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He smiled, and Hyacinth felt it down to her toes “I’,” he murmured

“Now you’re just trying to scarefro Hyacinth wasn’t shy, and she certainly wasn’t as deht to have been, but nor was she foolhardy And Gareth St Clair was not the sort ofwith fire, and she knew it, but somehow she couldn’t stop herself It was as if each statement from his lips was a dare, and she had to use her every faculty just to keep up

If this was a competition, she wanted to win

And if any of her flaas going to prove to be fatal, this was surely it

“Miss Bridgerton,” he said, “the devil himself couldn’t scare you”

She forced her eyes to meet his “That’s not a compliment, is it?”

He lifted her hand to his lips, brushing a feather-light kiss across her knuckles “You’ll have to figure that out for yourself,” he murmured

To all who observed, he was the soul of propriety, but Hyacinth caught the daring gleales of electricity rushed across her skin Her lips parted, but she had nothing to say, not a single word There was nothing but air, and even that seemed in short supply

And then he straightened as if nothing had happened and said, “Do let me knohat you decide”

She just stared at him

“About the compliment,” he added “I am sure you ish to let me kno I feel about you”

Her mouth fell open

He smiled Broadly “Speechless, even I’m to be commended”

“You—”

“No No,” he said, lifting one hand in the air and pointing toward her as if what he really wanted to do was place his finger on her lips and shush her “Don’t ruin it The moment is too rare”