Chapter Sixteen #2
The lanterns along the canal were sparse and the twilight of minutes before had turned to full darkness.
Clouds blocked the moon, and Ophelia scanned the iron railing lining the canal.
When she spotted the broad shoulders and dark hair of Lord Phoenix, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Would she know if he was to be her prince if she kissed him?
Surely then the zing, or lack thereof, would show her what her future held.
Perhaps now was her chance. He was alone along the railing far off toward the water’s edge.
No one would see them. And who would care?
She gathered her nerve and rushed up to him, sliding her arms around his waist from behind, and turned while closing her eyes.
‘Kiss me,’ she whispered, standing up on her toes and leaning into his shadowed profile while cupping one of his cheeks.
And after a beat of hesitation, he did just that.
His lips were soft and gentle at first, but then they explored her mouth, his tongue urging her lips apart.
She gave in and opened her lips, eager to receive what he wished to give her.
She sighed into his mouth as the kiss intensified, and he groaned in reply.
Surely, no kiss had ever felt like this before?
She brought up her other hand, and her palm skimmed his other cheek, her fingers travelling over a scarred ridge.
Awareness tingled in her fingers. Lord Randolph Phoenix had no scar.
In alarm, she pulled back from the kiss and met the intense, dark gaze of Lord Lucas Worthing. Her breathing was shallow as she extricated herself from his hold.
‘Oh, my lord,’ she stammered. ‘I thought you were Lord Phoenix, and I…’ She covered her mouth. ‘I am sorry, I…’
‘I am not,’ he replied hoarsely, running a hand through his hair. ‘I have wished to kiss you since the moment we met, Miss Granger, but I dared not…as your client. But now… I do not know if I can remain one. That was a rather…unforgettable kiss.’
Ophelia flushed. What had she done? Not only had she kissed a man out in the open, but she had kissed the wrong man—and her one and only client for matchmaking to boot. She wanted to curse and stamp her foot all at once. She settled on the curse.
To her irritation, he merely stared upon her, his gaze musing over her slowly as if looking upon her for the first time and deciding upon something of importance.
‘Why did you not say anything, my lord?’ she asked pettishly.
He shrugged and tucked his hands in his trouser pockets.
‘When a beautiful woman such as yourself slides their arms around you and commands you to kiss them, you comply. At least I do.’ His intense, heated gaze met hers.
She wanted to slap the arrogant grin off his face, but didn’t dare. At least not here.
Later perhaps.
For now, she needed to survive the rest of the night. She would figure out what to do with him, and how she felt about that kiss later…much later.
‘There you both are!’ Lord Phoenix called with Miss Grey in tow. They climbed the small hill toward them.
Ophelia smiled and waved. ‘Say nothing, my lord,’ she commanded through a tight smile.
‘I wouldn’t dream of it, my lady,’ Lord Worthing replied. ‘Although it will be on my mind for some time. That I can assure you.’
It would be on hers as well, but she wouldn’t dare tell him that.
She hardly wished to admit it to herself.
Just when she had begun to wonder if she might be able to free herself of her unwise feelings for him and turn her gaze upon Lord Phoenix as a potential match, this had happened.
Her lips, her limbs, her entire being tingled and surged from his kisses and from his continued light touch on her arm.
She curled her toes in her slippers and shivered, pressing her lips together.
He already seemed far too pleased with himself. His smirk was driving her mad. She held her hands tightly in front of her, so she didn’t do anything untoward.
Everything is fine. Breathe. Smile.
She took a shaky breath and reset her features as she had learned to do long ago in the orphanage.
No adults would even look at you if you seemed upset, sad or anything other than the picture of joy and perfection, no matter how you truly felt.
That same pang of fear made her limbs tremble.
As if she were wanting and lost and alone, and she didn’t even know why. She was none of those things right now.
But she had just put everything she had worked for at risk. She might have ruined her entire future…with one unforgettable kiss.
Curses.
‘You will not lose your prince, Miss Granger. I am nothing if not a gentleman. Breathe and greet Dolph as if nothing is amiss, and he will believe it. He cares for you. Anyone can see that.’ His words were sharp with an edge of annoyance, which confused her, but she had no time to question it.
They walked toward Lord Phoenix and Miss Grey in silence, meeting near the place where they had separated to begin with.
‘We ran into each other searching for the two of you. We must have gone in the opposite direction.’ Lord Phoenix smiled at Ophelia as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world, and she ignored the guilt welling up in her and tried to match his energy with a warm, but fake smile.
‘Shall we claim a spot to watch the fireworks down there?’ he asked everyone, pointing to an opening along the railing with fewer trees. ‘A man we passed by said they were set to begin shortly.’
‘That sounds lovely,’ Ophelia lied. How had this evening gone so wrong? She was grateful for the firm pressure of his hand along her lower back which steadied her as they made their way to the railing further down for a better view of the fireworks display.
As he chatted with Miss Grey about what she had enjoyed most about the evening, Ophelia met Lucas’s gaze briefly before glancing away. She needed to ignore the answer that had popped firmly into her head when she’d heard Lord Phoenix’s question.
For what she had enjoyed most this evening was not her time with him, but a stolen kiss with Lord Worthing, the man she needed to find a match for.
Someone that was not her.