Page 27 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
Perhaps, if he thinks he has won, then he will let me be.
“Fine,” she snapped, her tone sharp with defiance. “Then get it over with.”
Eleven
Evan couldn’t help but savor the shift in Minerva’s expression as his words settled between them. The way her breath caught ever so slightly, the flicker of surprise that danced across her face—it was exactly the reaction he had been hoping for. He held her gaze, watching the subtle wariness creep into her usually composed demeanor.
The garden around them was a quiet, secluded corner, far enough from the chattering guests that the only sounds were the distant rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. The scent of summer blooms filled the air, but Evan’s senses were far more attuned to Minerva, to the way the sunlight filtered through the trees and cast a warm glow on her face.
His smirk widened, amusement lighting his eyes as he tilted his head, studying her. She was putting on a brave front, but he could see the crack in her armor, the slightest sign of her faltering composure.
“Fine?” he echoed, his voice dripping with mock offense, as though her response had genuinely wounded him. “You make it sound like such a dreadful chore.”
Minerva’s lips pressed into a thin, tight line, her narrowed eyes shooting daggers at him. Her irritation only deepened the flush in her cheeks, and Evan felt a surge of satisfaction at the sight. There was something thrilling about watching her struggle to keep her emotions in check, knowing full well that he was the one unraveling her control.
“Isn’t that what you are after?” she retorted, her voice sharp and clipped. “Another conquest? Another victory to add to your collection?”
Evan chuckled softly, the sound rich with mischief. Her accusations were nothing new, and yet coming from her, they stung just a little. But he pushed that aside, choosing instead to revel in the game they were playing.
“You wound me,” he said, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk. His tone carried a playful note of reproach, his eyebrow arching slightly as he took a deliberate step closer. The space between them narrowed, his presence filling the air with a heat that thickened the already tense atmosphere. “Do I really seem that desperate?”
But the truth was, her sharp words cut far deeper than he’d ever let on. Still, if teasing her kept her engaged, kept her from walking away, he’d keep doing it. Better her irritation than her indifference.
“Persistent is the word I would use,” she scoffed, though there was the faintest tremor in her voice. “You are nothing if not relentless.”
Evan’s eyes sparkled, the light teasing in his voice deepening. “I admit, I enjoy a challenge,” he said smoothly. “And you, my lady, are perhaps the most intriguing challenge I have encountered in some time.”
Minerva huffed, crossing her arms in a show of defiance. “You must have a very poor understanding of women if you think flattery alone will get you anywhere with me.”
He leaned in, just a fraction, enough to lower his voice and draw her into the teasing intimacy of their conversation. “Oh, Minerva, I have never reliedsolelyon flattery. That would be too... predictable, do you not think?”
Minerva’s brow arched. “If your interest was anything more than a passing diversion, I would be shocked.”
He could feel the frustration rolling off her, the way her tone sharpened. But he wasn’t about to back down.
“Nothing shocks me anymore, Minerva.” His gaze drifted briefly to her lips before he looked back into her eyes. “Though I was hoping you’d make this a little more... interesting.”
Evan’s eyes flicked to her lips for the briefest of moments, his gaze lingering there before returning to meet hers. There wassomething thrilling about testing Minerva’s boundaries, pushing her to react.
Minerva raised an eyebrow, her skepticism as sharp as ever, her tone laced with irritation. “There is nothing about this conversation that interests me in the slightest.”
Evan’s smirk only grew, a wicked spark lighting his eyes. “Liar,” he whispered, his voice soft, almost conspiratorial. He leaned in just a fraction closer, enough for his presence to press against her space. “I think you find this very interesting.”
Minerva’s reaction was subtle—a slight flare of her nostrils, a quick inhale—but he caught it. Her face betrayed nothing more than a carefully controlled frustration, but the faintest signs of flustered energy in her posture said otherwise. Her composure was slipping, even if she would rather die than acknowledge it.
Minerva, however, wasn’t one to be easily bested.
“You are absurd,” she managed, though her voice betrayed her, lacking the sharp edge she was trying to wield. She was fighting to maintain control, and Evan found that struggle intoxicating.
“Am I?” His grin turned into a slow, teasing smile, the kind that usually left women blushing or stammering. But Minerva? She stood her ground, though he could see the cracks forming in her composure. That only made it more entertaining. “Tell me, then. If you are so unaffected, why haven’t you walked away?”
He watched her jaw tighten, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. She was annoyed, yes, but there was something else there too, something deeper—an undeniable pull she did not want to acknowledge. Evan thrived on that push and pull, the game they were playing, even if Minerva refused to admit she was playing at all.
“I tried,” she snapped, her irritation breaking through, her voice clipped. “Youfollowed me.”
Evan tilted his head in agreement, a playful glint still in his eye. “True,” he conceded, letting the word hang between them for a moment before he added, “But you are still here. You could walk away now if you really wanted to.”
“Why you believe shadowing me serves you, I cannot imagine,” Minerva said, her tone sharp, though her voice faltered slightly.
