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He shrugged one shoulder. “I may have made a suggestion.” As he smiled, Leah tried not to notice how handsome he looked.

“Blast Katherine,” she muttered. She had hoped her cousin would have been wise enough not to mention the details of her meeting with Mr. Woodward in front of Mr. Hawthorne. “And now you intend to join Mr. Woodward and me for tea?” Leah raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“If you don’t mind.”

She stared at him. “I do mind. Very much.”

“Even better.”

Leah groaned, but a laugh escaped her throat. “This is ridiculous!”

Mr. Hawthorne stood from the sofa, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes took her in slowly, and her skin prickled with awareness in each area his gaze touched. “Perhaps you should have considered that when you sent Lady Cartright after me this morning. She has a very firm grip, you know.”

The image of that woman clinging to Mr. Hawthorne’s arm put an immediate smile on Leah’s face. “Yet she lacks the strength to walk quickly.”

“What a strange contradiction.” Mr. Hawthorne moved forward until he stood just in front of her. His wide smile made his eyes wrinkle at the corners. He didn’t seem upset that she had ruined his walk with Miss Benson. He only seemed…amused.

She examined her own emotions for any sense of anger but was distracted by the fact that Mr. Hawthorne had just joined her under the mistletoe.

Was he aware?

Her heart picked up speed.

His eyes were locked on hers, that wicked smile still hovering on his lips. “I suspect you’ll try to retaliate again this evening.”

“What gives you that impression?” she asked in an innocent voice.

“I have a feeling,” he whispered teasingly.

Leah fought a smile, but her lips eventually surrendered. A quiet laugh escaped her, echoing in the empty room. “Why do you not look afraid? I should like you to be terrified.”

Mr. Hawthorne’s smile grew. “I suppose I do feel a little apprehension.”

“Is that all?” She put on a look of disappointment, her lower lip pouting.

His gaze lowered to her lips, lingering there for a few seconds. Leah’s heart stalled, her pulse thrumming faster.

His brow furrowed before his gaze met hers again. “No. There is more I feel regarding our current situation. Regarding you.” His deep voice raced across Leah’s skin like a tangible thing, his gaze falling heavily on her lips again.

He must have known about the mistletoe. Why else would he be looking at her lips? Leah had been doing the same thing to Mr. Woodward, but it had been intentional.

At the moment, Mr. Hawthorne seemed to be stealing glances against his better judgment.

“Would you care to explain?” She dared the question.

He paused for a long moment, and Leah listened to her pulse thrumming in her ears. “I feel that you might not despise me as much as you’d like me to believe,” he said. “You might even be enjoying our game.”

Leah considered his words, her defenses rising. Her attraction to him was real, but she couldn’t allow it to bury the truth about what he had done. She had held a grudge for so long…but what if Mr. Hawthorne’s interference had saved her from an unhappy marriage? Now that she was here and still unmarried, she had the opportunity to go to Switzerland with Katherine. Mr. Hawthorne was still in her way, yet she couldn’t seem to hate him. But she did want to best him, to defeat him…and perhaps even to kiss him.

She stopped her thoughts before they could escalate. What on earth was wrong with her?

It was all so very confusing.

Her gaze flickered to his grinning lips. “And you?” she said in a quiet voice. “Are you enjoying our game?”

He paused, his eyes connecting with hers. They were a warm shade of brown. “Of all the people here, I must confess I think of you most often.”

What did that mean? Leah’s heart pounded. Think of her in what way? With malice? With fondness? She didn’t dare examine the reason, but his words were jarring enough to send her a step backward. When she raised her gaze behind his shoulder, she saw Mr. Woodward standing in the doorway.