fangs.
Asher turned toward her, his sneer spoiling his aristocratic beauty. Jane couldn’t help but smile, wondering if all the blue blood he’d drunk had gone to his toplofty head.
“Madame, are you perchance speaking to me?” he asked. “Are you speaking to me?”
“It appears that I am,” she said, batting her eyelashes in what she hoped was a flirtatious manner.
Asher cocked his head, studying her. “Do you have something in your eye?” he asked.
Jane could feel the heat of a blush start in her cheeks. “No, I do not.”
Asher gave her a look that was clearly a dismissal, then turned back to his other dinner companion.
Well, that went well, Jane thought in embarrassment. Stabbing at a piece of squab with her fork, she watched in horrified amazement as it flipped off her plate and struck the earl’s immaculate jacket. The vampire looked down, slowly shook his head and glared at her.
“Are you intending to ruin another of my jackets?”
Jane groaned, longing to put her head in her hands and weep. But the earl calmly removed the squab from his coat.
“I’m sorry. It just slipped,” she said.
“My valet will be quite upset.” Asher was about to go on when he noticed that Miss Paine’s embarrassed flush had spread to her lovely bosom. It was such a bounteous bosom—slightly marred by the freckles, it was true, but so pale and kissable. But the woman really was a clumsy puss.
“Somehow, when I am around you I seem to do the most foolish things,” she remarked.
He shrugged. “I am an earl. People are always toad-eating, doing the most remarkably silly things to gain my attention.”
“It’s not that you are an earl that had me flustered,” Jane remarked.
Asher smiled. “Oh. Well, my looks have been known to distract women and send them to their knees as well.”
Jane shook her head. “Such conceit.”
Asher shrugged. “Why should I be modest? I’m a grand personage, and well know it.”
“Indeed,” Jane retorted. “You poor man, having women dropping at your feet like flies. You must be honey laced with vinegar.”
He snorted, surprised to find Miss Paine had a clever bone in her body. He wondered which it was. “I must admit, of all the females I have had dropping around me recently, you left the most lasting impression.”
“I did?” Jane asked, taken aback. Had she made headway?
“Yes, you left a lasting impression on my jacket. Renfield was quite upset.” He gave a short cackle. So much for making an impression.
“I take it Renfield is your valet?” she said.
Asher nodded, noting Miss Paine-in-the-Neck’s lips. They were wide and too full, but they were definitely delicious-looking. A stark image hit him squarely between the eyes as he envisioned those too-full lips causing him to ripen and swell as they took him into her mouth and sucked upon him. His rambunctious rod hardened, and Asher shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Had the world run mad? What was he thinking?
“You must think me the most graceless female you have ever met,” the woman conceded, both graciously and regretfully. “Please forgive any disquiet I have caused.”
Asher remained silent, arching a brow.
Jane’s embarrassment began to fade somewhat, her temper beginning to simmer instead. The earl could be easier in his acceptance of her apology, she thought. “Thank you for making me feel so much better about my clumsy nature. I must compliment you on your gift of charm.”
Her sarcasm caught Asher’s attention. Once again, this little odd duck was acting the shrew. Strange, because most women bent over backwards to please him—and managed some rather interesting positions too.
“You aren’t the most clumsy,” he admitted. He recalled Ann Boleyn, who used to trip over her slippers constantly. That’s how she fell in love with Henry VIII and lost her head.
Cocking his head, he studied Miss Paine more closely, noticing the faint blue lines in her throat, which made him unusually
Asher turned toward her, his sneer spoiling his aristocratic beauty. Jane couldn’t help but smile, wondering if all the blue blood he’d drunk had gone to his toplofty head.
“Madame, are you perchance speaking to me?” he asked. “Are you speaking to me?”
“It appears that I am,” she said, batting her eyelashes in what she hoped was a flirtatious manner.
Asher cocked his head, studying her. “Do you have something in your eye?” he asked.
Jane could feel the heat of a blush start in her cheeks. “No, I do not.”
Asher gave her a look that was clearly a dismissal, then turned back to his other dinner companion.
Well, that went well, Jane thought in embarrassment. Stabbing at a piece of squab with her fork, she watched in horrified amazement as it flipped off her plate and struck the earl’s immaculate jacket. The vampire looked down, slowly shook his head and glared at her.
“Are you intending to ruin another of my jackets?”
Jane groaned, longing to put her head in her hands and weep. But the earl calmly removed the squab from his coat.
“I’m sorry. It just slipped,” she said.
“My valet will be quite upset.” Asher was about to go on when he noticed that Miss Paine’s embarrassed flush had spread to her lovely bosom. It was such a bounteous bosom—slightly marred by the freckles, it was true, but so pale and kissable. But the woman really was a clumsy puss.
“Somehow, when I am around you I seem to do the most foolish things,” she remarked.
He shrugged. “I am an earl. People are always toad-eating, doing the most remarkably silly things to gain my attention.”
“It’s not that you are an earl that had me flustered,” Jane remarked.
Asher smiled. “Oh. Well, my looks have been known to distract women and send them to their knees as well.”
Jane shook her head. “Such conceit.”
Asher shrugged. “Why should I be modest? I’m a grand personage, and well know it.”
“Indeed,” Jane retorted. “You poor man, having women dropping at your feet like flies. You must be honey laced with vinegar.”
He snorted, surprised to find Miss Paine had a clever bone in her body. He wondered which it was. “I must admit, of all the females I have had dropping around me recently, you left the most lasting impression.”
“I did?” Jane asked, taken aback. Had she made headway?
“Yes, you left a lasting impression on my jacket. Renfield was quite upset.” He gave a short cackle. So much for making an impression.
“I take it Renfield is your valet?” she said.
Asher nodded, noting Miss Paine-in-the-Neck’s lips. They were wide and too full, but they were definitely delicious-looking. A stark image hit him squarely between the eyes as he envisioned those too-full lips causing him to ripen and swell as they took him into her mouth and sucked upon him. His rambunctious rod hardened, and Asher shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Had the world run mad? What was he thinking?
“You must think me the most graceless female you have ever met,” the woman conceded, both graciously and regretfully. “Please forgive any disquiet I have caused.”
Asher remained silent, arching a brow.
Jane’s embarrassment began to fade somewhat, her temper beginning to simmer instead. The earl could be easier in his acceptance of her apology, she thought. “Thank you for making me feel so much better about my clumsy nature. I must compliment you on your gift of charm.”
Her sarcasm caught Asher’s attention. Once again, this little odd duck was acting the shrew. Strange, because most women bent over backwards to please him—and managed some rather interesting positions too.
“You aren’t the most clumsy,” he admitted. He recalled Ann Boleyn, who used to trip over her slippers constantly. That’s how she fell in love with Henry VIII and lost her head.
Cocking his head, he studied Miss Paine more closely, noticing the faint blue lines in her throat, which made him unusually
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