The Ugly Duckling Debutante_FINAL-3 Read Online Free PDF Page B

obvious she had a temper, even though she concealed it quite well. It would behoove him to remember that in case he accidently provoked the poor thing.
    An image of her chasing after her aunt with her fan entered his mind; he clear ed his throat to mask the chuckle trying to betray his amusement and held his hand out to her. She eyed him reluctantly before accepting it. Her touch sent familiar sensations shuddering all the way down to his toes; it was like stepping into Dante’s Inferno. How long had it been since he experienced this depth of attraction? Oh yes—around twelve hours. He had gone two whole years without any hint of scandal or misconduct, yet one simple touch from this maiden was enough to undo him.
    Nicholas led her gently to the middle of the room. He bowed casually before asking, “Are we sure this dance is appropriate for Miss—” He looked down at her in question. Ironically, Lady Fenton failed to make the proper introductions, or he somehow missed the name of the beauty.
    “Sai. You may call me Sai,” she informed him in a smooth sultry voice. He nearly moaned in agony. How could he have forgotten her voice was that of a temptress? Had he not already determined he was in Hell? Might as well add her voice to the list of completely spell-binding tortures she wielded.
    She curtsied uncertainly before him, bowing her head slightly forward. A few tendrils of her velvety black hair fell onto her forehead, escaping the hairpins. Impulsively, he reached forward and brushed the wandering strands from her face, shocking himself and Sai, leaving both of them staring at each other as if the sun had suddenly stopped shining.
    He coughed again self-consciously and grasped her hands in his own. “Is this your first waltz, Sai?” Small talk. That will make it less awkward, he reasoned with himself.
    Her eyelashes fluttered instinctively down. “Yes, my lord.”
    “You don’t need to address me so formally.”
    “Oh, yes she does!” Lady Fenton flared from the side. “Now, both of you, a little closer.”
    He groaned inwardly while pulling Sai closer. Any closer and I’m going to compromise her right here in this room with her aunt watching. He swallowed hard and continued to hold her close. The heat between them escalated by the minute, leaving him smoldering in a cold sweat from his effort to avoid looking in her eyes.
    Against his better judgment, he pulled her a little closer and whispered into her ear so Lady Fenton couldn’t hear, “You may call me Nicholas. All of my friends do. And you will need a friend when she launches you onto society at the end of the week.” Of course, his friends never used his real name, but Sai didn’t need to know that, and his heart yearned for the familiarity it would give them.
    Not without difficulty, Nicholas drew back to an appropriate distance. The electricity between them was hypnotizing, and his head swam in its dizzying effects. It would be so easy to forget they were not alone in the room and linger closely in her intoxicating presence, but under the circumstances, it would be most inappropriate—and for him, dangerous.
    A hint of a teasing smile danced in her eyes, as she took her turn to lean forward. “I would not to give the impression we are more than just acquaintances. Using your Christian name, I fear, would do nothing but compromise your integrity. After all, Lady Fenton tells me you have sworn off the female sex in light of religion.”
    Biting her lip, she ended the dance with a curtsy, her eyes sparkling.
    Dumbstruck, he didn’t know whether to bow at her feet or beg her to marry him right then and there. Then he remembered the feather. He wasn’t going to lose the bet just because some wild-eyed temptress batted her eyes at him. Nicholas knew it wasn’t her fault he starved himself of women these past two years, but what he needed was to get away from her before he lost more than just the bet.
    “That was lovely!” Lady Fenton pulled the