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“Don’t pretend I’m naive. I’ve heard about your… dalliances.”

“Have you? And is that why you asked for my help? You thought this was something I would be used to or something?”

“Of course not! I just thought, you might be easier to persuade, and given your history, I don’t think it was an unfair thing to assume.”

“After everything we’ve talked about, you still think those stories are true?”

She rolled to face him, eyes wide with surprise. “Aren’t they?”

“I thought you would know better by now. I thought I told you. No, they aren’t. Not a single one of them has more than a grain of truth to them.”

“Then why don’t you ever try to set the record straight?”

“There wasn’t much of a point. If anything, letting people have their own assumptions was helpful. As I said, I’ve never wanted to consider marriage before.”

“Before?” she found herself leaning closer.

But when she did, she froze. Amber hadn’t realized just how close Christopher was. The tip of his nose brushed against hers. Their eyes locked. Heat raced to her face, stomach fluttering.

She swallowed, unable to pull her eyes from his.

For a moment, neither of them said a word, afraid to break the moment’s spell.

Amber found herself inching closerHis lips were so close.

His eyes fell to her lips.

Amber’s breath caught in her throat.

Could this really be happening?

All she would have to do is lean in that last little-

Amber’s eyes widened.What am I thinking?she chided herself.This isn’t the time or place, but even if it was, I couldn’t feel that way about him.

“Something wrong?” Christopher asked, his voice a velvety whisper as he crept even closer.

Amber bolted upright. “I need to go!”

“Wait!” he called out to her. “What about the plan? Where are you going?”

But Amber pretended she didn’t hear him, climbing down the ladder before racing from the stables.

The chill that forced its way through the thin fabric of her dress brought her back to reality.

How could she be so foolish?

What had she been thinking back there?

If she hadn’t left when she did, they could have?—

Amber cut off the thought, shaking her head.

They wouldn’t have. Of course, they wouldn’t have. He could never feel that way about her. He made it quite clear even in that conversation that he was happy on his own.

Pushing her thoughts down, she forced herself to walk through the door to the house.

The second she stepped inside, Simon was in front of her, a look of pure rage on her face.