“Alright. Let’s see what you can do, Lord Dashwood.”
He arched an eyebrow at her.
“Why did that sound like a challenge?”
“Take it however you want. You said you would do this for me, didn’t you?”
“Of course I did.” Dashwood shook his head as he went onto his knees. “You’re a hard woman, Lady Dorothy.”
Dorothy didn’t respond. She was enjoying the sight of seeing the man who had messed her around for so long in this position. She folded her arms and watched.
Chapter 6
Lucas could tell that Dorothy was looking forward to seeing him crawl around on the floor looking for the hard sweets he had made her drop. And she wasn’t going to lift a finger to help him.
Now that was a mean streak. And he had to admit that he liked it.
After all, he did deserve it for the way he behaved.
As he crawled around, certain that he looked like a fool, Lucas thought about the game and how he saw Dorothy coming out of her shell. She was competitive, something Lucas didn’t expect at all. There was a glint in her eye when she got further into the game, and she wasn’t afraid to make a risky bet, which most often paid off. Lucas didn’t think that would end up being attractive, but it was.
And he couldn’t help but watch her for most of the game. He was captivated by her, and that left him a little shaken. This had never happened before, and Lucas didn’t know what to do about it.
All that he knew was that he felt regret for not meeting her while they were engaged. That was his fault, and it was coming back to bite him.
Lucas felt more and more like the fool that he was. Especially given his current position.
It felt like forever before he finally gathered up the sweets, all in silence. Lucas kept glancing over at Dorothy, but she wasn’t doing anything except stare at him. She would not say a word, and that just made the air between them all the more awkward. Lucas felt like he was going to jump out of his own skin.
She certainly knew how to make someone uncomfortable when she wanted to be.
Eventually, all of the sweets were in the tin. Lucas closed the lid and stood up, wincing at the ache in his knees. He approached Dorothy and held out the tin.
“There you are. Again, my apologies for startling you.”
“Thank you.”
Dorothy took the tin, and Lucas felt her fingers brush against his. The sudden tingling from the touch almost had Lucas dropping the tin again. From the slight gasp that came from Dorothy, she certainly felt it as well. Her cheeks went a little pink, almost darker than her dress, and she practically snatched at the tin, holding it to her chest. Lucas tried not to stare at where her hands were.
God, he really needed to stop ogling her like this. He had had a chance to have her in his life, and Lucas had thrown it away.
“You really know how to play commerce,” he said, looking for something to say. “I was impressed. Who taught you to play like that?”
“My parents.” Dorothy’s voice came out as a mumble. “And my grandfather. They taught me all of the games.”
“And you like winning, do you?”
She met his gaze, lifting her chin in a defiant manner.
“I always win, my lord.”
There was a finality about it, and Lucas didn’t doubt that she always won. Maybe he could soften her up a little. He gave her a smile.
“Maybe you could teach me a little to help me win.”
The smile she gave him was not particularly nice, a close-lipped smile with coldness in her eyes. Even then, Lucas had an overwhelming urge to kiss her.
Wait, where had that come from?