Teasing Your Wicked Heart

CHAPTER 5

Dropping to a low curtsy out of her extreme embarrassment to Viscount Killsworth who would presumably be the new Earl Rosenberg, and her new guardian, Lady Sarah Jane had wanted the floors to crack open and swallow her whole.

The pins fell off before she even had a chance to think about it. It was certainly improper for her to drop on her knees and pick them up. However, It was also improper to leave her hair like that, so she did what she knew how to do, completely ignore Mathilda, and fix her hair herself.

She made the mistake of looking back to the face of the man who had broken her fall. He was devilishly handsome with unruly deep as night hair which was longer than the current fashion. It was a whole lot of hair at the top of his head, and a spare lock curled in front of his forehead. His eyes were strikingly blue and as they assessed her, she could feel them piercing through her soul.

Bless her heart, dearest Sarah Jane couldn't form a coherent thought when he was looking at her like that.

All she could think about was that she was mistaken. This was no old portly and balding Viscount.

He was young and too devilishly handsome—

He was supposed to be old and wrinkly, with a lovely wife... and... and she just couldn't help herself.

"And here I presumed you were some old folk."

She couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. Swallowing the awkwardness, she averted her eyes to Mathilda who had been sporting a horrified expression at the whole exchange. Her mouth hung in perfect oval shape, and Sarah Jane knew that she was again in heaps and heaps of trouble.

But the Viscount, whose steely eyes had transformed into confused and comical, seemed to enjoy her little show.

His face visibly softened, his eyes crinkling at the corners as his lips spread into an amused smile. A deep chuckle erupted from his throat, its sound so round and manly, that it elicited a tingle of excitement to crawl under her skin.

That was when she knew that Lord Killsworth was a very dangerous man indeed.

"How do you do, my lady," He inquired politely and dropped to a bow. He extended his bare hand for her gloved hand.

Anthony perused her arms and noted that whatever house she was schooled in had forgotten to inform her that she should cover her skin with satin, at all times. She was a lady, after all.

It was a second too late when she placed her hand in his. She seemed to doubt him and his intentions, and for whatever absurd reason, this caused him to be more excited to know her better.

Anthony gently took her hand and leaned down with the lightest of touches. His breath was hot and ticklish against her warm skin.

Lady Sarah Jane wished that she had not forgotten her gloves from the carriage. His breath was wicked, his featherlike kiss awakened something in her, and it was taking everything for her not to swoon. There was a lump in her throat which simply did not want to go away.

And then it was all over.

"I said," he gave her a jaunty grin, "how do you do, my lady," he repeated with a devil-may-care smile that sent her heart fluttering.

How she lived up to one-and-twenty without having seen a man as handsome as he, she would never know. "I am well, thank you. How do you do, my lord?"

His head tipped a little to acknowledge her greeting. "I trust that your ride was pleasant," he murmured as he motioned with his hand for them to sit on the couch. He also acknowledged Mathilda with a nod.