The Seduction of Sebastian St. James (House of Renwick #2)(34)

Just then Sebastian shifted, scaring Emma nearly out of her wits as she tumbled back to her seat and crossed her arms, careful not to breathe too loudly lest she wake up Sebastian. The only thing she knew how to be was herself, which was entirely inappropriate, given the circumstances.

She wanted to dance, she wanted to gallop, and blast it but she wanted just for once to feel what it would be like to be desired by a man. She was already ruined, might as well do it thoroughly. Pretending to be in love with Sebastian would be the easy part.

Seducing him? There was the rub.

Maybe she should practice enticing smiles? Hadn’t she overheard some of Rawlings’ friends and him included that her smile could cause a nun to swear? And hadn’t that same smile been the one that had brought her so much trouble? Or was it the dancing? Or possibly the need to be adventurous on her own? For as much difficulty as her looks had gotten her into, she wasn’t entirely sure how to use them to her advantage. She knew that men’s eyes were naturally drawn to where women touched themselves.

So maybe she would often bring her fingers to her mouth. She experimented by letting out a small gasp and touching two fingers to her lips as she gave a come-hither look across the carriage. She nearly doubled over in laughter from her own silliness.

Batting her long eyelashes, she whispered, “Why, Sebastian, you sly fox. I could just—”

“You could just what? Oh, please, don’t leave me hanging. I’m left in dreadful suspense.”

Emma swore under her breath and then clapped a hand over her mouth. Oh why hadn’t she just taken a nap?

****

Thanks to Emma, Sebastian was now fully awake, and even more fully amused. Shoulders shaking with laughter, he couldn’t form a sentence. Each time he tried, he looked across at Emma’s red face and the amusement started all over again.

“Please do tell what was in that little head of yours a moment ago. Were you dreaming of me, sweet?”

“Hardly,” she clipped.

“Ah, then you were trying to seduce me with your words, you little minx. What was I again? A sly fox? I haven’t been called one of those in a long while. However did you know? Oh, Emma, are you not speaking to me now?”

Her silence was his answer, though he noticed the hint of a smile play across her lush lips. Unfortunately her little speech did more to his body than he would have liked to admit. Hiding his attraction to her was going to take a herculean effort on his part. Not that he needed to hide his attraction. After all, they were supposed to be betrothed. But it wasn’t real, could never be real. She was his best friend’s cousin and she deserved to be loved and cherished. That type of marriage was not in the cards for Sebastian. People he loved died, and his heart couldn’t bear sharing his body and soul with someone just to have them leave him.

The rest of the carriage ride was met with Sebastian’s incessant joking and ridicule to try to get Emma to talk. And Emma’s uncanny ability to ignore him? If he were vying for her attention, he would be frustrated if not completely at his wit’s end.

But he wasn’t vying for her attention.

So those blasted feelings of irritation about the fact that she could simply ignore him didn’t mean anything.

Sebastian was so lost in thought that when the carriage doors opened, he wasn’t as careful as usual and fell flat on his face.

“Your grace!” Footman, livery, everyone within a safe distance ran at him. The only object hurt was his pride. The servants probably assumed that since he had tripped on their watch they would all be let go.

“I’m—” He was about to say fine, but was rudely interrupted by the sound of Emma’s laughter. Turning ever so slowly, his eyes fell on the object of his distraction, doubled over in the carriage, tears streaming down her face.

“Now that I’ve made a cake of myself…” Sebastian held out his dirty gloved hand to Emma who, still laughing, took his hand and thanked him, but not before showing him how one gets out of a carriage, and producing such an act of showing exactly how to exit a carriage that he couldn’t help but applaud the girl’s effort at making him feel like a lummox.

“Minx.”

“Fox,” she retorted then curtsied. His smile was firmly in place all the way up to the large doors of Rawlings' estate.





Chapter Fifteen


Sebastian instantly sobered when Rawlings himself opened the door and, without giving the duke the proper bow and address society demanded, turned his attention toward Emma and smiled wickedly.

“Miss Gates, it has been too long.”

Should he name his seconds? Sebastian felt a strange bolt of jealousy slam into his chest as he realized more than one man feigned ownership over Emma. Fists clenched he fought the urge to pummel the man in front of him, offering a tight smile instead. Did he have any special claim on Emma? Any more claim than Rawlings? If anything, he had less of a claim, considering he was to be helping her with the male sex instead of wanting to draw his pistol on the first man who looked at her. But did that man have to be Rawlings?

Emma’s face registered absolute shock, as Rawlings bent over her hand and brushed the lightest of kisses across her knuckles. Her eyes squinted as if trying to figure him out. Rawlings turned to Sebastian.

“Your grace.”

Sebastian inclined his head at Rawlings' disappearing form. The cad had barely acknowledged him. If that was how he was going to play it, fine. He loathed him. Besides, it was inexcusable for him to eye Emma the way he had.