Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes

Instead of the delighted laugh she’d been hoping for, she got a cold stare in return. “Miss, I am not in a position to give you anything. I am Avery Russell, the Duke of Granville’s valet. And you are trespassing.”

The same strong hands that had caught her before she could fall to the ground pointed her toward the door.

“Wait,” she cried, grabbing at his arm. “I’m telling the truth!”

“A liar and a Bedlamite,” he growled as he pried her fingers from his. “You hid inside that bureau and crept out like a thief. I’ll listen to no more of this.”

“Please,” she begged, searching his still-grim features for some sign of compassion. “You’ve got to believe me.”

“Why?” He scowled down at her like he was a priest and she’d just spat in the communion wine.

Why? She stopped struggling. In an instant, the fight leaked out of her, leaving her muscles weak and useless. This had been the worst idea she’d ever had, and for Leah, that was saying something. She’d thought that the musical version of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes she’d staged would hold that trophy for the rest of her life.

“I…I don’t know.” Leah looked at the carpet beneath her feet. “You don’t have any reason to believe me.” She swallowed hard, trying her damnedest to get the lump in her throat out of the way so she could breathe.

He sighed. She didn’t look at him, fear and uncertainty keeping her eyes glued downward. This wasn’t how she’d expected things to go. Truth be told, she’d been picturing a fairy tale. Love at first sight happened, didn’t it?

But Avery Russell wasn’t the duke. So all she had to do was get to the real Duke of Granville. He’d fall in love with her, and everything would be fine. She took a deep breath.

“Mr. Russell, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been acting like a lunatic. Can I have a minute to explain? I promise, if you don’t believe me, I’ll get out of here without another word.” How she’d manage that she didn’t have a freaking clue, but she had to get him to listen.

His expression softened but barely. He nodded. “You have one minute.”

Great. And crap. What the hell could she say? Her brain buzzed, ideas flitting like deranged bumblebees, each one crazier than the last. She had to come up with something, anything. This was too important to screw up. The truth hadn’t worked so well. Maybe she should get a little bit more creative.

“Okay, listen to me. I’m from two hundred years in the future. My grandfather is a trained assassin. I’m his scout. We’ve discovered that there’s a threat to the duke’s life, and his only hope is for me to marry him and take him back to the future with me.”

He released her then but only to cover the bark of laughter that had escaped him at her ridiculous answer. Despite the gravity of the situation, she couldn’t help but smile at herself. That hadn’t been her best effort. Maybe she’d been watching too much Doctor Who lately.

Avery shook his head. “Your tales become more and more outrageous, Miss Ramsey.”

“Well, you wouldn’t believe the truth. I just wanted an adventure, and Mrs. Knightsbridge said my destiny was in this house. Would you turn down the chance to find your perfect love?”

He snorted in derision. “Love is a child’s fairy tale. And you must be more of a child than you seem to believe in such nonsense.”

Hot shame burned her cheeks. She crossed her arms in self-defense at his mocking tone. “So you don’t think the duke could be my true love? Even though Mrs. Knightsbridge has a hundred percent success rate?”

“It is impossible.” He shook his head. “As I said, you must be a foolish girl.”

Leah swallowed hard at the ridiculous knot in her throat. What did this stranger’s opinion matter? This was a once in a lifetime adventure, and she’d be damned if a stuffy valet would stand in her way. Mrs. Knightsbridge said her true love was here, and she owed it to her grandfather to find the best husband she possibly could. She gathered her courage and stared Avery straight in the eye. She hadn’t backed down from a challenge in her life, and she wasn’t about to start now.

“I am not a child, and I am not a fool. I know exactly what I’m doing, thank you very much.” With a confidence born of many years of acting classes, Leah smoothed her dress down her hips, willing them to twist slightly, enough to get his attention. “And if you don’t believe in love, that’s your problem.” Turning with a dramatic swish of her skirts, she strode to the other end of the massive chamber like a queen, making sure to twitch her ass. Tossing a look over her shoulder, she smiled when she saw the lustful fury brewing in his eyes. Teasing him shouldn’t make her this happy, but damn it, the stuffy jerk deserved it.

“Well, Miss Ramsey, who am I to stand in the way of true love?” The last words were said in a mocking tone so bitter that they made Leah wince. “If you should like to remain here, I will not stop you. You may look to Smythe for that honor.”

With a bow that was more mocking than respectful, the valet turned on his heel and left the room.

Leah sank down on the bed, rubbing her forehead. Why didn’t she feel triumphant? Hurdle number one had been cleared. So what was with the nervous bubble in her gut?

Swallowing her anxiety, she stood and took a deep, calming breath. Time to get her game face on and go round two with Mr. Smythe. This isn’t going to be easy, but then again, Leah thought as she exited the massive bedchamber, nothing worth doing usually is.

The corridor was wide enough to put a couple of pool tables end-to-end and still have room to play them both. Gilt-framed portraits spanned the huge hall that was lined with expensive furnishings, showpieces, and closed doors. Picking up a small vase from a marquetry table, Leah examined it in the critical way her Pawpaw had drilled into her since she was tiny.

“Holy cow,” she whispered to herself, and quickly put the ancient porcelain down. That piece could easily buy and sell a pretty nice Lexus a couple times over. Rubbing her suddenly sweaty palms against her borrowed costume skirt, Leah backed up to the wall to get another look at her surroundings. She was really beginning to worry that she was out of her league. And for a girl like Leah, who’d never met a challenge she didn’t want to fling herself face-first into, that was really saying something.

Four

“Thoughtless, foolish chit,” Avery snarled beneath his breath as he resumed his polishing. With all the fury he felt at the beautiful girl who’d waltzed into the room as if she belonged there, he rubbed at the scuff mark. That such a complete stranger had roused this much ire, and if he was honest, interest, made his blood bubble into an angry froth.

It was several moments later when the red fog of frustration left his brain that he looked down at the Hessian. Blinking in surprise, he realized he’d mangled it. The boot’s toe pointed toward the floor. A costly pair of His Grace’s boots had been ruined because Avery had not kept his wits about him. He’d allowed her to divert his focus, a lapse in vigilance that could have had unforgivable consequences.

Letting the boot drop to the floor, Avery looked up at the beamed ceiling. Drawing air deeply into his chest, he blew it out through pursed lips, concentrating on slowing the too-rapid thumping of his heart. The prayers that his pious father had beat into him at a young age ran through his head as Avery searched for a semblance of calm.

“Mr. Russell?”

The sweet, feminine voice with its altogether odd accent ran roughshod over his attempt at peace. His pulse surged, and he fought to maintain his focus on the wooden beams above his head.

“Mr. Russell, I’m really sorry about before. I was wondering if you could help me.”

He didn’t respond. Breathe in, hold it in…

“Oh, are you praying? I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll wait until you’re done.” She sat on the narrow bench beside him, her soft thigh pressing innocently against his knee. From the corner of his eye, he watched her bow her head and lace her delicate fingers together in her lap. Her long eyelashes fluttered closed.

She looked the very picture of piety, but it was impossible not to notice the way her breasts swelled above the neckline of her dress with each breath. The way her body bled heat into his. The way she smelled of sweet, exotic spices. All thoughts of calm and prayer forgotten, Avery leaned closer, trying to draw another breath of her