hadn’t realized he wanted until now. He’d watched Eva sneak away earlier and had appreciated the glimpse of her sumptuous hips and long legs, emphasized by the blue dress she was wearing which was both elegant and conservative, a style which he heartily approved. If anyone was going to see his wife, he wanted it to be himself. He definitely didn’t want a wife who displayed her charms for strangers to ogle.
It was good that he was attracted to his fiancée although he knew it wasn’t a prerequisite. He wanted several children so he was relieved that he wouldn’t abhor climbing into bed to procreate with his wife. He hadn’t anticipated giving up his mistresses, but with Eva, he would at least be interested in his wife for a while before finding his next mistress.
Eva forced her eyes to stay within her small range of dinner guests, never letting her eyes stray to the end of the table where that man was seated. She felt his gaze on her several times and was irritated that he could affect her, even from that distance and even when she wasn’t looking at him. She had no intention of meeting him and would ensure that she was able to excuse herself early enough in the evening so that she could avoid all contact with the man after dessert was served.
When all the plates were taken away, she was surprised when her mother announced that coffee and dessert would be served in the living room and on the patio for those who wanted a bit of fresh air. It was such a departure from their normal evening progression, it threw Eva off.
Her eyes automatically shifted down the table and she was startled to find herself looking directly at the man she was desperately trying to avoid. His handsome face, those odd, brown eyes and his large presence all managed to strike something deep and scary inside of her.
When someone stepped across their view, she was able to break the link that seemed to have transfixed her in her seat. With the general exodus from the dining room as cover, Eva quickly stood and walked out, trying to escape those penetrating eyes without being too obvious in her intentions.
As the group filtered out of the dining room, Eva noticed a beautiful dessert table set up by the open doors to the patio, along with coffee and tea service. There was even brandy and other after dinner cocktails available, but Eva’s only goal was to move as far away from the party as possible. She didn’t doubt that her father was still trying to introduce her and she simply didn’t want to deal with that man right now.
It was a gorgeous night and Eva walked slowly towards the patio along with one of the dinner guests who was talking about her latest dog she’d rescued. She had no idea how she’d gotten into this conversation with her mother’s friend, nor was she sure how to extricate herself from the woman’s verbal grasp, but she knew she had to do something quickly or she’d be cornered by either her father or the tall stranger.
Eva handed the woman a cup of aromatic tea and poured one for herself, grateful when an older gentleman arrived and distracted the woman with tales of his own litter of puppies who had recently been born. Eva quickly stepped out onto the patio, balancing her cup of tea in one hand while she pretended to casually stroll along the walkway but she intentionally headed for the shadows, vowing to hide herself from further conversations.
With a pounding heart, she walked deeper and deeper into the shadows and with each step, she was able to relax a bit more. Her goal was a group of chairs sheltered from view by low hanging trees that were off to the right. She knew no one else would be able to find her there because the trees hid the little group of chairs well with their low hanging branches. When she thought she was out of sight, she picked up her speed and aimed directly for her private sanctuary.
She was just about to breathe a sigh of relief and take a seat when a deep voice came out of the darkness, startling her. “I believe your plan to avoid me tonight has finally come to an end,” he said and Eva jumped, her arm shooting forward and the tea splattering onto the ground.
If it weren’t for the stranger’s