Chapter 7

Evelyn's POV

"If I hadn't stepped in," Edward said, casually turning the platinum ring on his finger, "Beatrice's slap would have landed right across your face."

"You only stopped her because whatever happens to me happens to you, too. You just didn't want to feel the pain."

"Believe me, no one has ever put me in a position quite like that." He paused. "I made an exception for you. The least you could do is show some appreciation."

I struggled to follow his logic.

"The engagement party is over, but our connection hasn't gone away. Don't you think we'd both be better off getting this sorted out sooner rather than later?"

He studied me for a few seconds.

"Such a hurry. Can't wait to kiss me again?" A faint smile appeared on his lips. "All right. Get in. I'll give you your chance."

The car door swung open.

As I stood there, I made a mental note of how ridiculous this whole situation was. Years at Sterling Manor had turned me into someone who instinctively lowered her head, obeyed instructions, and braced herself whenever trouble was coming.

I still couldn't explain how I'd ended up getting into that car. Perhaps it was the same old reflex, kicking in before I had time to think.

The door closed behind me, and my back immediately stiffened.

The driver was seated up front. Edward and I were alone in the back, with a considerable amount of space separating us.

I didn't know what to do with my hands. I tried resting them on my knees, then on the seat, before finally settling for loosely gripping the strap of my handbag.

A faint hint of mint drifted through the air.

I glanced sideways and found Edward casually rolling a piece of candy between his teeth.

A man who could jeopardize an alliance between two powerful families with a single sentence was sitting beside me, quietly sucking on a mint.

The contrast was so ridiculous that I nearly laughed. I had to press my lips together to keep from doing so.

He bit down on the candy and glanced at his watch.

"My schedule is rather full."

I was still trying to make sense of everything when my gaze wandered and landed somewhere it shouldn't have.

His mouth.

By the time I realized what I was looking at and quickly turned away, it was already too late.

His unhurried voice came from beside me.

"You seem rather interested in that button. Would you like me to take it off and give it to you as a souvenir?"

"No."

"We could always go back to the banquet hall," he offered, sounding genuinely helpful.

I reached out and pressed a hand against his shoulder, trying to keep him from moving any closer.

"This is fine," I said firmly.

Tension tightened throughout my body. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

My feet, however, refused to cooperate. I adjusted my position twice, retreating a fraction of an inch each time.

The driver hadn't turned around, but I was painfully aware of his presence.

Edward's gaze never left me. He simply watched as I gradually backed myself into a corner.

"Didn't you say you'd dated quite a few people?" he asked, sounding casually curious. "With all that experience, why is it taking you so long to make a move?"

"The space is too small," I replied. "It's difficult to work with."

He didn't respond.

Somehow, the silence was even more uncomfortable than anything he could have said.

The air seemed to grow warmer. My cheeks burned, and when I finally spoke again, my voice had lost most of its confidence.

"I'm not used to kissing someone who keeps their eyes open. Could you close yours? Please."

Edward said nothing.

Instead, he reached for the button between the front and rear seats.

The partition began to rise, moving steadily upward until the driver was completely out of sight.

Then Edward turned toward me, tilted his head slightly, and closed his eyes.

He was close enough for me to see the shadows cast by his eyelashes. The cool scent of mint lingered in the small space between us.

I slowly lifted my face and pressed my lips against his.

It was barely a kiss, more like a tentative touch, as though I were afraid of disturbing something.

I counted to five before pulling away.

My first instinct was to reach up and pinch his nose.

The familiar ache immediately traveled back through our connection, just as strong as before.

Edward opened his eyes.

His voice remained perfectly calm, which somehow made his next words even more irritating.

"Objectively speaking, your technique doesn't quite do justice to the opportunity."

He glanced at his watch.

"I'll give you another five minutes."

I looked at him.

In five minutes, I'd be on my way to Brooklyn, and he'd be heading to his office. After tonight, there was no particular reason for our paths to cross again anytime soon.

I wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

Remembering the faint taste of mint in that hotel room, I closed my eyes, placed both hands on his shoulders, and leaned toward him again.

He was closer than I'd expected.

Everything happened faster than I'd prepared for. The cool brush of his lips caught me off guard, leaving me with no room to retreat.

My fingers tightened instinctively, my nails digging into my palm.

The next instant, Edward's hand closed around my wrist.

He'd felt it, too.

That brief, sharp sting of pain.

I curled my fingers around his hand in return, testing his reaction.

His movement paused for the slightest moment.

It was so brief that I almost wondered whether I'd imagined it.

Then our positions shifted.

A moment earlier, I'd been the one pressing him against the car door. Now I found myself backed against the seat, one wrist still caught in his grip, while his other hand rested beside me.

Because we shared physical sensations, every touch seemed to register twice as intensely.

The warmth of his palm, the pressure through the fabric of his shirt, every little movement reached me just as clearly as if it were happening directly to my own body.

For a moment, I couldn't tell where his sensations ended and mine began.

I let out a breath and turned my head toward the rear window, stealing a glance outside.

Then I froze.

I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

The car was parked directly beneath the banquet hall.

Anyone looking out from the windows above would have a clear view of it.

And the privacy partition between the front and rear seats was now fully raised.