Reborn Wife: I'll Chase Happiness Instead of My Husband

SOPHIA

I lightly pushed on Duke Stonehart’s chest and he reluctantly took a couple of steps back.

"Your Grace," I murmured, dipping my head. "We should consider propriety."

"Only because you say so," he said. "I will always listen to you, Miss Pagemoore."

His words sent electric thrills right through me. I felt his gaze heavy upon me and looked up through my lashes.

"You are so lovely," he said. "I’m quite taken with you."

Heat flushed my cheeks, and he chuckled softly. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. I don’t know if it was because I was near him or because the weather was cold. I really should’ve gotten my cloak, but I was too busy trying to make sure Jace couldn’t catch up to me.

"It snowed earlier," said Duke Stonehart. "The air is too cold. You’ll catch a chill." He removed his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

I protested, grabbing the edges of the garment. "No," I said. "You’ll be cold, and what good is that?"

"You come first. I’ve been to war. I can handle much more than this little bit of cold weather."

I didn’t protest further because his jacket was quite warm. It smelled so good, too. Like him. Cinnamon and pine. Comfort. Warmth. Like Christmas.

The white shirt he wore fit his muscled frame very, very well. I let my gaze trace his broad chest.

For a tiny moment I thought about what he might look like without that shirt. Those pearl buttons appeared to be quite poppable. If he took a large breath, his muscles might rip through the material.

A woman could hope.

"Miss Pagemoore." The duke’s voice was rough and filled with warning.

I looked up, and nearly swallowed my tongue. His expression was much like that of a carnivore staring at particularly juicy steak.

"If you continue to stare at me like that, I might forget that I am a gentleman. I could all too easily scoop you into my arms and take you away."

If that was a threat, it didn’t frighten me.

No, I wasn’t afraid.

I was intrigued.

"Is that truly a possibility, Duke Stonehart?"

He closed his eyes. Swallowed hard. "Miss Pagemoore," he said in a strained tone. "You are killing me."

"I’m not trying to tease you."

"You standing still and just breathing is enough to tempt me," he admitted. "So it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to tease me or not. The effect is the same."

"Is it?" I stepped closer and traced a circle on his chest, as though I were trying to wind a ribbon around his heart. "Now I’m teasing you."

He took in a shuddering breath, dark eyes glittering. He grasped my hand. Pressed it against his chest. My hand flattened against him, and I could feel the warmth of his flesh through the crisp shirt. Under my palm, his heart beat frantically.

It matched the unruly rhythm of my own.

We stared at each other. Breaths mingled in the cold air. I had never dared to act like this with a man before. Not even with Jace.

Why was it so easy to flirt with the duke?

The loud clang of a ringing bell broke the silence and our concentration. I slipped my hand free of the duke’s grip and stepped back.

"Welcome to the fifty-first annual Hunter’s Ball," yelled out Fabian Velle. He stood near the maze’s entrance. He had the good sense to wear a fur coat. Bear skin by the looks of it. "Let’s go over the rules, shall we? If you received a blue marker with your invitation, you are prey. You will enter the maze first. There are places to hide. If you lucky enough you might find one. However, the deeper you go into the maze, the higher the difficulty. You might come across obstacles or puzzle challenges. You must solve these problems if you hope to find the center of the maze."

Fabian looked over the crowd. It seemed like he was trying to find someone. Jace, perhaps? Or potentially a beauty who’d caught his attention. I rolled my eyes. The last thing Fabian needed was another mistress.

Then he looked toward the oak tree. He saw me, and grinned.

I frowned. "Why is he looking at me?"

"It seems I have yet another competitor for your affection, Miss Pagemoore."

"What? No. You must be mistaken."

The duke’s lips twisted as he glared down at Fabian. "I think not." He nodded toward the maze.

Fabian was waving at me. This caused most of the attendees to turn around. So many eyeballs aimed in my direction. Ugh. What could I do? I weakly waved back. Whispers erupted throughout the crowd and I felt hot embarrassment crawl up my spine until its prickly heat suffused my neck and face.

Fabian clapped loudly to get everyone’s attention again. All eyes turned back toward him.

All but ... Jace’s. He stood in the front of the crowd, half-turned, and stared at me. He gaze flicked between me and Duke Stonehart. His expression was less than thrilled. You know who else wasn’t thrilled? Penelope. She stood next to Jace, hanging off his arm, as usual. If her glare had been bullets, I would’ve been shot dead.

"If you received a red marker with your invitation," continued Fabian. "You are a hunter. After ten minutes have elapsed, you may enter the maze. As for your weapons, you must find one of our stewards inside and claim your gun from them."

Shouts of displeasure filled the air.

"Oh, stop whining. What fun is the hunt if it’s too easy? Prey cannot claim weapons. Only hunters. If you are hit with a paint ball, you must leave the game. We have stewards stationed throughout the maze. Anyone who gets shot will be escorted out. But no worries. We will have plenty of wine to soothe your wounded souls."

The crowd murmured with approval. Nothing pleased nobles more than free access to alcohol.

Fabian lifted his hands, a gesture meant to quiet everyone. "This year, we’ve added a betting pool. Once the participants have narrowed down to ten teams, we will take bets on who will win the grand prize. To participate, you must add your silver to the pool. Winner takes all. More than one winner, you split the prize."

Duke Stonehart as he came to stand beside me. "Shall we go and join the game?"