To Bed a Beauty (Courtship Wars 2)

He grinned. “What did you expect? That I was hatched?”

“I would not be surprised.”

His grin took on a satirical slant. “My mother is a dragon, but I’m told I came into the world in quite the usual way.”

Roslyn heard the sharp note in his tone at the mention of his mother, but she was more interested in returning to the subject of her deficiencies with Haviland. “Where else did I go wrong?”

“You might want to temper your frankness a little. Some men may find your brand of forthrightness off-putting.”

“Do you?” she asked curiously.

“No, but we’re not concerned with my likes. Haviland will respond better to a sweeter tone. And whatever you do, don’t flay him with your sharp tongue.”

Disheartened, Roslyn sank back against the settee. “I am not likely to flay Haviland. More often I find myself at a loss for words with him.”

“Somehow that surprises me,” Arden said dryly.

“Well, it is true.”

“I suspect you are too eager to earn his good opinion, whereas with me, you have no compunction at telling me off to my face.”

“Because I have no desire to impress you.”

“So quit trying so hard with Haviland. Simply be yourself. You are charming and personable enough to let your natural self shine through.”

She stared at him. “Merciful heavens, I believe you just complimented me.”

“I suppose I did.”

His green eyes glimmered at her, making her pulse quicken. Shaking herself, though, Roslyn managed a smile. “Well, thank you for the lesson, your grace. I will try to do better next time.”

“If you like, I will call on you tomorrow morning before your meeting with Haviland and give you another lesson.”

“I would appreciate that. For now, however…” Bending, she gathered up her lists and stood. “If you will excuse me, I still have a great deal to do. But please make yourself at home for as long as you like. If you care for more tea-or something stronger like wine or brandy-j

ust ring for Simpkin.”

Politely rising to his feet as she left, Drew found himself grinning ruefully at having been dismissed once more. But he could not have expected a warmer welcome from Roslyn when he’d intruded on her privacy so flagrantly.

He’d answered her question truthfully; escaping Lady Freemantle was the chief reason he’d come here when he was clearly unwanted. Boredom was also a part of it. And curiosity. He had wanted to see how Roslyn would behave with Haviland, to discover how far she would take her campaign.

But once he was here, some perverse part of him wanted to provoke her, to rouse that flash of passion in those blue eyes.

An even more idiotic part of him had wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss that lovely mouth, to make love to that alluring body…

Drew laughed softly as he remembered her response to his careless endearment when he’d called her “Beauty.” Roslyn was absurdly prickly on the subject of appearance-a unique oddity in his experience. He’d never before known a woman to complain about being too beautiful.

He certainly couldn’t fault her for her extraordinary beauty. Admittedly he derived pleasure from simply gazing at her; he was a red-blooded man, after all.

But Roslyn was also unique in other respects. He found her innocence rather endearing after the calculated arts his former mistresses employed. Her smile was fresh and honest, not sophisticated and cynical. He hated to see that freshness ruined by the scheming games played by the femmes fatales she was attempting to mimic.

Drew abruptly shook his head. He had fulfilled his promise to her for the time being. How she applied his advice was really not his concern.

He had no reason to remain at Danvers Hall any longer, either. In fact, there was nothing more he could do here in Chiswick at the moment, Drew decided. He might as well take himself off to London for the evening and spend a few pleasant hours at his club.

Or better yet, resume his search for a mistress. If he was able to lose himself in a lush female body, then perhaps he wouldn’t find the lovely Roslyn Loring quite so damned appealing.

Chapter Seven