Page 17 of The Wrong Duke

While she was sitting on her backside, he was still kneeling before her. Close to her... far too close. Their eyes were level as were their lips, and while it would be appropriate for the Duke to stand or move back, for reasons that she didn’t dare consider, she didn’t want him to.

“You know it wasn’t,” she snapped in an effort to shift the mood. “And you, Your Grace, are acting like a child.”

“Is that right?” he chuckled.

“Why can’t you leave me and Lord Malnor alone? Surely, by now, you see that I was telling you the truth. And the fact that you’re so persistent...” She couldn’t help but smirk, cocking an eyebrow at the same time. “I think it says more about your desires than my own.”

He leaned back. “Meaning?”

“Oh, come now.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t act as if you don’t know to what I speak. As if this is all just some effort to save your friend —”

“It is!”

“Really?” She looked at him dismissively. “Following me around. Refusing to leave my side. I admit, the kiss we shared was nice and everything, but... well, I’m afraid that I’m not interested.”

His expression darkened. “You know that’s not —”

“I know no such thing.” She crossed her arms, relishing the anger that was present in his eyes. The passion. “And if I didn’t know any better, why...” She looked about them. “This location. Hidden behind the tree.”

“Wh — what are you implying?”

“Thinking of stealing another kiss, are we? I’d be flattered if I wasn’t trying to court your best friend. But alas, I am. Because...” She met his eyes and held his stare, and her tone turned serious. “...that’s what I am doing. That’s all I’ve been doing. You’re the one acting like a lovesick puppy.”

“If I wanted to kiss you, Miss Baker, you would know it.”

“Is that right?” she scoffed. “Could have fooled me.”

For a moment, she thought he was going to snap at her. She could see the flare behind his eyes, that desire to prove her wrong and slap her down as a means to defend his honor. For a moment, she thought she’d crossed a line.

“You don’t care about my friend,” he said, seeming to shift closer to her. Or maybe that was her imagination.

“I do.”

“You never have.”

“That’s all I’ve done.”

“Given the chance, if something better came along, you’d happily jump ship. Admit it.”

“I’ll do no such thing.” She kept her arms crossed, eyes meeting his, non-blinking as the two looked at one another as if daring the other to back down.

“That’s it then? You refuse to admit it?”

“I never will.”

She could feel the tension growing between them. A sort of energy that if pushed a little further might set the tree alight behind them. The sun burned overhead. The grass sizzled beneath where they sat. Sparks seemed to fly, an energy that she mistook for anger... until she didn’t.

“Have it your way,” His Grace said, only to lean forward suddenly, pucker his lips, and kiss her with such passion and fire and intensity that despite the shock of the moment, all Amelia could think to do was kiss him back.

And so, she did.

CHAPTERSEVEN

The kiss went for longer than Amelia was expecting. Not that she was expecting the kiss in the first place, but once it began, once His Grace’s lips pressed against her own, once she registered it, accepted it, realized what was happening... it simply didn’t stop.

It wasn’t like the first time the two kissed. Not even close.

Their lips caught fire in a way that Amelia couldn’t have predicted. So hot that she nearly pulled back as if it burned her. But then she grew used to it, found herself craving it, let that fire build as she pressed her lips harder against the Duke’s.

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