“Don’t worry—it won’t be too revealing. We’ll just nicely frame your bosom,” she’d told George as she’d measured her up. And when the dress was finished, George had felt perfectly satisfied with the neckline.

But now, with the duke’s gaze heavy on her, she suddenly felt uncomfortably exposed. She shoved at his chest. “Move back. I don’t like you standing so close.”

“Yes, you do.” He didn’t move.

“I don’t,” she lied. She wanted to lean forward and just inhale him—how could he smell so . . . delicious? But she refused to feel like that. She knew what was happening to her and she would not give in to it. “I find you . . . irritating.”

He didn’t respond. His compelling gray gaze rested on her mouth, arousing sensations she did not want to have. Heat rose in her as she recalled that other kiss, sparked by tiny sugar crystals . . .

She ran her tongue across her lips. His eyes darkened and, taking no risks, she vigorously scrubbed the back of her hand across her mouth.

There was a glint of something amused and devilish in his eyes as he met her gaze. “You missed me, didn’t you?”

“Missed you?” She hoped she sounded incredulous. “When would I have missed you?” Just because she’d noticed his absence didn’t mean she’d missed him.

“When I was away.”

“You’ve been away?” she said vaguely. “I didn’t even notice.” If only he’d stayed away another couple of weeks, she would have been back to normal. He’d returned too soon; the heat within her was rising. Just standing so close to him brought about a kind of breathless excitement—it was anger, she told herself. It had to be.

His smile was lazy. “You noticed. And I think you missed me. Certainly your expression when we met in the park yesterday seemed to indicate it.”

“We didn’t ‘meet in the park.’ You rode past me as if I weren’t even— Oh, were you in the park?” But it was too late to retrieve the slip and his smug expression showed it.

“Your eyes lit up when you saw me.”

She feigned indifference. “I was admiring your horse.”

“You were relieved to see me. You’d missed me. You were annoyed with me for not coming over to greet you.”

It was infuriating to be so transparent. “You’re very sure of yourself, your grace of Arrogance, but you have no idea what I’m thinking.”

“I do.” And when she arched a disbelieving eyebrow at him, he said, “You’re thinking of making a very unladylike attack on my cods.”

“Your co—oh,” she said as he indicated the area below his waist. “Well, if you don’t let me pass, you’ll find out, won’t you?” And it would serve him right.