Disbelief and reckless anticipation sizzled through her veins. Why not? She’d promised herself some forbidden fun, and kissing Raven definitely came under that category. This might be her only chance—ever—and besides, he’d never need to know it was her.
She angled her head and parted her lips. Closed her eyes in breathless anticipation. Raven’s warm breath skimmed over her cheek and she almost groaned in frustration when he paused a hairbreadth away from her lips in deliberate restraint, drawing out the moment until every cell in her body was screaming for him to make contact.
Heloise strained upward on tiptoe. His mouth grazed the very corner of hers in a tantalizing butterfly kiss that sent fizzles of excitement racing over her skin. She turned her head, blindly seeking his lips, but he pulled back with a chiding sound, his fingers tightening their grip on her upper arms.
Heloise opened her eyes and frowned behind her mask.What on earth was he waiting for, the dolt? An engraved invitation?
And then those perfect lips curved into the smug, self-satisfied smile she knew only too well and her stomach plummeted in dread.
Raven’s chin brushed her temple as he casually tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Hellcat Hampden,” he scolded softly. “What in God’s name are you doing in my ballroom?”
Chapter 3
For one moment of awful, icy realization, Heloise couldn’t move. And then she whacked him on the arm. Hard.
“Ravenwood! You beast! Get off me!” She placed both palms flat on his chest and shoved as hard as she could. The deceitful swine didn’t budge an inch. “You knew it was me the whole time! Why did you carry on?”
He stepped back, that wicked mouth curving into his usual irritating grin. “Why didyou?” he countered. “And don’t tell me you thought I was someone else. You knew it was me, too.”
“I did not,” she lied indignantly, certain she was blushing to the roots of her hair. Thank God she was wearing a mask.
He still didn’t let her go; his hands gripped her elbows, keeping her close against his chest. “I must say, that was a very interesting experiment. How far would you have gone if I hadn’t called you out? Could I have steered you into the games room for a bit of indiscretion? Could I be seducing you right now on that billiard table in there?”
Heloise gasped in outrage, even as his scorching mental images sent a shameful wave of heat through her body.
“Admit it. You were enjoying it.”
“I was not!” she said, very aware of what Shakespeare had to say about ladies who protested too much. But if she didn’t protest she’d throw her arms around his neck and beg him to kiss her properly, and she had far too much self-respect for that. She wouldnotbecome another of his faceless conquests. His paramours were as interchangeable as his cravats. And about as intelligent.
“Come on, you’ve fancied me since you were sixteen,” he goaded mercilessly.
“It was a temporary aberration. I’m cured of it now.”
Raven released one of her arms and steered her effortlessly through the crowd. “So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Hellcat? Because Iknowyou weren’t on the guest list. And don’t tell me your brothers are here. Richard’s in London with your parents and Nic’s still on his honeymoon.”
“You seem remarkably well informed of my family’s whereabouts,” she snapped, unsuccessfully trying to disengage her elbow from his grip.
“I’m a spy,” he whispered. “I know lots of things about lots of people. Why aren’t you up in London with the rest of your family?”
She affected a shrug. “There’s something I’ve been working on here and I wanted to get it finished.”
His mouth tightened. “Another scholarly translation?”
“Sort of,” she hedged. “In fact, that’s what I need to talk to you about.”
His lips flattened into a disapproving line. “You shouldn’t be locked away studying dusty old tomes. You should be out, enjoying yourself.”
“Yes, well, I don’t get invited to that manytonfunctions,” she said pointedly.
He ignored the barb. “You know what I think? I think you’re hiding. Even without that mask.”
She crossed her arms. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You bury yourself in books and research because you’d rather deal with Ancient civilizations than interact with real, live people.”
Heloise felt a spark of anger, mainly because there was a grain of truth in what he said.
“What are you so afraid of?”