Page 26 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
Evan’s smile widened as he produced a small handwritten note from his coat pocket, a flourish to his movement. “I beg to differ, Lady Minerva. It seems I was invited after all.”
Minerva’s eyes narrowed as she recognized the familiar handwriting on the note. Chastity’s elegant script stared back at her. “Of course,” she muttered, snatching the note from his hand. “Chastity.”
Why did it have to be him?Minerva thought, her grip tightening on the note. Of all the people Chastity could be secretly courting, it had to be Evan. A rake, a disruption, a man who seemed determined to unbalance her at every turn.
“You sound displeased,” Evan noted with a hint of mischief. “Surely you aren’t upset that I came.”
She shot him a glare, folding the note and tucking it away. She took another few steps down the path, looking for her maid for salvation. “Obviously, I did not invite you, and my sister has no business inviting guests without my approval.”
Evan leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a more intimate tone. “Ah, but aren’t you glad? The party was so dreadfully dull before I arrived.”
Minerva’s heart pounded as the conversation felt far too personal, but she maintained her composure. “Hardly. Everything was running perfectly well until you decided to disrupt it.”
Evan chuckled, the sound low and amused as he took another step toward her, the shadows of the pergola casting them in near darkness. “Disrupt?” he repeated, his tone thick with amusement. “I thought I was improving it.”
“You would,” Minerva breathed, rolling her eyes.
“You know,” Evan began, his tone lighter, his smirk a touch softer than before, “you’re quite impressive when you’re managing everything so perfectly. It is almost a shame to distract you. Almost.”
She huffed, folding her arms across her chest in a futile attempt to shield herself from the palpable tension growing between them. She tried to return them to the topic at hand. “As much as you protest about not knowing my sister, this situation makes you look like a liar.”
“I still think it was you that invited me,” Evan responded, his smile calm and infuriatingly self-assured, like a cat toying with its prey.
Minerva’s eyes flashed with irritation, her pulse quickening despite herself. “You swore you’d never met my sister before, so why would she invite you?” she snapped, her voice rising with confusion as much as frustration. “Explain that.”
Evan grinned, clearly savoring the moment. “Perhaps after our little encounter, I found a way to introduce myself,” he mused, his voice soft and teasing, as though he enjoyed drawing out her discomfort.
Minerva’s jaw clenched, her irritation bubbling over. The idea of him speaking with Chastity was infuriating. “Why would you do that, Your Grace?” she demanded, her words biting, though the undercurrent of unease in her chest continued to grow.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze unwavering as it held hers. “Maybe I wanted to enjoy your company again,” he replied, the teasing tone still there, but something deeper lurking beneath it now, something that set her pulse racing even faster. “Maybe I would like to show you that you cannot control everything. Or everyone, perhaps.”
Minerva raised an eyebrow, refusing to let him see how much he unsettled her.
“Your Grace,” Minerva said, folding her arms tightly across her chest, “if you have come here simply to provoke me, you have succeeded. Now, if you would kindly return to the rest of the guests?—”
“Provoke you?” Evan interrupted, feigning shock. “Is that what you think of me? I came to offer my assistance, perhaps to relieve you of some burden.”
“Relieve me?” Minerva raised a skeptical brow. “Youarethe burden.”
“Can it not be both?” Evan took another step, the distance between them now almost nonexistent. The murmur of the party had faded entirely, leaving only the soft rustle of leaves and the hum of tension that crackled between them.
Minerva’s pulse quickened, heat rushing to her face. She glanced around quickly, realizing how far they had wandered from the party. It was just the two of them now, hidden in the secluded path of the garden, the hedge-lined walkway wrapping aroundthem like a cocoon. The silence between them stretched, heavy and unbearable.
Finally, she lifted her chin, forcing herself to meet his gaze with a firm stare. “What will it take,” she asked coolly, her voice steady though her heart pounded in her chest, “for you to leave me alone?”
Evan did not immediately respond. He stood still for a moment, his eyes scanning her face with an intensity that made her skin prickle. His lips curved, that maddening smirk deepening as though he found her challenge endlessly amusing. He took a slow, measured step closer, his movements deliberate, almost lazy.
“What do I want?” he murmured, as though mulling it over. His eyes flicked down to her lips, lingering for a moment before lifting back to meet her gaze. “I think,” he said, his voice dropping lower, “I want a kiss.”
“A kiss?” Minerva’s voice was barely more than a whisper, yet it carried the full weight of her indignation. “How utterly absurd.”
“Not absurd,” Evan countered, his tone maddeningly calm. “Bold, perhaps. But I have always believed boldness has its merits.”
The words sent a shockwave through Minerva. A kiss?No. Absolutely not.Her heart raced, the heat in her cheeks rising faster than she could control. She could feel her palms goingcold, despite the warmth of the afternoon, but she refused to acknowledge the impact of his request.
Minerva was acutely aware of the heat radiating from him, the subtle scent of cedar and something distinctly him. It was maddening how his presence seemed to fill every corner of her thoughts, even as she tried to focus on anything else.
Minerva lifted her chin higher, forcing steel into her spine. She could not believe that he would dare kiss her, not there in the gardens, mere steps from so many people. She arched her eyebrow daringly.
