Hold Your Breath 01 - Stone Devil Duke by K.J. Jackson Read Free Book Online

goose bumps. She reached back to tuck the piece into her upsweep, but bumped into something very solid.
    A hand.
    A hand at the back of her neck.
    Not a piece of hair blowing in the breeze. A hand.
    Whirling around, a scream stuck in her throat and came out as a tiny croak.
    H er pathetic croak smothered into an exasperated groan when she saw what she spun to.
    S taring down at her were the most unusual steel grey eyes she had ever seen. Eyes that were completely unmistakable—it was her fare from last night.
    Her shock mutated into anger at being needlessly frightened. “Blazes bite your ass, sir. Only a hell-bound rogue would sneak onto a lady like that.”
    “Hello there, nymph. ” He inclined his head. “Not exactly the enthusiastic greeting I was expecting, but it will suffice. And it is good to know you have such a tongue.”
    “ What—” Aggie’s eyes darted back and forth on the balcony as she sputtered, “what are you doing here?”
    What the blazes? How in the world had this gentleman just shown up at a party she was attending? Aggie fought for breath. And not only had he shown up, but he appeared with the audacity to tickle the back of her neck.
    “Not the wittiest reply I have heard this evening, Aggie. But I realize after our last encounter you had hoped—nay, prayed—that I would fall into the dark, forgotten abyss of which you must throw many men.”
    He moved to the railing next to her, casually leaning on it. Body frozen, arms at her sides, her head followed him. She knew her jaw was open, but she couldn’t quite manage to close it.
    “You really must be more selective of the men yo u pick up in your coach, my dear. It would not do at all to have your dance card filled with past fares now, would it?”
    His eyebrow cocked in mock question as he looked down on her. “Much less with the men that you have invited to a shoot-out.”
    A couple rounded the terrace corner from a shadowed cove on his last words. The lady’s flushed face wrinkled in puzzlement at the comment, but the man at her arm smirked, obviously taking a different inference to the words, “shoot-out.”
    “Evening, your grace .” The man tilted his head in passing as the couple passed on their way back to the ballroom. “Nice to see you out and about this fine evening.”
    Her fare nodded politely toward the gentleman and lady. Aggie forced her head to incline in acknowledgement at the passing couple.
    The couple moved o ut of ear-shot, and her fare bent to whisper in her ear. “No need to worry about loose lips from those two. His heiress is inside looking for him.”
    Separating, the couple disappeared into the ball, and Aggie’s eyes veered back to her fare, only to be met by his penetrating gaze. Her breath caught.
    He was waiting for something from her. Patiently.
    Then i t hit her. Without mercy, the full implication of the man’s greeting to her fare snuck up and clubbed her.
    “ Your grace…” Her earlier croak resurfaced. “Really? Your grace?”
    She grabbed the fan that had been delicately dangling from her wrist and spastically twisted it in her hands. There was only one duke in attendance here tonight. She spun on her heel away from him, taking a step. Then she whipped back to him.
    “Please , sir…” Voice trailing, she turned away again, then back. She stared at his chest, attempting another start at words. “I…”
    It wasn’t successful. H er mouth went dry. She lost all words, not even attempting to hide her shock.
    Speechless, she stared at his chest, until the silence became awkward. Finally, realizing the twit she was making of herself, her eyes lifted to his.
    What she saw in his grey eyes was complete amusement. Amusement at her uncontrolled emotions—realization, disbelief, outrage, and just plain dumbstruck. She’d shot through them all—openly displayed them, like an idiot. Easy amusement for the duke.
    It was rude of her to react as she did. But even ruder of him to find laughter in