He studied her over the rim of his glass as he drank. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, his inscrutable gaze glittering in the gaslight. The longer his silence lasted, the more nervous she became. Why had she thought this was a good idea? Clearly, this had been a mistake. He was trying to think of a way to refuse without hurting her feelings.

She started to push out of her chair. “I should go. This was a—”

“Wait a moment.” He held out his free hand, staying her. “Don’t rush off. Give a man time to think, if you please.”

Heart pounding, Alice sank into the plush upholstery and tried not to faint from mortification. Would he tell the other guests of her strange request? She’d become the laughingstock of the house party. Her mother would learn of it, too.

Oh, God. She’d made a terrible error in judgment in coming here.

“You’re panicking. Calm down, Alice.” Tapping his fingers on the glass, he cocked his head. “Why me?”

Was he actually considering it?

Hope caused her to sit straighter in her chair. “Because Miss Webster said you manage to turn even the shyest woman into a vixen.”

Kit threw his head back and laughed, the muscles in his throat shifting under sun-kissed skin. “Maddie would say as much. She’s always telling me to mind my manners around her friends. Still, that doesn’t necessarily make it true.”

“You’re being humble. From what I observed tonight, I believe her.”

“Well, I’m not certain I believe you’re even shy. You haven’t had much trouble talking to me and you’ve barged into my room like a general headed into battle.”

Irritation swept over her skin like a hot cloth, and she lifted her chin. “I am ridiculously shy.”

He nodded as his mouth twisted into a teasing grin. “Indeed, I can tell. More bourbon, Alice?”

Oh, he was annoying. “Will you help me or not?”

Standing, he went to refill his glass at the sideboard. She couldn’t help but stare at the wide shoulders stretching the fabric of his fine shirt, the way the white silk vest hugged his torso. He possessed lean hips and a firm backside only achieved through vigorous activity. Kit was the finest-looking man she’d ever seen, and his appearance sent heat cascading through her belly.

Yet, he was right. She wasn’t so nervous with him any longer. Why?

When he turned around, she tried to pretend as if she hadn’t been ogling him. Considering the smirk on his face, she likely failed. He leaned against the sideboard. “What does my help mean? Am I taking you to bed? Drawing you diagrams? Writing a treatise? I’m not quite sure what you expect.”