Chapter Five
Andrew stared at the fuming woman before him while he held a gloved hand to his stinging cheek. She’d slapped him, and with enough force to leave heat behind. No one had ever dared challenge him since he’d assumed the earl’s title. “There is nothing wrong with me.” Except, he’d apparently taken leave of his damned senses by kissing her after a single meeting, but he’d had to discover if the attraction that snapped between them three days ago had been his imagination.
It had not. If anything, it had strengthened.
After her initial surprise, she’d thrown herself into the embrace, and though she was acutely inexperienced, she’d been a quick learner. Her tentative exploration had left him more than a little aroused.
“Then what the devil was the meaning of…” Sarah’s words trailed off as she gestured between them, her kiss-swollen lips parted, her eyes wide and reflecting a myriad of emotions he couldn’t quite sort behind the lenses of her askew spectacles. “Why did you…?” The color in her cheeks and the not-quite-hidden wonder in her countenance put animation into her plain face.
Andrew gave himself a mental shake. He couldn’t keep standing here like a nodcock. It was time to let her know the reason he’d asked her for a stroll. “I’ve confirmed something I suspected during our first meeting.” He couldn’t help admiring her heaving bosom or the way a few tendrils of her blonde hair had escaped their pins to frame her face. The spectacles that sat at the end of her nose only added to the look of her becoming undone.
Did passion lurk beneath her straight-laced surface? What would it take for him to unleash it, and more to the point, why did he want to?
“And what is that?” She’d collected herself enough to put a few more steps between them and set her spectacles right. Then she planted her hands on her hips and glared. “You still haven’t explained yourself. I would ask that you focus on the problem at hand instead of woolgather.”
Oh, that tart mouth of hers! He’d be a proper nodcock not to admire those gentle curves or how much her annoyance called to his and made him want to cross verbal swords with her again. Something about that sparring gave his seething feelings an outlet… but he owed her an explanation. “There is an attraction between us. Surely you can feel it.” God, what he wouldn’t give to kiss those lips again, merely to lend credence to his claim. The bottom one was slightly fuller than the top, and she’d tasted of innocence and heat.
“Are you completely daft?” She gawked and took another step backward.
“Not completely, I’ll wager.” Drew hadn’t meant to sound flippant. Hell, he hadn’t meant to kiss her or feel desire for anyone when he’d buried himself in the Derbyshire countryside, but here he was, battling exactly that for this plain spinster who would never have caught his eye had they been in a drawing room in London.
“Attraction, you claim?” Miss Copeland shook her head while amazement and consternation warred for dominance in her eyes. “We have only just met, but you’ve deemed it proper to kiss me?”
His nod was a tad curt. “Yes, for the enticement is there regardless of the length of our acquaintance.” She hadn’t denied it, so it must be true for her as well. That was something. Perhaps this next bit wouldn’t become such a chore.
“Conversing with you is proving impossible. Again, I ask, what is your point, my lord?” She bent to retrieve her errant headgear, and when she straightened, her gaze fell to his mouth—briefly, but he didn’t miss that tell.
She wasn’t as immune to him as she wanted him to believe.
A rush of blood shot through his shaft. How long had it been since that had happened, and why with this bespectacled miss of no consequence? “Right. My point.” Yes, he was fit for Bedlam with what he’d say to her. Would she slap him again? Run away screaming? Anxiety tightened his chest. Would she agree? “Marry me.” There was no finesse or romance involved, how could there be? As she’d pointed out twice, they’d met once before today. The only thing between them was desire and perhaps the niggling thought that being in her presence had the ability to take the edge off his anger. He wished to explore that more readily, for it was quite a novel idea.
“I… what?” Her eyes widened behind the lenses.
“Marry me.” There was more confidence behind the suggestion this time. He hadn’t given her an explanation as to why, yet it felt right to ask. Actually, it was a jot more complicated than that. The last thing he needed was to add a spouse to his already mucked-up life, but… he wanted Miss Copeland, plain and simple.
Why shouldn’t he have her? After all, he was an earl, and he had a duty to the damned title. And it seemed she wasn’t averse to his advances…
“What gammon is this?” The bonnet dropped from her lax fingers to thud upon the ground once again. “You’re having me on. This is naught but a cruel joke at my expense,” she said in a soft voice, almost to herself.
The astonishment in her expression rivaled his own, but Drew grinned and hoped it was as wicked as he felt. “I am not.”
“Such fustian.” She shook her head. Annoyance snapped in her doe-brown eyes, bringing out fire in the depths. “How dare you presume I’ll fall desperate upon your offer.”
“Won’t you?” He shrugged. “Not to bring light to your situation, Miss Copeland, but you’re not getting any younger, and I rather doubt you’ve had a steady stream of offers to reject.”
The red stain in her cheeks deepened. “I… I don’t know what to address first, but perhaps your horrid lack of manners shall be my jumping off point.” She fairly shook with ire, and damn if that energy didn’t call to him. There were times when only another’s storm could take the sting from his. As yet he’d never had cause to witness that, but in her the potential was there.
Save me…
“Stating a fact isn’t bad manners.” Drew came forward and closed the distance between them. Taking one of her hands, he said, “If we marry, the alliance will benefit us both, you see.”
“You’re mad.” Miss Copeland shook off his touch, though a light of understanding lit her eyes. “You don’t even know my Christian name but you’re proposing marriage.”
“Then tell me. There was plenty of opportunity while we talked, but you didn’t go that far.” He enjoyed her being at sixes and sevens all too much. It gave life to her plain face as well as brought him out of the dark pit his anger usually cornered him into. Would she pull him up?
“I… you…” She lifted a hand that fluttered about, and she blinked as if he’d managed to startle her. Her mouth worked as she stared. “It’s Sarah.”
“It suits you.” Not exactly feeling jovial but not squarely in the grip of the usual angst that plagued him, Drew gave her a brief bow from the waist. “I believe I’ve asked you a couple of times to call me Andrew, so now we are acquainted.” He couldn’t help another grin when she narrowed her eyes. “Regardless of the shocking way this has come about, let me give you a few reasons why we should wed. Will you listen?”