Hell, Simon knew something was amiss again. The bulky man scowled and shook his head as he closed the door behind Simon.

“What now, Hood?”

“Another one, sir.”

Goddammit! “Did you take care of the problem?”

“Riley is taking him out as now,” Hood replied.

Simon’s hands tightened into fists. “No. Bring him to my office. I want a word with this man.”

“Yes, sir.”

Simon strode to his office overlooking the gaming room. He watched from the window as Riley and Hood removed the cheater. Once again, the man was not of his usual clientele’s manner. He wore ill-fitting clothing and appeared younger than most of his customers. The man didn’t fight with Riley as they plucked him up out of his seat. Instead, he seemed most willing to leave.