Her Best Friend, the Duke by Laura Martin

Author:Laura Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-03-10T14:42:31+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

‘It seems you had a wasted trip,’ James said quietly. He had the urge to reach out and tuck the stray strands of hair back behind her ears, but instead balled his hands into fists to stop them from moving.

He didn’t like feeling so uneasy with Caroline, so off balance. She was the one person in the world he always felt at ease with, the one person he felt as though he did not need to stand on ceremony with. And now as he looked at her, he was lost for words.

‘Not wasted. I’m glad there was no duel. It was a foolish challenge and this is a far better ending than anyone getting shot and maimed. What did you really say to make him change his mind?’

‘Nothing really. I reminded him of our friendship, of the man he truly was. He broke down into tears.’ James shrugged. ‘His wife is having an affair and he is finding the revelation hard to cope with. He moans about her all the time, but I think he really loves her.’

‘No wonder he’s in such a state.’

‘Still no excuse for what he said to you.’

It was Caroline’s turn to shrug. She was not like many young ladies who would revel in the drama swirling around her. Caroline preferred the quiet life, the easy path.

He swallowed, knowing he was going to have to address the awkwardness that hung between them. The problem was he didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t tell her the kiss had been a mistake because he’d enjoyed every single second of it and was finding it hard not to reach out and pull her in to another embrace every moment they spent together.

He couldn’t bring himself to do the right thing either. No one had seen the kiss, no one suspected they’d crossed over the line between friendship and scandal, but he knew. And he was supposed to be a gentleman. By rights he should be taking her by the hand and asking her to marry him.

‘We should get back,’ Caroline said, narrowing her eyes as she watched Henrietta and Milton ride into the distance. ‘I’m going to be in enough trouble as it is.’

‘Just one more minute, then I’ll escort you home,’ James said, dropping his voice low.

Caroline’s eyes flicked up to meet his and he saw confusion and the hastily concealed flash of hope. If he was any kind of man, any kind of friend...

‘Last night,’ he said, clearing his throat.

She looked at him, her face blank, waiting for him to continue. She wasn’t about to make this easy for him, to step in with a gush of reassurance that they needn’t think about it again.

‘In the carriage...’

Caroline nodded slowly. ‘We kissed.’

‘We did.’

‘People do kiss,’ she said softly.

‘They do.’ His eyes darted down to her lips, impossibly rosy and inviting, and he found himself thinking of kissing her again. ‘All the time.’

She shivered and he took advantage of the moment to step in closer and place

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