Kit was leaning on the door to prevent it from opening. “Dash it, Alice. Let me at least explain why.”

She slumped and nodded. The quicker she listened, the quicker she could return to her room and cry.

A light touch on her elbow guided her around to face him. They were close enough that she could see the light flecks in his dark irises and the evening whiskers dotting his jaw. And it was worth noting he smelled fantastic, hints of warm caramel and honey, exactly like the spirits he’d poured her earlier.

He was frowning, his gaze concerned. “I don’t want you to leave here thinking this is because of you. It’s not. I must refuse because of Maddie.”

“I . . . I don’t understand.”

“She ordered me to stay away from the heiresses. I believe off-limits was the term she used. So, I must respect her wishes and not interfere with the purpose of the house party.”

“Oh.”

Well, that wasn’t a terrible reason. And Maddie had warned Alice away from Kit at dinner, as well. Ordering him to keep his distance from the guests made sense. Except . . . “But you thought I was one of the guests at the door when I knocked.”

His lips twisted into a wicked smile that she felt all the way down to her toes. “She’s a guest but not one of the innocent young women, believe me.”

A chaperone, then. “So you’ll help me after the house party, once we’re back in New York?”

Chuckling, he wagged a finger at her. “Clever, Alice. Very clever. Will you be able to slip away as easily in the city?”

“No.” Her mother paid the hotel staff handsomely and they did whatever she wished, including keep an eye on Alice. “It would be extremely difficult.”

“I assumed as much.”

“You . . .” Alice cleared her throat. “You won’t tell anyone I was here, will you?”

“Of course not.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, his eyes boring deep into hers, mesmerizing her. “I wish you luck, sweet girl. You will find the right man, I promise. You’re too intelligent not to get what you want.”

The press of his lips on her skin along with his intense scrutiny caused a riot in her bloodstream, a rush of tingles and warmth that traveled to every part of her. Her knees actually buckled and she sent up a prayer of gratitude for the door at her back. Otherwise, she would have collapsed into a puddle on the carpets.

It was all too much. He was overwhelming, with his delicious smell and soft mouth, and she didn’t know what to do. No man had ever spoken to her so nicely or touched her in such an intimate manner. She needed time to think, to process the emotions battling inside her.

No wonder why Maddie had warned Alice away from Kit. Perhaps he was the very Devil.