“Lilah, that’ll be all,” said Mr. Morgan.
Delilah’s eyes flew wide. “The scene’s not finished.”
“But we are,” Mr. Morgan tossed over his shoulder, already halfway across the stage. “Let’s try again next week once you’ve had a little more time on the stage under your belt. Stage fright gets everyone at the beginning.”
Delilah had never once experienced stage fright in her life. She was opening her mouth to say exactly that, but Mr. Morgan was already gone, his usual tuneless whistle trailing in his wake.
Helpless frustration replaced whatever other feeling that had been coursing through her moments ago. She’d allowed precious opportunity to slip through her fingers. And why?
Because of the man standing before her with an assessing, cocked angle to his head.
She only just realized she was still holding his hand, which was now fully cradling her head, angling her face up, her mouth only inches from his…so close all she had to do was lift onto her toes to know the taste and texture of his lips…
Then she remembered she was damned angry at this man.
With one giant, ungainly step backward, she broke the contact—and the spell he’d cast over her. “It would be best if you stayed away from me for the rest of the summer.” Even as the words passed her lips, her body cried out in protest.
Well, one part of her body.
He nodded slowly. “I can do that, but…”
“But?”
“Can you stay away from me?”
The arrogance of the man!
“Of course I can stay away from you,” she scoffed.
A single eyebrow lifted. In case she’d forgotten he was a duke. “You think so?”
“Of course,” she repeated with growing certainty.
“Even after…” he trailed.
“Even after?”
Oh, why was she still standing here? Why was she allowing him to continue?
They both kneweven afterwhat.
And to speak it aloud…
Well, no good could possibly come from that.
“Even after you’ve had a taste of what I can give you.”
There went her breath again. “A taste?” she asked without thinking. It wasn’t her mind asking the question.
His smile went more than a little wicked. “Oh, there’s more.” A beat. “Much.”
And with that, he pivoted on his heel and strode—possibly swaggered—off the stage, leaving Delilah alone.
Nay, not alone. She had his last word to keep her company.
Much.
And the certainty it would plague her dreams tonight.
