A Deal with a Duke (The Daring Drake Sisters 2)

Kissing her was out of the question.

And yet, his legs seemed to have a mind of their own, forcing him to walk closer to her. He tipped her chin up with his thumb. Her pink lips gaped slightly.

“There are many men who would want you, Louisa Drake.” He lowered his lips to hers for a gentle kiss before whispering, “Far too many men.”

He kissed her again, harder this time. As she slowly responded, her arms wrapped around his neck, pressing her slim frame against him. He backed her against the brick wall until she was caught between him and the wall. This was what he wanted, no matter how much his conscience railed against it.

The injustice of his plight troubled his mind night and day. The one woman he wanted more than any other was the one he could not have. What he did in India was unforgivable. But kissing Louisa made him want to believe in miracles. She could forgive him. She could love him.

With a groan, she pressed her hands to his chest to push him away. Harry stared down at her and realized his fantasy would never become a reality. The sadness in her eyes was now replaced with sparkling anger.

LOUISA STARED UP AT Harry in confusion. How could she be hurt and angry with him one moment and then kissing him madly the next? She needed some distance from him. But she also required some assistance. She couldn’t return to the ball with grass stains, her hair mussed, and her lips swollen from passionate kisses.

“I would be obliged if you could ask my sister to call for the carriage. I will meet her at the front of the house.”

“I will escort you home,” he replied. “It is my fault you are in this condition.”

“No, please ask Emma.”

He nodded. “How will you get to the front of the house?”

“There is a small walkway between the houses with a gate. I shall come around that way.”

“As you wish.”

As he walked away, Louisa touched her lips in wonder. He’d kissed her again. This kiss more passionate than the last. For a moment, she’d wondered if jealousy over her desire for a husband had caused his reaction. But her senses returned, and she understood Harry most likely was trying to keep her quiet so that no one would hear them.

With a quick look down the path, she headed for the front of the house through the small alleyway that the servants used. She waited in the darkness of the alley for her si

ster and their coach. Hopefully, Emma would be able to steal away without drawing Mamma’s attention. Hearing the low rumble of a coach, she glanced around the corner of the house. Her shoulders sagged in disappointment noticing the fine black landeau slow to a stop. A fat drop of rain hit her head, followed by another as she waited. If Emma didn’t hurry, Louisa would be soaked.

“Come along, Louisa,” Harry said with an umbrella over his head as the rain increased. “Hopefully, the umbrella will shield you not only from the rain but the overly observant eyes of the gossips.”

“I asked you to get my sister.” Louisa scrambled into the carriage quickly followed by Harry, who then pulled the curtains over the large windows.

“She was dancing with her fiancé,” he replied, taking the seat next to her. “I did jot a message for her and left it with her friend, Miss Lancaster.”

“Oh, what a dreadful mess I’ve made. Mamma will be furious that I left the ball without dancing.”

A long silence filled the carriage as they headed home. Louisa wondered if Harry regretted that kiss in the gardens.

Finally, he spoke, “I must apologize for my actions this evening. I should never have asked Blakely to reconsider you without consulting you first.”

Louisa noted that he had not apologized for kissing her. “Thank you. How did you find Miss Turnbull?”

“Pleasant enough, I suppose.”

She’d convinced herself the issue of her family in trade would be an impediment, which is why she introduced them. It kept up her part of their deal without him realizing every woman she presented him to was not what he was looking for in a wife.

“That is hardly a ringing endorsement of the lady. What was wrong with this one? She was as close to everything as you had requested. Of course, you must wait to see how she would do with Charlotte, but I think she has a kind heart.”

“Hardly everything I wanted, Louisa,” he grumbled.

“What do you mean? She has height, intelligence, dark hair, a friendly demeanor, not the best of families, but they are generally accepted. She even attended Miss Simmons School for Young Ladies, which I hear is very exclusive. I believe your sister attended the same school.”

“That is certainly not all that I asked for in a wife.” He shifted in his seat as if uncomfortable with the conversation, his leg bumping into hers.

“You wrote she must be beautiful, of superior intelligence, taller than the average female, preferably darker hair, she must love children, have a kind heart for Charlotte and preferably one who doesn’t giggle.”