Chapter 95

Evelyn's breath caught as Nathaniel's striking features came into focus. Her eyes lingered on his perfectly sculpted lips, pressed together in that familiar tight line.

The space between them vanished until she could feel his breath mingling with hers.

Her hands flew up instinctively, connecting with his cheek in a sharp slap that echoed through the car's interior. The air thickened with tension.

Evelyn gaped at her own palm, words tumbling out in a flustered rush. "I didn't realize you were that close! It was an accident—"

Her explanation died as Nathaniel's mouth crashed onto hers.

Every muscle in her body locked. Had Nathaniel Whitmore actually kissed her?

His lips felt cool yet impossibly soft, like the finest silk against her skin.

She forgot how to breathe.

When Nathaniel finally pulled away, his voice came out rough. "Do you always forget to breathe during a kiss?"

Evelyn gulped air like a drowning woman surfacing. Heat flooded her cheeks. "Not all of us have your... extensive experience."

The thought struck her suddenly - he must have practiced those skills with Victoria. Disgust twisted her stomach.

She wiped her mouth with deliberate slowness, as if erasing any trace of him. The idea of sharing lips that had touched Victoria's made her skin crawl.

Nathaniel seized her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You didn't enjoy that?"

"I wasn't the one who started it."

"You're the first woman brave enough to strike me." His thumb brushed her lower lip. "Consider this kiss a privilege."

"Should I curtsy in gratitude?"

As Evelyn struggled free, movement at the gate caught her eye. A painfully familiar silhouette stood watching them.

"Your visitor's here," she murmured.

Nathaniel turned to see Victoria waiting at the entrance. His expression darkened instantly as he released Evelyn and straightened.

While adjusting her rumpled clothes, Evelyn finally recognized their location. "Why did you bring me to the marital home?"

"To remind you where you belong." His voice turned icy. "Don't forget your position."

Evelyn's laugh held no warmth. "Aren't you worried I'll interfere with your reunion with your precious Victoria?"

Nathaniel exited without answering, his frown deepening at Victoria's unexpected appearance.

Victoria's face twisted with barely concealed rage. She hadn't anticipated catching them in such intimacy.

Evelyn strode past the fuming woman without breaking pace. "Ms. Sinclair, isn't it rather... unseemly for a single woman to lurk outside a married couple's home at this hour?"

Victoria's eyes flashed with venom, but Evelyn had already swept inside, refusing to glance back at the pair.

The master bedroom remained untouched since her departure. Against her better judgment, she drifted to the window just in time to see Nathaniel's car disappearing down the drive with Victoria.

A bitter smile touched her lips as she yanked the curtains shut.

Her fingertips rose to trace her swollen mouth, still tingling from Nathaniel's assault. With a shuddering breath, she pressed both hands to her flushed face.

The truth burned through her defenses - Nathaniel still held power over her emotions. Just when she'd resolved to erase him from her heart, he'd shattered her resolve with a single kiss.

At least he'd left with Victoria.

Perhaps this was for the best.

Turning sharply, Evelyn moved to the guest suite, summoning Abigail to prepare it for the night. The marital bed held too many ghosts.