Page 4 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
Two
The woman stilled in Evan’s grip, though her chest still rose and fell with quick, irritated breaths. Her eyes flashed, and the muffled sounds escaping from under his hand made it clear she wasn’t planning to stay silent much longer.
“Do you always have to make things so difficult?” he muttered, his grip on her tightening slightly.
She grunted, trying once more to twist away from him, her body shifting against his in the cramped space.
“Stop that, ” he warned, leaning his head down toward her, their faces far too close for comfort.
The woman shot him a furious look, her eyes narrowing to slits.
“You are being ridiculous,” Evan whispered.
Her response was another muffled grunt, and this time he could just make out, “Let me go.”
“Not a chance,” Evan said, his voice low and firm. “Not when being caught like this would lead to a scandal neither of us can afford.”
Her glare sharpened, and though she stilled her body, the tension between them felt like a tightly wound spring. Evan couldn’t deny the odd thrill of it—the fire in her, the way she refused to submit.
Evan exhaled quietly, straining to hear whatever was going on outside their little closet. The voices outside had faded a bit, but the men were still lingering near the library shelves, searching for whatever book had brought them here.Just a bit longer, he thought, trying to stay focused.
The woman shifted again, pressing against him. Her movement caused a soft scuffling sound, and Evan tensed, his hand tightening over her mouth.
Her eyes blazed in response, her entire body stiff with fury. She clearly wasn’t enjoying being manhandled—not that I am enjoying this either,Evan thought dryly.
It was strange—most women who encountered him were all too willing to make themselves known, especially in such an intimate situation. But this one, whoever she was, seemed to be more interested in fighting him off than swooning. She had not even paused to introduce herself, and that left him off-balance.
Another noise escaped her throat, this one slightly muffled, but the meaning was clear enough:You will regret this.
Evan rolled his eyes. Miss, this is not how I’d planned to spend this evening, either.”
She shot him a glare that could have melted stone, but she didn’t try to speak again.
Just as he began to relax, thinking they might be in the clear, the woman shifted her weight again—this time brushing her lips against the edge of his thumb as she exhaled. It was a slight, unintentional touch, but it sent an unexpected jolt through him.
His body tensed, and he clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the sudden awareness of how close they were. This wasn’t the time to be distracted by... whatever this was.
Finally, the voices outside began to recede, the men moving farther away from the closet. Evan loosened his grip on the woman ever so slightly, though he still did not release her.
“We are almost clear,” he whispered, leaning in just enough for her to hear. “You will be free to scold me all you want in a moment.”
She gave him a pointed look, the promise of retribution clear in her eyes. Evan nearly smiled—her spirit was something else entirely.
But before either of them could relax, the woman turned her head, her voice sharp as she spoke into his hand. “How dare you?—”
Evan’s reflexes were quick. His hand clamped back over her mouth, firmer this time. “For heaven's sake, stop talking,” he hissed. “I have no intent of getting a special license tonight.”
Her eyes widened in outrage, and before he could react, she bit him.
Evan yanked his hand away with a muffled grunt, staring at her in disbelief. “You bit me!” he whispered, his voice mixed with shock and amusement.
“And I will do it again if you do not stop acting like a rake,” she hissed, her voice low but fierce.
Evan rubbed his hand, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I suppose I deserved that.”
“You deserve far worse,” she shot back, her voice laced with venom. “This is all your fault!”
“How is this my fault?” Evan demanded. “For all your talk of finding a young lady alone with a man, you were the one running around by yourself without a chaperone.”
