There was something inherently seductive about the stranger. Where Leo was cute and charming, this man was something darker. Enticing and wicked. A promise and a secret.
If I weren’t here with Leo…
Evelyn blinked back into focus when she realized she was staring at him. He absolutely noticed her attention and seemed pleased by it.
“Are you here with the prince?” he asked.
Evelyn cocked her head. “Of course not. I don’t even know the prince.”
The man laughed.
Evelyn crossed her arms. “Am I amusing you?”
“Actually, yes. I see why the prince likes you so much.”
“I told you I’m not with the prince.”
She glanced over to check on Leo. But the man moved around the table impossibly fast and stood in front of her, blocking her view.
He smells of pine, like he’s been out in the woods all day. Not sure where, since there definitely aren’t any evergreen trees nearby.
The scent reminded Evelyn of home and she relaxed.
“If you aren’t with him,” the man said, tugging on a lock of her hair, “then you should come with me.”
Half of Evelyn was eager to agree, and the other half was annoyed by his audacity. That part won and she tugged her hair back. “I’m here with someone else. And you haven’t even bothered to tell me your name.”
He smirked like this was a game and he knew how to cheat. “You want honesty?”
“Yes, that’s typically a good quality in a person,” Evelyn teased, trying to hide her excitement at his proximity.
I don’t even know him! How can my body react so strongly to a stranger?
“Okay,” the man said. “My name is Haydn. My birthday is January 13. My favorite color is red, like your hair.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes at the juvenile introduction. But Haydn leaned down to whisper the next part in her ear, his breath a caress on her skin.
“And I want to drag you into a dark corner and fuck you until neither of us can remember our names.”
Evelyn gasped as heat rushed to her core.
I should slap him! Or maybe grab his collar and make him live up to his promise. I haven’t been with anyone since my father became king, like I became off-limits to men after moving into the castle. Even before that, they weren’t usually bold enough to say things like that to a lord’s daughter in public. But this man…
Haydn lifted her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Say yes, Princess.”
Gods help me, I want to…
Wait.
Princess?
I never gave him my name. Does he know who I am?
She took a step back. “How?—”
“Evelyn,” Leo called as he approached with drinks.
Haydn disappeared in the seconds she was distracted by Leo.
