She stuck a hand out. “Then you must call me Anne.”
He stared blankly down at her outstretched fingers. “What in hell is that?”
“What is what?” She looked around and then followed his gaze to her hand. “This?” She waggled her fingers. “This is a hand, my lord.” Confusion tinged her reply.
“Harry,” he corrected and sent a prayer skyward in search of patience. “And what are you doing with your hand, Anne?”
“I’m offering you my hand, Harry.” She smiled.
He counted to five. “For what purpose?”
“Well,” she screwed her mouth up as if pondering his question. “It seemed like a kind of an introduction between us and then I thought we might shake hands to seal our agreement.”
The young lady intended to enlist his tutelage in the art of seduction and she thought to seal that with a bloody handshake? His lips twitched.
She lowered her hand back to her side. A frown chased away her cheerful smile. “Have I said something to amuse you, my lord?”
Why did he suddenly mourn the momentary camaraderie between them? The curl fell back over her brow. She blew it back. Harry caught the sun-kissed lock between his thumb and forefinger. “You have.”
She gave a flounce of her curls and spun on her heels. “Oh, do forget I ever mentioned anything. I don’t need your help. I’ll speak to Lord Rutland. I certainly don’t need—”
The hell she would.
She gasped when he settled his hands upon her shoulders and slowed her steps. He placed his lips a breath away from the long, graceful stretch of her neck. “Lies,” he breathed. “You do need me, sweet, or you wouldn’t have set aside your dislike, risked your reputation, and put such an offer to me.”
It didn’t escape his notice that she didn’t contradict his claim. It shouldn’t matter whether or not she disliked him. After all, the imp had hardly endeared herself to him this past year. Except, he loathed the idea of her seeking out Lord Rutland or any other nameless bounder. But especially Rutland.
Anne gasped and arched her head as though tickled. “S-stop,” she whispered. She didn’t make to pull away and he was encouraged.
He ran his hands from her shoulders, down her forearms and wrapped his fingers loosely about her wrists. “You mistook the reason for my amusement, sweet Anne,” he breathed.
“D-did I-I?” she angled her head and looked back up at him.
“I laughed at the idea of shaking on an agreement. I imagine our agreement would best be sealed with a kiss.” Only what had begun as a game in teasing now became something all too real. He dropped his gaze to her lush lips and groaned.
With the pink tip of her tongue, she traced the seam of her lips. She raised her gaze to his mouth and for a moment he believed the bold vixen intended to lean on tiptoe and brush her lips against his. “B-but I believed you’d said you had n-no intention of touching me.” Then, a slow, knowing smile wreathed her cheeks. “Oh.” She swatted at his hands. “You’re teasing me.”
No, no he hadn’t been. He really should let her go. They flirted with disaster. Someone would surely notice the young lady’s absence and if he were discovered with her… He shuddered at the prospect of being saddled with marriage to the insolent baggage.
Anne danced out of his arms on a small laugh. “It is settled then.” She placed her fingers in his and gave a firm shake.
It certainly wasn’t. “Not quite, sweet.”
“Don’t call me sweet.” She frowned with all the stern disapproval of a woman vastly older than her twenty years.
He propped his hip on the wrought-iron bench behind him. In his experience, ladies loved all manner of endearments. Sweet. Dear. Lovely. The only one he took care to avoid at all costs was love.
Anne took a step back toward him. She squinted as if trying to study his features in the moonlight. “What is it you want?” she said with a world-wise wariness. Perhaps the first sensible thought from the lady all night.
He shot his hand out and pulled her lazily toward him.
A squeak escaped her lips as she tumbled awkwardly into his arms. He righted her. “I’m to set the rules for your lessons. When I feel you’ve been successfully schooled in the art of seduction, I’ll end them. And at no point are you to fall in love with me.”
Laughter exploded from Anne’s lips. She laughed so hard, tears seeped from her closed eyes. She emitted little snorting sounds from her nose.
He didn’t know if he should be insulted or endeared by the unladylike noises escaping Anne’s too kissable lips. He folded his arms at his chest and glowered.