Page 17

“Hold the arrow steady,” he began. “Lift the bow up close so you can see the sight.” Georgina lifted the bow into place.

“Take a breath. Pull the string back, then take another breath. Slow and easy. Check the target, then let the arrow fly.” He stroked a finger along her forearm as she drew the string back.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. Heat filled her gaze, and his desire blazed.

She focused on the target, took a breath, then let the arrow fly.

It soared through the air and landed in the target.

It was almost a perfect shot. It was an inch short of the center.

“I can do better,” she said. “Without your dedicated assistance.” Georgina smiled at him.

“You, my lord, are far better as a distraction than as an instructor.”

He flashed her a lazy smile. “Then I’ve done exactly what I’ve set out to do.” Adrian wiggled his eyebrows. “But you are correct. In order for us to win in this game, we both have to do our best.” He winked. “So I’ll endeavor to keep my distance.” He leaned in close. “For now.”

They were going to win. More importantly, he’d have some time alone with her and he couldn’t wait. Adrian needed to have her all to himself. Soon, he promised himself. He’d have her in his arms, and he could kiss her until their breaths mingled and their desire scorched them to their very soul.

Adrian studied Georgina’s posture as she focused intently on the target.

The way her shoulders shifted with every breath, the way her hands gripped the bow with determination—it was both a thing of beauty and a maddening temptation.

The fine line between restraint and surrender hummed between them, thick and heady, as she pulled the string back once again.

His gaze lingered on her. He couldn’t help himself.

The fire in her eyes, the strength in her stance—it all tugged at him with an intensity he had not anticipated.

This wasn’t simply about a friendly competition or teaching her how to shoot.

No, this was far more dangerous, far more thrilling.

She was intoxicating, a puzzle he longed to solve but feared he would never fully understand.

Every glance, every smile, every challenge she threw his way only pulled him deeper into her orbit.

She released the string with a swift motion, and the arrow sped through the air, its trajectory almost perfect, but just shy of the mark. “There. See?” she said, a proud glint in her eyes. “Nearly perfect.”

Adrian stepped back, the tension in his chest only growing as he saw the way she moved.

Confident. Graceful. Unknowingly alluring.

“Almost,” he agreed, his voice dropping slightly as he fought to keep his composure.

“I’d say you’ve got the skills down. Perhaps you would allow me to divert your attention. ”

She arched an eyebrow, turning to face him with a mischievous smile. Her usual shyness was nowhere in sight. “What did you have in mind, my lord?”

“You, my dear, are a delight.” His heart hammered in his chest at the look in her eyes, the slight challenge behind it.

“I’m afraid you are entirely to blame for my lack of focus,” he said, the words coming out a bit rougher than he intended.

“I find it difficult to concentrate on anything with you near.”

Her smile grew at his words. “Oh? I don’t know what to say… Surely you’ve had your share of distractions before.”

Her teasing tone, the way she leaned in just a little closer, made his pulse quicken. “I’ve had my fair share of many things,” Adrian said, stepping in close enough that their breaths almost mingled. “But none quite like you, Georgina.”

She tilted her head slightly, studying him with an expression he couldn’t quite decipher.

Was she teasing, or did she feel the pull between them too?

She lowered the bow, her fingers still lightly touching the string, and took a breath, as though considering her next words carefully.

“You’re right, my lord,” she said softly, her gaze flickering over his face before meeting his eyes again.

“You are a distraction—one I’m not certain I can allow.

You must know, I don’t need any diversions from my path right now. ”

The sudden edge of seriousness in her voice cut through the charged atmosphere, and Adrian could almost feel the change in the air, as though the storm between them was about to break.

He took another step forward, his hand brushing against hers as he took the bow from her grasp, his touch lingering for just a moment longer than necessary.

“I’ll respect that,” he said quietly. But inside, he was already plotting how to win her over, how to get closer to the woman who had begun to occupy every corner of his mind. “But I won’t stop until I get you to admit that your distraction is not mine alone.”

Her lips parted, as though she wanted to respond, but the words never left her mouth. Instead, she gave a soft laugh, almost nervous, and her gaze dropped to the bow in his hands. He could see the hesitation in her, the wariness that she tried to hide, but it only made him want her more.

“I think we need to return to the archery,” she said softly, though her voice was tinged with something he couldn’t quite place.

As they walked back toward the archery targets, Adrian felt the weight of her presence beside him.

He knew, deep down, that whatever happened next, whatever game they played, it wouldn’t just be about arrows or the competition.

It would be about them and despite the tension that twisted in his chest, the desire that surged within him, there was only one thing on his mind now.

He was going to win her over. No matter the cost.