Page 96 of Cursed Lifeline

I cut her off bitterly, “No princess. You’d be more inclined to worry about someone from the coven doing that.”

Coming to a stop in a clearing atop the peak, I take a deep breath to settle my jaded heart. After a few moments, Evangeline steps up to my side.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she demands.

Giving her a sideways scowl, I chuckle, “Dimitri may draw you in, but don’t let it go to your pretty little head. That’s part of their trap. You’d be smart to remember that the next time you find yourself entranced by him.”

“I’ve never been entranced by anybody…”

Ouch, that burns.

“Besides, even if I was, I make it a point never to mix business with…”

She trails off, her cheeks heat. Unable to look me in the eye as her mind wraps around forbidden thoughts and indecent desires, she sucks in a shaky breath. Before I can stop myself, I ask, “Pleasure?”

She shoots me an angry glare.

Laughing, I nudge her shoulder. “I didn’t bring you out here expecting anything, either, Evangeline.” She holds my stare, and if I am not mistaken, I swear her bottom lip quivers. Shrugging, I add. “I just want to spend time with you. Get to know you better, and…”

“Why?” she demands.

Taken aback, I set my pack down on the floor and start rummaging through it. Looking up, she wraps her arms across her chest and waits for me to answer. When I can’t think of a good response, I mumble, “Why not?”

Slipping a blanket free from my belongings, I shake it out and lay it against the soft earth. Her stance stiffens. Holding my hands up in surrender, I grin, “I swear, no pleasure will be had tonight.” When she glances off into the distance, I can’t help but add, “That is, unless you want there to be.”

Her attention snaps back my way. Biting my lip, I wait her out to see if I took this too far. When she starts to angrily stalk back the way we came, I curse and jump to my feet.

“Evangeline, wait!”

“I’ve heard the stories about you, Alfred. So please, spare me the melodramatics.”

Heard my stories?

Melodramatics?

Hurling down the hill after her, I trip over a log as she quickly puts distance between us. I right myself swiftly, but before I can respond before I can tell her to stop running away, she swings back around and bumps right into me. Reaching out, I steady us both before we tumble to the ground.

Not that Evangeline falling into my arms would be a bad thing, but I get the inkling she doesn’t want to be tangled around me the way I crave entangling myself with her.

“We need to stay focused if we are going to win, Alfred.”

“Are you saying I steal your focus?” I grin, stepping into her and brushing some haphazard pale, golden locks out of her breathtaking, sky-blue eyes.

With an irritated huff, she insists, “If I am ever going to be released from my obligations with Felix, I need to make sure there are no mistakes when Esme is attacked this time.”

“So… you’re saying I’m a mistake?” I mumble, as the same envious distress from earlier builds until it sits like a weight on my chest.

Glancing back at the blanket spread out underneath the stars, Evangeline shrugs, “I just don’t see the point.”

Wow, nowthatone really hurt.

Knowing I’m probably going to get shot down again, I muster up the last amount of courage I have and insist, “Well, princess, lucky for you, I see enough point for the both of us.”

Slowly, her gaze sweeps back my way. Sorrow fills her eyes and fuels my confidence that was moments ago swallowed whole by the lies I sense she’s telling. Timidly guiding her back up the mountain, she holds my stare, and I grin, “With everything that’s been brought to our attention and the stress that’s been hanging over us for a century, I merely wanted to steal a moment in time with you to look at the stars.”

As we reach the blanket, my hand glides out in front of us, brushing between earth and the heavens just as her gaze sweeps up into the night. A red light releases from my fingertips, illuminating the sky in a scarlet glow.

Stunned, her gaze snaps back my way.

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