Gentleman's Guide 01 - His Impetuous Debutante by Jane Charles Page A

night.”
    Again, an affirmative nod of the
veiled head.

    *

    Phoebe was in such a panic, thinking
wildly how to disengage herself from this situation that she wasn’t
even aware Lord Sandlin had led her off the main walk and into a
poorly lit, secluded one. When the realization struck her she
stopped dead in her tracks and began to pull away.
    “ You don’t want to leave
me so soon do you?”
    She vigorously shook her
head.
    “ Come, let’s not have any
games between us.”
    His soothing seductive voice came to
her and Phoebe’s heart began to beat a wild tattoo.
    “ A woman doesn’t come to
the Gardens, alone, without looking for something specific.” He
slid his hands up her arms. Phoebe tried to take a step back. He
followed. She took another. He followed and it continued until she
found her legs pressed up against a bench.
    All the warnings of what could happen
came screaming to her brain. But that was with others. This was
Lord Sandlin. All she had to do was reveal herself and he would
step away. But, if she was revealed, things would go much worse for
her, though her virtue would remain safe. There must be a way out
of this situation without him learning it was her. She looked up at
his face, trying to read his emotions. She only saw his boyish,
devilish grin. Good Lord, she was in deep.
    “ Would it make you feel
better if I told you I had lost a spouse as well?” Sandlin offered.
“I know the loneliness that can follow. The loneliness of someone
to hold.” He was stepping closer. “The loneliness of needing
someone to fulfill only those needs a spouse could previously.”
Closer yet.
    Their thighs were practically touching
and Phoebe had nowhere to run.
    “ I am alone tonight as
well. My friends, they have womanly companionship. I, however, do
not.” Now they were touching. “I believe we both came here looking
for the same thing. Someone to share the night with.” He traced his
finger along her collar bone, then along her skin, directly above
the lace of her bodice, across the gentle swell of her
breast.
    Phoebe sucked in a quick breath.
Nobody had ever touched her in such a manner. It made her feel
wicked and alive. She needed to get out of here now, before he
touched anything else on her person. Already she knew she would
never forget the strange stirring his simple caress had
caused.
    He was leaning into her closer now.
“But not here, where we might be discovered.” Taking a step back,
he took her arm and turned back the way they had come.
    Phoebe walked beside him, trying to
control her breathing, and tried to think. There had to be a way
out of this. Where was he taking her? She could already guess what
he had in mind. Was he really a widower? She shook her head and
brought her immediate concern back into focus. She needed to get
away from him, immediately.
    As soon as they exited the gardens,
she began to pull away, heading in the opposite direction. Sandlin
held tight to her arm. “Not so quickly, mysterious lady. The night
is young.”
    Phoebe bit her lip.
    “ This is probably very new
to you. I understand. But you will be glad you came with me. I
promise.” His voice was edged with silky seduction.
    Phoebe had no choice but to allow him
to help her into a carriage. Her only other choice was to jerk away
and run down the street and she didn’t want to draw the attention
of anyone else. She had to remind herself that this was Sandlin and
she was as safe with him as she would be with Noah.
    He gave the driver an address she
didn’t hear and settled beside her. He was so close that the full
length of his thigh was touching hers. Phoebe tried to move over,
only to find her skirt caught under him.
    “ Having second thoughts?”
he asked in that silky voice.
    She shook her head
aggressively.
    “ Perhaps you would like me
to stop the carriage so you can leave?”
    She nodded frantically.
    Sandlin only chuckled. “Trust me, dear
lady, you won’t be sorry.” He leaned into her and she