Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes Read Online Free Page B

sent a tingle down her spine as he let
    go of her arm.
    Her brain paused in mid- whirl. This was a stranger.
    A complete and utter stranger, and she’d just popped
    through the mirror and into his arms like she belonged
    there. No wonder he was treating her like she was crazy.
    If she was when she thought she was, this was a huge
    breach of etiquette. But she couldn’t quite dismiss the
    idea that she had the right guy. She shivered. Lord, if he
    was this gorgeous while he was pissed, how incredible
    would he look when he was happy and laughing?
    “Listen, Your Grace, I’m really sorry. I know this is
    strange and sudden and completely crazy. Just give me a
    chance, okay?” And then she winked at him in a bold
    attempt to lighten the mood.
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    Instead of the delighted laugh she’d been hoping for,
    she got a cold stare in return. “Miss, I am not in a posi-
    tion 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 uncer-
    tainty keeping her eyes glued downward. This wasn’t
    how she 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
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    Gina Lamm
    Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes
    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