Meet Me at Midnight by Suzanne Enoch

it, his invitation to the other two ladies had been rude to her. Apparently the company of any woman was completely the same to him—and as stupidly attracted to him as she felt, she intensely disliked his attitude. If she did have to go through with marrying him, that was one thing she was absolutely not going to put up with.
     
    Luckily for Sinclair, he had no idea she was already making plans for his reformation. He stayed a few feet behind the two ladies as they entered Hyde Park, his attention divided between their amusing conversation and the crowds of vehicles and pedestrians also enjoying the afternoon. He needed access to these people, and the lovely young lady pretending to ignore him was his best method of entry. At the moment, though, Victoria didn’t seem to want to be alone with him.
    He wished Marguerite Porter had decided to join them. Her uncle was Viscount Benston, and Benston had been acquainted with Thomas. Miss Porter wasobviously shy of scandal, but he could wait. If he’d learned one thing working for His Majesty’s government, it was patience. Marguerite and the Vixen were friends, and so as long as his relationship with Victoria continued, he would see Miss Porter again.
    “You’re being very quiet back there,” Victoria said, her parasol shielding her face from his view.
    “I’m enjoying the sights,” he answered, lowering his gaze to contemplate her slender, rounded backside.
    Lucy turned to face him. “Have things changed much since you were last in London?”
    “A few more locks on the doors, perhaps, though that may be solely in my honor.” Seizing the opportunity, Sin increased his pace and caught Lucy’s free arm around his. “So tell me, Miss Havers, how many hearts has my betrothed broken?”
    “Oh, hundreds.”
    “Lucy! Don’t gossip with him!”
    He leaned around Lucy. With one finger he pushed Victoria’s parasol down so he could look her in the eye. “It’s only fair. You’ve been trumpeting my foul reputation, and I know nothing of yours.”
    She narrowed her lovely violet eyes. “Then perhaps you shouldn’t have kissed me.”
    “But I wanted to kiss you.” At the sight of her blush, he drew a breath. Good God. “And after we’re married, we will pursue the next steps in a seduction. In fact, we shall—”
    “Excuse me,” Lucy said, blushing crimson as she slipped out from between the two of them, “but are you certain this is only the third time you’ve…conversed?”
    Sinclair used her escape to close the gap betweenhimself and the Vixen. “Tell me, my lady, am I being too familiar?”
    “Yes. And if we have any chance of escaping this dreadful trap, your looming over me like this is not going to help.”
    “‘Looming’?” he repeated, wondering whether she was conscious of her flirtation, or whether she just naturally attracted men to her like bees to a beautiful flower. “I don’t believe anyone has ever accused me of looming before.”
    She pointed the parasol at his chest and shoved. “Yes, looming.”
    As her lips formed the soft sound, he was aware of just how much he desired to taste them again. Whether a deliberate actress or not, she was irresistible. Almost without thinking, he leaned down toward her.
    “Don’t you dare,” she hissed, lifting the parasol between them again.
    He disarmed her, snatching the parasol from her fingers before she could blink. “Why not?”
    “Give that back!”
    “Why shouldn’t I kiss you?”
    She stomped her foot. “Because we’re trying to get out of this marriage—not make escape impossible.”
    With only a few days left before half of London witnessed their wedding, he needed to let her know he intended to go through with it. He owed her that. At least that. “ You’re trying to escape this marriage,” he said slowly. “I like the idea.”
    “ You what? ” She blanched.
    “Um, perhaps we should continue our walk,” Lucy suggested, glancing past Victoria.
    He followed her gaze to the