Lady Samantha positively scurried away!
She could get used to this!
“It’s Lady Stretton, now,” Matthew murmured. “We’re trying to keep a low profile. Behave.”
“Why? You don’t,” she challenged. “Watch this.” She smiled wide and waved her hand in the air. “Lady Stretton!”
Lady Stretton turned to her with a ghastly expression. Heads swiveled in their direction as Jasmine shouted, “It was wonderful to see you at the Reeves’ residence this morning! I’m glad we’re all such good friends!”
Lady Stretton shot her gaze back to the ground and ran in the opposite direction, dragging a confused Miss Georgiana in her wake.
“What else can I do?” Jasmine giggled. “Oh! How about a cartwheel into the Serpentine Lake? I bet I could singGod Save the Kingfrom that tree.” Jasmine pointed ahead. “No one would bat an eye.”
“They would certainly write about it in their gossip column,” Matthew replied.
She hadn’t considered that. A proper smear article would make herundesirable in the eyes of theton.
“Even better.” Jasmine laughed, tugging him to the tree—only half-joking, she said, “Come on, let’s climb. We can sing a duet!”
“I’ll sing with you elsewhere.” Matthew laughed and led them back onto the path. He whispered low, “You’re wild. You need someone to take you in hand.”
Her breath caught as his playful eyes met hers.
A challenge.
Not one to back down, she raised a brow.
“And you think you’re the man for the job?”
“Right now, I think I’m the only qualified man in the entire world,” he parried.
Haughtily, she asked, “Are you volunteering?”
In an instant, the smile fell from his face. His amber eyes smoldered, intent on hers. His arm tensed, his jaw clenched, and she thought she had crossed a line. Ready to take back her words, she opened her mouth to speak, but Matthew gently guided her body closer to him. He reached for her hand, then indecently laced their fingers together. The air left her lungs as his thumb dragged deliberately over hers, tugging at the tip of her glove, as if he was considering removing it.
“I could teach you a lesson.” His voice deepened, and he whispered, “But I don’t think you could handle it.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she adjusted her bonnet so he couldn’t see her face. She huffed. “I certainly could. I’m much stronger than you think.”
“I’m counting on it. Later, we’ll find out how much you can take.” Leaning in, his breath ghosted against her neck. “And I’ll teach you anything you wish.”
The rest of the park blurred.
Jasmine squeezed Matthew’s hand. Feeling unstable, she rested her weight against him.
“Later?” she breathed.
He lifted her bonnet and held her gaze.
“Whenever you want.”
Between her breathing and her heartbeat in her ears, every sound of the park silenced—
Except for Caroline shouting, “Brother, are you coming or not?!”
Reality crashed down on her, and Jasmine blushed to her toes. She took a shuddering breath and looked straight ahead. Matthew gave a long, forlorn sigh, and released her hand. She stepped away from him and rushed forward, needingspace. She couldn’t think properly when he touched her.
Whatever had just happened between them was something she would deal with later.