Page 29 of Dueling the Suitors

“Oh, darling, you think I am trying to woo you?” He laughed, deep and rich.

Astoria narrowed her eyes into slits. “What did you just call me?” she asked slowly, menacingly, even though she had heard him quite well.

Silas tilted his head and grinned devilishly. “Why, do you want me to call you that again?” He paused, and before she could retort, he crooned huskily, “Oh, darling…”

Astoria flushed at his seductive tone. Her anger flared up. “You—You—Leave me alone if you want to stay in one piece!”

If possible, he only looked more amused. “Are you threatening me, beloved?”

Her fluster deepened.Beloved!He must have a death wish.

“Let me be clear.” Astoria shook a furious finger at him. “I am not, and I never will be, your belovedanything.” Before he could interject with another infuriating response or worse, an endearment, she added, “And if you ever call me that again, you better hope I don’t murder you in your sleep, Mr. Silas!”

Her words had no desired effect on him. From the way his eyes twinkled, she knew she was getting another infuriating response from him.

“Oh my, my, are you already thinking of sharing a bed with me, darling?” he tsked with a cocky grin.

Astoria’s jaw dropped, and judging by the heat overtaking her face, she bet she looked like a tomato. He wasn’t satisfied with humiliating her in front of her people, but he had to take every opportunity to do so in private as well?

If she could drop dead now, she would be immensely grateful. Another second of this humiliation was more torture than what she endured back at dinner.

But, she wasn’t dropping dead, nor was anyone coming to her rescue. She should face this head-on, just like she’d faced all her other suitors. And luckily for her, she knew just how to turn the tables.

Astoria put on a seductive smile and batted her eyes. Something like surprise raced across his face, and that was enough encouragement for her to push forward with her game.

“Perhaps I am,” she said in a tone she hoped was sultry and stepped forward until she was right in front of him, their bodies nearly brushing. She tilted her head and looked into his eyes boldly, placing a hand on his chest. “I bet you are too.”

She trailed her hand down, feeling the hard planes of his body, and was surprised by how it sent her heart racing like a wild horse.

She hadn’t expected that, and her face burned at the realization that he was the first man she wasn’t related to that she had touched. And so intimately. But she couldn’t lose her composure now; she needed to play this right.

Silas’ smirk was unwavering as he caught her wrist, ending her touch as he pried her hand off him. He held it in the air. Astoria’s smile had almost turned into a victorious smirk, but he leaned down hastily and murmured, “I know what you are doing, Princess. I assure you, it’s not working.”

Astoria’s breath caught, both by the nearness of his face and at his words. Perhaps, this wasn’t the best decision, after all. She wasn’t an expert in flirting or had flirted at all. All she wasgood at with men who tried to woo her was insulting them. Apparently, even that did not affect this man.

What was he made of? Stone? Iron?

“If you do not step back, I might be tempted to kiss you.”

Astoria jumped back, putting a decent distance between them. She glared at him. “And then my brother—mybrothers—would make entertainment out of punching you.”

“You forget I can defend myself better than anyone else in the entire kingdom.”

Astoria withheld the urge to punch his smirking face herself. “For a street performer, you have an enormous ego and quite the nerve.”

“That might be the nicest thing you have spoken to me today.”

Astoria picked up her skirts. She couldn’t stand with him for another second. “Well, good—bad night! Have a nightmarish sleep, Mr. Silas!”

With that, she stomped past him towards the castle. He had to ruin not only her day but her night and a peaceful garden stroll as well. Aggravating man!

Silas laughed from behind, seemingly pleased with himself. “I’m looking forward to marrying you, Princess! Life with you is going to be so entertaining.”

Oh, he had better hope she didn’t strangle him before their wedding day! She could barely tolerate him for five minutes, let alone two days or a lifetime. If her brothers somehow came up with a loophole and saved her, she would be forever in their debt.

If not, she would go from the Unyielding Princess to a mad woman in no time.

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