“Seduc—” I shoved hard against his chest, and not because I wished to test its solidity for myself. He allowed the distance, that ridiculous grin more smug than before.
Dreadful man.
“I asked you here because we need to discuss our agreement. That is all, Lieutenant. Though I doubt your delirious mind will ever believe a woman would only want you for a conversation.”
His lips pursed as he nodded. “You're right. I cannot believe that is true. You must want something more from me.” He wet his lips, slowly and on purpose, so my eyes would follow the movement.
“You are insufferable,” I said.
“Yet you are still sending me love notes and staring at my lips.”
“I wasnotstaring at your lips, and they are not love notes. I make a point to insult you at least twice each time.”
“But they are such lovely insults. Poetic, even.” He fluttered his long, dark lashes at me.
I rolled my eyes and bit back a groan. Best to get this over with so I could be done dealing with this man. After today, I never had to see him again.
I ignored the strange tightness that constricted my stomach at the thought. “Our ruse is at an end. I’m leaving Town tomorrow morning and no longer need you to keep suitors at bay.”
His incorrigible smirk disappeared in an instant. “What? We had an agreement.”
I lifted my chin. “Indeed, but as my family is for our country estate, I cannot see how it can be helped.”
Something flashed in his eyes, an emotion I couldn’t quite name. “Did you orchestrate this? We had a deal, Annette. You and I were to fake a courtship, so I was free to go about my business without being hounded by every eligible lady of theton.”
“Noteverylady has an obsession with you,” I snapped, choosing to ignore that he had, once again, used my Christian name without permission. Though even I would admit that he did have a rather persistent group of admirers. They had eased off since rumor of our courtship began, and part of me felt guilty for throwing him to the wolves again.
A very small, minuscule part.
“Not every lady. Clearly.” He shook his head. “Not the untouchable Miss Apsley, whose impenetrable heart makes no room for me.”
I poked a finger into his chest. It was very solid, much to my chagrin. “Why would I make room for you? Our courtship is a ruse. There is nothing real about it. We are not even friends.”
He inhaled, and I must have imagined him shifting closer. Still, I had to lift my chin higher to hold his gaze from beneath my bonnet. He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. “Perhaps if you had not been so set against me from the moment we met, we might have been friends. Regardless, it is not just me you push away, but every potential suitor, no matter how decent and good his character may be.”
“I do notwanta suitor. I do not care if he has a title or is rich beyond reason. He could be the most handsome man in the world and rescue orphans on the daily, and I would still not want him. I wish for a life of independence and will manage well enough on my own.”
His jaw clenched. “I’ve no doubt, but that does not erase the fact that we had an agreement.”
“Which is now at an end. I’m certain you can find another woman to replace me. Surely any one of your devoted admirers would take up the mantle. As there were never any genuine feelings—”
“Only feelings of profound loathing.”
I scowled, though I should have welcomed the remark. It should not have stung. Itdid not. “Agreed, I loathe you completely, and it shan’t be difficult to terminate our relationship.”
His fiery gaze flicked to my lips, and he leaned forward until our faces were inches apart. “Walking away will be easy.”
My heart drummed against my chest, and I fought a ridiculous desire to reduce the distance between us. “A trifle.”
“Effortless.” His voice, now a low whisper, sent a chill through me.
We were too close now—closer than I could ever recall being to a man. I could see the differing hues within his dark eyes, which were more than the deep brown I had assumed them to be. They held flakes of gold and even green, dotting his irises like colored stars against the night sky.
And they pulled me in with some strange, mystical force until our breaths intermingled and the warmth of his body enveloped me. My gaze dropped to his lips, and my chest rose and fell at a pace meant for something far more exhilarating.
Edward Paget was not responsible for this heady sensation. He simply could not be. But, oh, how I wanted to find out. To prove myself correct.
Which of us eliminated the distance, I could not say, but his mouth found mine in the shadows of the alley. His movements were eager—hungry—and I might have chided him were my own not a mirror. With his kiss, I felt every ounce of his passion and desire, things I had not thought him capable of before now. He was a flirt and a tease, but this zeal exceeded any expectation I could have imagined for a kiss, especially from him.
