A Pledge of Passion (The Rules of Engagement) by Victoria Vane Page B

the heart she hoped would be hers alone, just as he had already claimed hers.
    Feeling lost in the vast house, she retraced her steps to the same ballroom terrace she had exited the night before. She paused briefly on the steps to breathe in the crisp, moist spring air and then set out briskly with skirts raised to protect her hem from trailing in the dew that glistened on the closely cropped grass. She traversed the length of the parterre gardens that opened onto an expansive green whose wickets identified it as the duke's cricket grounds. She halted abruptly at the sight of a lone man in the distance with a bat in one hand and a basket at his feet. Her breath caught at the realization that it was Nick.
    He hadn't seen her. His attention appeared fixed on the basket. He reached into it and retrieved a ball, bouncing it in his hand a few times as if testing its weight. He then produced a long white object that she recognized as a stocking. He placed the ball inside it and tied it off. He was so engrossed he didn't seem to hear her approach. "Nick? What are you doing?"
    He looked up in surprise. "Mariah? You are an early riser. After the events of last night, I hardly expected to see you until the afternoon. I doubt the rest of the duke's guests will emerge from their chambers before then."
    She grinned. "I know it's not fashionable to confess, but I follow the habits of most country dwellers and always rise with the sun. What are you doing? Why did you put a ball inside a stocking?"
    "I'm practicing my batting, albeit not in the most ideal manner. Marcus was supposed to have come and bowled for me, but the blighter can't seem to pull himself from his conjugal bed."
    Mariah flushed but ignored the intimation. "Is there no one else to bowl for you?"
    "In truth, I would rather no one else sees me until I am certain I can still hit a bloody ball," he replied dryly.
    "Then how will you do it? I didn't know one could practice batting without a bowler."
    "I will suspend the ball from a tree branch. It's what I did as a boy."
    He proceeded to tie a long section of rope around the stocking and then looped it over a low-hanging branch of a nearby chestnut tree until the ball hung at mid-thigh level. He gave his handiwork a nod of approval and then shrugged out of his coat, tossing it carelessly to the ground. His waistcoat followed. He then stripped off his cravat and rolled back his shirtsleeves to expose his very masculine forearms. They were muscular and covered with a light dusting of dark hair.
    Mariah had never truly considered the male anatomy before, but now she found herself utterly enthralled by the sight of his bared arms. Her gaze tracked upward, noting even darker hair just below the exposed portion of his throat. The sight both fascinated her and filled her with questions. Did he have hair all over his body? Did he, like she, also have a thick thatch of it in his nether region? Her gaze reflexively flickered downward. He glanced up and caught her looking.
    "If I didn't know better, Lady Mariah, I would think you were ogling me."
    "Perhaps I am," she confessed.
    One dark chestnut brow cocked. "Then you compel me to ask if you like what you see."
    "Yes, Mr. Needham ," she replied with a boldness that surprised even herself. "I believe I do. Indeed, I find you altogether fascinating."
    "Do you? I find that remark terribly distracting. If you are going to continue to stare at me, I'm going to have great difficulty concentrating on my batting."
    "Do you wish for me to leave?" she asked, instantly disappointed.
    "No, I do not."
    "Might I remain if I promise not to ogle you?"
    "You may," he said with mock solemnity.
    "I could always bowl for you instead," she suggested.
    His brows rose. "You ? "
    "Yes, me," she replied indignantly. "I may not be the best, but surely I am better than nothing. At least I can bowl better than a tree limb. Besides, I seem to recall your promise to teach me proper batting technique. Here's our chance