The Duke and I by Julia Quinn Page A

appalling urge to close the distance between them and trace the line of her hair with his lips.He'd never dallied with an innocent before, but all the world had already painted him a rake. What could be the harm? It wasn't as if he were going to ravish her. Just a kiss. Just one little kiss.
     
     It was tempting, so deliriously, maddeningly tempting.
     
     "Sir! Sir!"
     
     With great reluctance, he dragged his eyes up to her face. Which was, of course, delightful in and of itself, but it was difficult to picture her seduction when she was scowling at him.
     
     "Were you listening to me?"
     
     "Of course," he lied.
     
     "You weren't."
     
     "No," he admitted.
     
     A sound came from the back of her throat that sounded suspiciously like a growl. "Then why," she ground out, "did you
    say you were?"
     
     He shrugged. "I thought it was what you wanted to hear."
     
     Simon watched with fascinated interest as she took a deep breath and muttered something to herself. He couldn't hear her words, but he doubted any of them could be construed as complimentary. Finally, her voice almost comically even, she said, "If you don't wish to aid me, I'd prefer it if you would just leave."
     
     Simon decided it was time to stop acting like such a boor, so he said, "My apologies. Of course I'll help you."
     
     She exhaled, and then looked back to Nigel, who was still lying on the floor, moaning incoherently. Simon looked down, too, and for several seconds they just stood there, staring at the unconscious man, until the girl said, "I really didn't hit him very hard."
     
     "Maybe he's drunk."
     
     She looked dubious. "Do you think? I smelled spirits on his breath, but I've never seen him drunk before."
     
     Simon had nothing to add to that line of thought, so he just asked, "Well, what do you want to do?"
     
     "I suppose we could just leave him here," she said, the expression in her dark eyes hesitant.
     
     Simon thought that was an excellent idea, but it was obvious she wanted the idiot cared for in a more tender manner. And heaven help him, but he felt thestrangest compulsion to make her happy. "Here is what we're going to do," he said crisply, glad that his tone belied any of the odd tenderness he was feeling. "I am going to summon my carriage—"
     
     "Oh, good," she interrupted. "I really didn't want to leave him here. It seemed rather cruel."  Simon thought it seemed rather generous considering the big oaf had nearly attacked her, but he kept that opinion to himself and instead continued on with his plan. "You will wait in the library while I'm gone."
     
     "In the library? But—"
     
     "In the library," he repeated firmly. "With the door shut. Do you really want to be discovered with Nigel's body should anyone happen to wander down this hallway?"
     
     "His body? Good gracious, sir, you needn't make it sound as if he were dead."
     
     "As I was saying," he continued, ignoring her comment completely, "you will remain in the library. When I return, we will relocate Nigel here to my carriage."
     
     "And how will we do that?"
     
     He gave her a disarmingly lopsided grin. "I haven't the faintest idea."
     
     For a moment Daphne forgot to breathe. Just when she'd decided that her would-be rescuer was irredeemingly arrogant, he had to go and smile at her like that. It was one of those boyish grins, the kind that melted female hearts within a ten-mile radius.
     
     And, much to Daphne's dismay, it was awfully hard to remain thoroughly irritated with a man under the influence of such a smile. After growing up with four brothers, all of whom had seemed to know how to charm ladies from birth, Daphne had thought she was immune.
     
     But apparently not. Her chest was tingling, her stomach was turning cartwheels, and her knees felt like melted butter.
     
     "Nigel," she muttered, desperately trying to force her attention away from the nameless man standing across from her, "I must see to Nigel." She crouched