“Your suitor.”
“You beast!” she almost swatted him, but held back. And then decided to swat him anyway. “I have had suitors.” A few. None that she had any interest in. None that had been of particular interest to anyone. And if she was being truthful, none that showed a unique interest in her.
“All I’m saying is that you’ve played it safe, and you have no suitors.”
Joan crossed her arms in defiance and her eyes began a steady crawl up and down his body. Trying not to notice how his thighs filled out his breeches. Or how his arms strained at the seams of his jacket. Or his broad shoulders. None of those things mattered. Especially not the slight bulge she caught sight of accidentally, causing her to blush. No. She was trying to make a point. If he could study her, then she could study him.
“What areyoulooking at?” She knew he would ask that, so she played her hand.
“You,” she said simply.
“And what are you looking for?”
“Your wife.”
He barked out a laugh. “Well played, Joan.” He chuckled again and wiped the mirth from his lips with a giant palm. Oooh! His hands were large. And smooth. “The difference is, I don’t want a wife.”
“That’s quite arrogant, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“You’re saying that you don’t have a wife because you don’t want one. But you’re implying that you could have a wife the second you did want one.”
“Look at me, Joan.”
“I have.”
He chuckled. “I’m a duke. I’m handsome. I’m wealthy. Young. And respected enough. I guarantee you that if I wanted a wife I could have one from this very event, despite the small crowd.”
And she knew he was right. There was absolutely no point in arguing with him. No point. Whatever point she would make would be, well, pointless. She made it anyway.
“You might be able to find a wife, but that doesn’t mean you’d have love.”
He scoffed, and it irked her. “I don’t want that either.”
“You don’t want a wife?” He shook his head. “You don’t want love?” Another shake. “What about the dukedom?”
“That shall go to my cousin.”
“That’s just irresponsible.”
“Really? I think it’s rather the most responsible thing for me to do given my mother—”
But she didn’t let him explain.
“You’re reckless. You throw caution to the wind and don’t care if anything bad happens.”
His eyes darkened. “You’re overly cautious and you’re too worried about even the possibility of something bad happening.”
“You think everything is a joke.”
“You take everything too seriously.”
At this point, Joan was baffled and disoriented. How had she thought that there was any connection between them? The ability to successfully communicate across a room was pure luck. They were two completely different people. She wanted to put more space between them. “Your cologne is too strong.”
“I can hardly detect the lavender scent you’re using to entice the male population.”
“You probably spend your days drinking and gambling.”
