mouth formed a small oh of surprise, he suddenly wished they were alone so he could kiss her. The dangerous thought didn’t stop him from noting the telltale sign of her excitement in the fluttering pulse on the side of her neck. She wasn’t immune to him. His gaze moved back to her mouth, and he watched in fascination as the tip of her tongue darted out to wet her lips. The sudden stirring of his cock inside his trousers immediately set him on edge.
He recognized the treacherous ledge he was standing on, but it didn’t stop him from imagining Ruth in his bed. Tension ricocheted through him as he realized how easily she was drawing him to her without even trying. God help him if she ever decided to actually try and seduce him. His jaw tightening with self-control, he forced a smile to his lips and continued to guide Ruth down to the lobby where he recovered her wrap for her.
Outside, the night air was unseasonably warm for the beginning of April. As they reached the sidewalk, he looked down the row of carriages in search of his driver. When he failed to see Jasper, he frowned. He would have to leave Ruth in front of the opera house to search for his carriage.
“It appears that my driver had difficulty securing a spot close to the theater. Wait here and I’ll be back in a few moments.”
“Should I come with you?”
“No,” he said firmly. “You’ll be safer here.”
“Are you saying I won’t be safe with you?” The mischievous smile on her face sent a jolt of electricity through him. The ambiguity of her statement made him search her face intently for a long moment. She blushed in the soft yellow glow of the gaslight and quickly clarified her comment. “As I understand it, you’re an excellent pugilist.”
“And I think you were implying that you wouldn’t be safe with me for an entirely different reason.”
“Then you’re mistaken.” There was the slightest note of panic in her voice that convinced him otherwise. Arching his eyebrow, he saw her blush deepen, but he refrained from arguing with her.
“I’ll return in a moment.”
His stride quick, he moved along the long line of carriages looking for Jasper and his Berline carriage. He’d passed more than ten vehicles before he saw his driver standing on the sidewalk straining his neck in an attempt to see over the crowd. The moment he caught Jasper’s eye, he waved to the man then turned back to collect Ruth.
The return trip to the Opera House steps was quick, and as he approached the theater’s entrance, he saw Wycombe talking to Ruth. He couldn’t be sure, but from the rigid line of Ruth’s back, he knew it was a strong bet that she wanted nothing to do with the bastard. The moment Wycombe saw him approaching, a nasty smile curled the man’s lips. As he reached Ruth’s side, he sent his nemesis an icy glare and gently gripped her elbow.
“I’m surprised to see you here, Wycombe. I thought your entertainment preferences ran to less sophisticated tastes, such as—brawling.” His comment made the other man narrow his eyes at him.
“Hardly, my dear boy . I find the opera quite stimulating when in the company of a woman. Particularly one as lovely as the Lady Ruth, although what possessed her to accept your escort is a mystery to me.” Wycombe nodded toward Ruth with a charming smile.
If it were any other man, he would have taken the earl’s comments as good-natured rivalry. But this was Wycombe, and the man was being deliberately insulting. Few people could anger him to the point of losing control, but this man could. There was no love lost between them, and they both knew it, along with everyone else in the Set. The earl’s attempt to charm Ruth simply deepened his antipathy for the man. Suddenly, he wanted to give Wycombe another pounding, just as he had in school years ago. Tension rolled through his limbs as he eyed the man coldly.
“Why don’t you run along and find sport elsewhere, Wycombe.”
“Perhaps we should
He recognized the treacherous ledge he was standing on, but it didn’t stop him from imagining Ruth in his bed. Tension ricocheted through him as he realized how easily she was drawing him to her without even trying. God help him if she ever decided to actually try and seduce him. His jaw tightening with self-control, he forced a smile to his lips and continued to guide Ruth down to the lobby where he recovered her wrap for her.
Outside, the night air was unseasonably warm for the beginning of April. As they reached the sidewalk, he looked down the row of carriages in search of his driver. When he failed to see Jasper, he frowned. He would have to leave Ruth in front of the opera house to search for his carriage.
“It appears that my driver had difficulty securing a spot close to the theater. Wait here and I’ll be back in a few moments.”
“Should I come with you?”
“No,” he said firmly. “You’ll be safer here.”
“Are you saying I won’t be safe with you?” The mischievous smile on her face sent a jolt of electricity through him. The ambiguity of her statement made him search her face intently for a long moment. She blushed in the soft yellow glow of the gaslight and quickly clarified her comment. “As I understand it, you’re an excellent pugilist.”
“And I think you were implying that you wouldn’t be safe with me for an entirely different reason.”
“Then you’re mistaken.” There was the slightest note of panic in her voice that convinced him otherwise. Arching his eyebrow, he saw her blush deepen, but he refrained from arguing with her.
“I’ll return in a moment.”
His stride quick, he moved along the long line of carriages looking for Jasper and his Berline carriage. He’d passed more than ten vehicles before he saw his driver standing on the sidewalk straining his neck in an attempt to see over the crowd. The moment he caught Jasper’s eye, he waved to the man then turned back to collect Ruth.
The return trip to the Opera House steps was quick, and as he approached the theater’s entrance, he saw Wycombe talking to Ruth. He couldn’t be sure, but from the rigid line of Ruth’s back, he knew it was a strong bet that she wanted nothing to do with the bastard. The moment Wycombe saw him approaching, a nasty smile curled the man’s lips. As he reached Ruth’s side, he sent his nemesis an icy glare and gently gripped her elbow.
“I’m surprised to see you here, Wycombe. I thought your entertainment preferences ran to less sophisticated tastes, such as—brawling.” His comment made the other man narrow his eyes at him.
“Hardly, my dear boy . I find the opera quite stimulating when in the company of a woman. Particularly one as lovely as the Lady Ruth, although what possessed her to accept your escort is a mystery to me.” Wycombe nodded toward Ruth with a charming smile.
If it were any other man, he would have taken the earl’s comments as good-natured rivalry. But this was Wycombe, and the man was being deliberately insulting. Few people could anger him to the point of losing control, but this man could. There was no love lost between them, and they both knew it, along with everyone else in the Set. The earl’s attempt to charm Ruth simply deepened his antipathy for the man. Suddenly, he wanted to give Wycombe another pounding, just as he had in school years ago. Tension rolled through his limbs as he eyed the man coldly.
“Why don’t you run along and find sport elsewhere, Wycombe.”
“Perhaps we should
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