Instant panic flooded her veins. Even standing an arm’s length away from him, she was barely managing to restrain herself from dragging him to a deserted room, plastering her body to his, and begging him to ruin her again. She couldn’t begin to imagine what feeling those large palms on her for the entirety of a dance would do. Already, she could feel the dampness between her legs and her nipples tightening in shameless arousal.

That would simply not do.

“I cannot, but thank you,” she blurted out, bringing her fan up between them and fanning herself with brisk strokes.

He frowned at the lace device and then at her. “Why not?”

In response, her fan increased its speed, her brain failing to come up with an acceptable excuse that wasn’t an outright lie. Her gaze fell on the elegant fan. “Did you know that there’s a whole language to the lady’s fan? For example, twirling it in one’s left hand means we are being watched, which we are,” she added for good measure. “Drawing it across one’s eyes says ‘I am sorry,’ while resting it upon one’s lips says the gentleman is not to be trusted.”

A slow smile curved those very sinful lips as though he could see right through her. He leaned in, his next words low. “And fanning at such a speed means you are head over heels in love.”

Both fingers and fan froze in midair, and then she snapped it shut.

“And snapping one’s fan shut, dearest, means you’re jealous.” Rhystan grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. The playful look transformed his face, leaving her breathless at the glimpse of the boy she’d known. So he wasn’t quite lost.

“No, it doesn’t,” she said and then frowned uncertainly. “Does it?”

“How should I know? I’m a man. We tend to say what we think.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Unlike your sex, women have to communicate their desires in codes or be deemed indelicate and scandalous. It’s all rather absurd, isn’t it? That a woman should be afraid to speak her mind for fear of being shunned or ostracized and outraging high society.”

“Absurd how?”

Gracious, he had a knack for riling her up. “That a female’s opinion could create such world-destroying chaos.”

“Women have been causing chaos since Eden.”

Sarani snorted. “Good gracious, are you referring to the Bible? How positively low you have sunk, Your Grace. At least base your arguments on something that wasn’t written by a horde of ancient male historians.”

“What of Darwin?” he asked.