Page 22 of A Virgin for the Forbidden Duke

She didn’t care if he followed her or not. She also didn’t care for his very manly, very desirable, hooded eyes. Most of all, she didn’t care for his lips. Not at all.

She stormed out to the garden, fuming, and a moment later, she heard his footsteps behind her.

Twirling, her eyes filled with anger, Agnes snapped, “I demand an explanation.”

Matthew, once again, raised his brow. “What explanation do you need so badly that we have to vacate the ball, Miss Agnes?”

Oh, goodness. The man was so infuriating!

Her mother would not appreciate her whacking a duke, but maybe Peggy would clap for her.

She lifted her chin. “What have I done to deserve such rudeness from you, Your Grace?”

Matthew was so taken aback by her blunt question that he was shocked for a second. Then, he cleared his throat. “I am not sure I know what you’re talking about, Miss Agnes.”

Agnes scoffed, “I’m not a fool, Your Grace. I would appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like one.”

Matthew sighed then, knowing he had to come out truthful. “It’s not you, Miss Agnes, but your mother. It’s her actions, the hurt she has caused my family.”

As he spoke, Matthew’s voice wavered with a mixture of anger and frustration, revealing the depth of his family’s grievances.

Agnes listened attentively and then sighed. “Well, we have that in common, then, Your Grace.”

Matthew paused, his gaze locking on Agnes’s as he processed her unexpected admission.

Should she have said that?

Maybe. Maybe not.

She wasn’t so sure of anything anymore, not when Matthew looked at her like that.

The atmosphere around them crackled with an undeniable attraction, the air growing heavy with their unspoken desires. Agnes gulped softly. She couldn’t help but notice how his dark, hooded eyes seemed to linger on her lips, sending shivers and goosebumps down her spine. His towering figure, his commanding presence, and the intoxicating scent of his cologne all combined to create a potent cocktail of desire within her.

Her breath came out in short bursts as she watched him. He was utterly desirable. But what they were talking about wasn’t all that desirable.

She took a deep breath. What was she to do?

She had no idea, and it was obvious the Duke had been really hurt by her mother and her harsh words.

Well, she knew what to do.

Agnes, her heart heavy with the weight of her mother’s actions, offered a heartfelt apology to Matthew for the hurt his family had endured. “I apologize for everything my family has done to hurt you all this while, and thank you for being truthful to me. Have a nice evening, Your Grace.”

She turned to leave, believing that she had fulfilled her mission of seeking him out. However, before she could take another step, he stopped her with a question that made her freeze.

She turned back to him. “Pardon?”

Matthew took a step closer, his dark eyes getting even darker. “Why did you come, Miss Agnes? You could have left me be.”

Agnes’s eyes reflected a mixture of determination and vulnerability as she gulped. “I thought… I thought we were closer after our moment that week, but now that I think of it, maybe I was being silly.”

It was true, their shared kiss had left a lingering connection between them, a connection that Agnes had assumed was mutual. But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Matthew, in response, teased her with a soft smile. “Did you wish for it to happen again, Miss Agnes?”

Agnes, determined to maintain her composure, replied with a measure of restraint, “No, Your Grace, Not anymore.”

She said the words, but it was obvious she was lying. She didn’t even seem to believe herself. How could Matthew believe her?

---