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“Juliette Monroe!” Georgiana shouts as she stomps up the stairs in her nude kitten heels. I cringe and step out of Adrian’s arms, face burning. The very last person I’d want to catch us is her.
“Hi, Georgiana,” I say quietly, clasping my hands together in front of me, attempting to look as innocent as possible. Judging by the pinched look on her face, I am unsuccessful.
“I cannot believe you are canoodling on the church steps,” she scolds. When she opens her purse to dig through it, my heart sinks.Oh no.
“We’re adults, not children in need of reprimanding,” Adrian informs her, but he doesn’t know Georgiana.
Georgiana doesn’t care how old you are, or how important you are, she will say her piece. I truly believe she’d walk up and shout at a member of the royal family if they weren’t doing what they were supposed to in her eyes.
Georgiana slaps a pamphlet to Adrian’s chest, then shoves a different one in my hands.
“You two read these and educate yourselves on the dangers of yourpromiscuousbehavior,” she spits, then pushes past us and into the church.
“I wouldn’t read that if I were you,” I tell Adrian once she’s gone.
He raises an eyebrow and opens it anyway. I try to snatch it from him, but it’s no use. He’s much taller and stronger than me. He traps me with one arm around my waist, holding the pamphlet up to his face with the other.
A sound of amusement escapes him and I feel my face getting hot. I know what’s in there. It’s not terrible–mostly just cartoon diagrams of how fast kissing can lead tomore–but it’s enough to have my heart rate kick up.
“I don’t think Georgiana would have approved of our first kiss,” he says and I laugh.
“Probably not. What page are you on?”
“Seven. It’s … enlightening.”
I choke on nothing but air and he lowers the pamphlet, patting my back. Page seven involves some odd descriptions of the sensuality of breathing too close to someone. The diagrams are …intense.
“Please stop reading,” I beg and he chuckles, the deep sound making me shiver.
“Fine, I’ll read it later.”
I snatch it out of his hands when it’s in reach. His laughter increases in volume when I rip it and throw it away in the trash can by the door.
“Just when I was starting to learn something,” he teases and I shove his shoulder.
“We should have stayed home.”
“There’s still time,” Adrian says, taking a step toward the stairs.
“Nope, too late. Now you’re going to be punished for teasing me. We’re sitting through every round of bingo tonight.”
“Including the blackout round?”
“Yep!” I chirp and pull on the heavy door. He groans but helps me open it.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re beautiful but evil?”
I grin up at him as we walk into the church. “You’re the first.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
I stick my tongue out at him–immature, but effective–and he chuckles. The sparkling light in his eyes warms my heart. I could look at him smiling forever. With any luck, I’ll get to.
Chapter thirty-two
Adrian Carter
Iamnot–andneverhave been–soft. To prove that I’m not, I am out running this morning instead of going straight over to Juliette’s deck for tea. Because I won’t be a man who shirks all of his responsibilities and habits for a woman. Even if that woman looks cozy and adorable in the sweatshirt she stole from me over the weekend.
