Not because he wanted to show her off or any of that nonsense. It was more than that, she was the reason that his mood soared the way it did. Opening up to her about his past was one thing, and Evander still could not believe that he had been so honest with her – never in his life had he been that way.
More importantly, what they had done together…if that is not a reason to smile, I do not know what is.
Was it wrong? Was it a sign of Evander’s weaknesses and lack of self-control? And did he even care? Yes, he had promised he would not give in to his desire and that he would be able to resist her. But she had found him at his weakest, she had seen him at his most vulnerable, and she had pulled him from that state of wretchedness in ways that he still could not believe.
What would happen next? Where would they go from here? Evander could not say. What he did know, what he was certain of, was that he was far from done with Miss Finch yet.
Based on our kiss earlier, I dare to say that she is far from done with me.
So, he walked to the kitchen in good spirits, even humming softly to himself. Such was his state of mind, fitted firmly on Miss Finch in that yellow gown, that it wasn’t until he was in the kitchen that he realized it was not as empty as he thought.
“Your Grace!” Miss Finch stood by the sink, a glass of water in hand, a look of utmost surprise painted across her face.
Evander started when he saw her.
The moon shone through the window so that it colored her face white and made her skin glow. Her eyes glimmered, and her full lips glistened. Her hair was worn out, flowing thick down her back. And as Evander’s eyes roamed, he saw that she was wearing just a nightshift… one which turned translucent in the moon’s white light.
He licked his lips without thought, seeing her gentle curves in her shift immediately, and the way her nipples hardened and poked through the silk. His leg started to shake…
“Miss Finch.” Evander contained himself, collected his surprise, and strode into the kitchen. “This is a surprise.”
Excited now, he was glad to have found her like this. Although he should not have done so, Evander felt a little guilty over how he had ignored Miss Finch all evening. And while he had already explained to her the reason for it, he still felt as if there was much left unsaid between them.
And a little more than that…
“I might say the same to you,” she said with a raised eyebrow and a discerning look. “I hope you’re not following me.”
Evander didn’t even try and hide his smile. If there was one thing he liked about Miss Finch more than anything, it was her brash nature and tendency to always fight back rather than cower. She was brave. She was stubborn. And she did not back down from a fight.
“This is my home, Miss Finch,” he countered. “I should not have to justify why I find myself in the kitchen at this late hour. You, however…” He looked at her pointedly. “Sneaking about, waiting for me.”
“I was not –”
“Do I need to institute a new rule?” he spoke over her. “Not that there would be much of a point. It is not as if you would follow it.”
“I would do my best, but I cannot promise anything,” she laughed and held up her glass of water. “In this instance, this is a mere coincidence and nothing more. I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I would have a glass of water. I pray that is acceptable.”
“I’ll allow it,” he said. “But only because I came here for the same. Let’s call that a lucky coincidence.”
“Oh? And why is it lucky?”
“Because, if not for this lucky coincidence, I would not have run into you just now.” He dropped the coy nature of his tone, wanting her to see that he was being serious.
As much as Evander enjoyed their banter, especially how she tested him like nobody else did, he enjoyed even more the reaction he was able to pull from Miss Finch when their conversations turned toward more suggestive topics.
She wanted him, he knew. She desired him as much as he did her. It was wrong, it was something that should have never happened, but now that it had, Evander knew there was little chance of it stopping. He had her taste in his mouth, and he wanted more.
“This is true…” He noticed her swallow the lump in her throat. “Lucky us. Thank God I could not sleep.”
His first thought was to start flirting with her again.
Yesterday still sat fresh in his mind, and the kiss that they had shared earlier today was fresher still. She had looked good in the yellow gown he bought for her, but it was incomparable to the shift that draped over her body right now.
And I sense that she would look better still without that shift on…
Evander was about to step towards her, make a teasing comment, perhaps test her to see what he could get away with, and what it might take for her to give in, as he knew that she would. However, before he got the chance, he noticed something else.
It was the way the moon shone across her face that made him start and stare. It was how the light made her skin sparkle, and her eyes glimmer. She looked otherworldly, the stuff of dreams, and while she was beautiful and perfect in ways which words could not describe, there was just something about Miss Finch at that moment that Evander was desperate to capture.
