“That is true,” he admitted with a reluctant shake of his head.
“Lord Cunningham was pleasant…pleasantly quiet,” she continued, tilting her head thoughtfully.
“He is,” Damien agreed, his gaze returning to her face.
“Lord Everend was kind and surprisingly funny. I laughed quite often, actually,” Seraphine added softly, watching him carefully for a reaction.
Damien's jaw clenched almost imperceptibly before he schooled his expression once more. The movement was so slight shemight have imagined it. Yet she was almost certain she had not. The silence that followed lingered between them. And somehow it felt far more revealing than any words either of them had spoken.
“Thank you,” Seraphine said softly, clasping her hands before her. The words seemed to catch him off guard. His brows lifted slightly before settling again. For a man who always appeared prepared for battle, gratitude seemed to surprise him. He stared at her for a moment as though searching for some hidden meaning. The expression made her smile.
“For what?” Damien asked, shifting his weight as he regarded her carefully. His gaze settled on her face and remained there. Steady. Uncomfortable.
Attentive.
Seraphine suddenly became aware of every breath she took. The intensity of his attention made her pulse flutter.
“For helping me, of course. It is possible Lord Everend might be the one,” Seraphine replied, offering him a small smile as she lifted one shoulder in a faint shrug.
Damien's expression hardened by the smallest degree. “You are welcome,” he said after a pause, lowering his gaze briefly before meeting hers again. The moment stretched between them. Neither seemed quite willing to end it. The quiet felt oddly intimate.
“I can take matters from here,” Seraphine said at last, breaking the silence as she stepped back. She turned gracefully, intending to leave before the conversation became any stranger.
Or more intoxicating.
The decision felt sensible. Necessary, even. Unfortunately, Damien appeared to have other ideas. Before she had taken more than a step, he moved, blocking her path.
Chapter Ten
One second, she was walking away. The next he had stepped directly into her path. Her breath caught as she halted abruptly. The balcony suddenly felt much smaller. Much more private. The awareness of him seemed to fill every corner of the space. Seraphine looked up and found him locked onto her. She could smell the brandy on him and realized perhaps he had too much.
“That's all? he asked, folding his arms loosely across his chest as he blocked her path.
Seraphine lifted an eyebrow at him. “What?” she asked, tilting her head slightly as though genuinely confused.
His eyes narrowed with amusement. The expression made him look far too pleased with himself. She immediately distrusted it.
“Oh, now you dismiss me so easily, sweetheart?” Damien asked. The low note in his voice sent a strange warmth through her stomach.
Seraphine hated that she noticed such things. She hated it even more because he seemed aware of the effect. His smile deepened slightly. The man was insufferable.
“I hardly dismissed you,” Seraphine replied, lifting her chin as she met his gaze.
Damien gave a quiet huff of amusement. “You thanked me,” he said, “And now you're leaving.” He stepped closer.
“That is generally how conversations end,” she replied dryly. His mouth twitched. The hint of amusement only made him more irritating. Somehow, she suspected he enjoyed provoking her. Entirely too much.
“You seemed much more eager for my company the other night. In fact, I believed you wanted to be around me so much, you asked me to marry you,” Damien remarked, arching a brow as he watched her reaction.
Heat climbed her neck immediately.
Good heavens. The man truly has no tact.
Seraphine stared at him in disbelief. He looked entirely unrepentant. Naturally.
Seraphine rolled her eyes. The memory was embarrassing enough without his constant reminders. Yet he appeared determined never to let her forget it.
“I asked for a favor,” Seraphine corrected, narrowing her eyes at him. “You refused,” she said, fixing him with a pointed look. The reminder wiped the amusement from his face almost instantly.
