Her eyes rounded. “With you?”
“Once you bathe, yes.”
Her mouth opened and closed, before she directed a glare his way. “What a rude thing to say!”
Will stopped teasing her. It was only fun if they both enjoyed it. “Who else if not me?”
“I just mean, no one knows about our marriage.”
“It’s still some days away, but it’s a good place to make our first appearance. Unless there is another ball you wish to attend?”
“No, no, the Stewarts’ event is fine.” She yawned. “You also had gin last night. Why do you look so good when I look all rumpled?”
“I’ll have the servants prepare a bath for you.” His gaze lowered to her pale, almost blue, feet. “You should warm up before you catch a chill.”
She nodded. “I shall appreciate it.”
“And you look lovely, Harriet, rumpled and all.”
She blinked at him, her eyes all but accusing:Are you blind?“I shall leave you to your business,” she said retreating from the room with a wave of her hand, all but dashing off the moment she reached the door.
Will shook his head, chuckling.
He had never known an urge this acute—the urge to dash after her and hug her into his arms.
Before he had met Harriet, he always watched from a distance with what he understood to be a sense of yearning. Since he had firmly, unashamedly stepped into her world the day he signed the betrothal agreement, everything in his life had changed. He had come face to face with a fiery woman who did not back down, followed her own mind, and gave him a piece of it without preamble.
Will loved it.
No all he had to do was show her how much.
Chapter Eleven
Harriet nibbled ona slice of lemon cake as she stared at Lady Leonora and Lady Selena chatting across from her. Once Leeds had left that morning, she quickly followed suit. She’d been cooped up in that house for days and needed to get out for a while. Every room in their house was enveloped in the scent of that man.
Not that his scent was aproblemproblem.
But Harriet found that she quitelikedthe way he smelled, andthatwas a problem. She shouldn’t be liking anything about her husband. Not his scent. Not his handsome face. Not those heated eyes that seem to look straight into her soul. Not this soon.
Woo her, he had said.
So her husband wanted to woo her. She didn’t know what to make of that, only that it would serve as a distraction to her own goal. Just like his scent. And the flowers that he sent her every day along with a different note in each.
You looked lovely this morning,love. Your smile is like sunshine,love. When are you going to lock me away,love?
Love! Love! Love!
Her cheeks warmed at the recollection of all those adorable little notes. So unlike the man himself.
One thing she had come to learn of her Leeds—he was a dangerous man. Dangerously handsome. Dangerously charming.When he wanted to be.And dangerously tempting.
Gah! She shouldn’t have been so tempted, but she was. Even after she’d had an unwelcome and embarrassing surge of drunken memories.
Asking him to kiss her? Could the earth swallow her whole?
“How is married life so far?” Leonora suddenly asked, sipping from her teacup.
Harriet shrugged. “So-so.” Liar. But how could she describe the whirlwind of emotions brought on by her husband?
