Excerpt from To Catch an Earl
The woman softly shook her head, as if she knew something he didn’t. “Everything makes so much more sense now. After what your mother said, I had the wrong impression of you. Now, I see that you can’t handle a challenge.”
A flash of anger shot through him, but he shoved it aside. Women never understood a man’s need to live at his own pace. They pushed and prodded until everyone around them was miserable. As such, he refused to give in to the insult.
“Perhaps I can’t.”
“I greatly admire your courage for admitting such a thing.” She stood. “I can see that I’m not needed. Your mother will be greatly disappointed to discover she has lost our bet.”
His ears perked up. “Bet? I’ve never known my mother to engage in such an activity.”
“Then, perhaps you don’t know her as well as you thought.” She turned and headed for the door. “Thank you for your time.”
With a groan, he rounded his desk and approached her. “You can’t leave after saying something like that. And, I suspect you know that, so go ahead and tell me what you are talking about.”
The petite lady had to look up to face him. Bloody hell, she was exquisite. The sparkles in her deep-brown eyes only added to her beauty. He silently lamented the fact he wouldn’t be able to take her to bed. After all, with this much fight, her passion would be undeniable. She would certainly be worth the effort.
“I’m sorry, my lord, but I don’t feel inclined to do so. Perhaps another day.”
He grinned. “You think it’ll be so easy to get me to agree to see you again? You are quite wrong.”
She tilted her head to the side as she studied his face. “Since this is to be our last meeting, I’ll take pity on you. Your mother bet that you would have me in your bed in less than a week. I accepted her bet, knowing that you didn’t have enough charm to tempt me to join you. So, good day, my lord.”
Stunned, he watched as the lady left his study. Not only was the mere idea that his mother would bet on such a thing unfathomable, but the lady had outright rejected him.
In all his thirty years, that had never happened to him. He wanted to turn and walk away. To wish her far away from him, but he couldn’t. Because, whether he liked it or not, he was damned intrigued.
A flash of anger shot through him, but he shoved it aside. Women never understood a man’s need to live at his own pace. They pushed and prodded until everyone around them was miserable. As such, he refused to give in to the insult.
“Perhaps I can’t.”
“I greatly admire your courage for admitting such a thing.” She stood. “I can see that I’m not needed. Your mother will be greatly disappointed to discover she has lost our bet.”
His ears perked up. “Bet? I’ve never known my mother to engage in such an activity.”
“Then, perhaps you don’t know her as well as you thought.” She turned and headed for the door. “Thank you for your time.”
With a groan, he rounded his desk and approached her. “You can’t leave after saying something like that. And, I suspect you know that, so go ahead and tell me what you are talking about.”
The petite lady had to look up to face him. Bloody hell, she was exquisite. The sparkles in her deep-brown eyes only added to her beauty. He silently lamented the fact he wouldn’t be able to take her to bed. After all, with this much fight, her passion would be undeniable. She would certainly be worth the effort.
“I’m sorry, my lord, but I don’t feel inclined to do so. Perhaps another day.”
He grinned. “You think it’ll be so easy to get me to agree to see you again? You are quite wrong.”
She tilted her head to the side as she studied his face. “Since this is to be our last meeting, I’ll take pity on you. Your mother bet that you would have me in your bed in less than a week. I accepted her bet, knowing that you didn’t have enough charm to tempt me to join you. So, good day, my lord.”
Stunned, he watched as the lady left his study. Not only was the mere idea that his mother would bet on such a thing unfathomable, but the lady had outright rejected him.
In all his thirty years, that had never happened to him. He wanted to turn and walk away. To wish her far away from him, but he couldn’t. Because, whether he liked it or not, he was damned intrigued.