“I know.” Her words were muffled against his skin.
“I value your friendship. Not to mention I told Roman—”
She straightened and peered at him. “Told him what?”
“That I would not scandalize his new sister.”
Violet rolled her eyes. “I do not need him playing protector.”
“The position in which we find ourselves says otherwise.”
Her lips quirked. “I know.” Her shoulders rose and fell. “I do not even want a man.”
“Well, I’m not just a man—”
She put a finger to his lips. “And we vowed this would not happen again.”
He didn’t bother agreeing. The finger remained and Duke didn’t have anything else witty or clever to say. There was no logic behind his attraction to Violet. Unless one considered she was the woman he most respected in life and was, of course, incredibly beautiful.
Actually, if he thought about it, it was entirely logical to be attracted to her. It was just that he did not wish to be.
Slowly, he removed her finger from his mouth. “You are a beautiful clever woman...and I am—”
“Am I to say beautiful and clever?”
“Well, I am hardly an ogre, am I?”
“No,” she admitted.
“It makes sense that two people who know each other so well might find themselves attracted to one another. However, you and I both know there can be no future in this.”
“Indeed.”
“I am a committed bachelor.”
“Very committed,” she agreed. “And I cannot afford to add to the family scandal.”
“I would never want such a thing for you.”
Violet braved cutting words and the actual cut with such courage. The last thing Duke would wish to do was to make things worse. She said she did not want a man and he believed her. Her beauty and vivacious nature when combined with her father’s wealth were enough to tempt many a man. Hell, he reckoned she could be penniless, and she’d still have suitors. He’d watched many come and go since the start of the season in Bath.
If she refused to attach herself to some admittedly acceptable men, of course she was not going to attach herself to him. Duke knew himself well enough to understand he could not offer her enough. Ever since his mother and sister drowned, it was too hard to even consider courting a woman. How could he watch a wife do all the feminine things that were denied of his family? The last thing he wanted to do was burden Violet with his ills.
“So we are agreed then?” She straightened and he missed the soft warmth of her. “We return to being friends, nothing more. It was but two kisses and these are...trying times. No wonder this happened. You are frustrated, I was worried. Why, it is almost expected that we might kiss!”
“But of course.”
“So no more kisses.”
“Absolutely.”
When she eased off his lap, Duke gripped the seat of the chair with both hands to prevent him from reaching for her. Just one more touch, he told himself. Maybe even a light kiss. That was all he needed and then he’d never kiss his friend again.
She handed him his dirtied shirt. “You had better make yourself decent.”
“Not certain that is possible, Vi.”
She fixed him with a cool look. “Well, you shall have to try. Andweshall have to try harder to put this behind ourselves. Let us get back to being good friends and nothing more.”