“Why do you care?” he shot back, his eyes blazing into mine. “Why does it matter so much to you a week later?”
I swallowed but I said nothing.
“Yeah. Two can play at this game, princess.”
“I’m not a bloody princess!”
“Then stop acting like one!”
“Then stop treating me like one!” I snapped, pushing off the wall. I stormed towards the steps down to the lower level and somehow managed to navigate the uneven stones without falling. It was darker down here, but the path was illuminated by small lights that allowed me to see where I was going.
But I didn’t know where I was going.
I didn’t care.
Could I get back to the front from here? Was there a gate? Could I get in a car and go home, please?
“Gabriella—”
“Why are you here? Why did you come?” I spun around and faced him. “You knew this would be filled with the kinds of people you hate, and yet here you are.”
“What do you really want me to answer?”
I shivered again. “The smiling thing.”
“Are you cold?”
“Shut up and answer. I don’t need a knight in shining armour.”
He sighed.
“Don’t sigh at me!”
Miles’ gaze jerked up to mine. “I never smiled at you because I didn’t want to be friends with you. You could make friends with a rock if nobody else was around because you’re just that damn nice, and I couldn’t take that risk.”
“Why not? What’s so horrible about me that being my friend would be that terrible?”
“Nothing!” He stepped back, almost as if the firmness of his voice had shocked him, too. “Nothing.”
“There must have been something.”
“You’re freezing. Will you take my jacket, at least?”
“I will not. Not until you’re honest with me.” I hugged myself tighter. “Friends are honest with each other.”
“Are they?” He laughed humourlessly. “Then why have you been glaring at me all night? Why have we barely spoken since the garden centre? What did I do to upset you so badly that you would ignore me?”
Crap.
“I—” I looked away. I had no answer.
“Exactly. You want all kinds of answers from me, Lady Gabriella, but you’re unwilling to offer any of your own.” He waited for a moment before he turned and walked back in the direction of the patio.
Oh, no.
I wasn’t done.
We were not done here.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me!”
“Or what?” Miles retaliated. “This conversation is going nowhere. I knew friendship crossed a line with you. I never should have done that.”
“Why not?”
“Everything was fine until we became friends!”
“And what the flipping heck does that mean?”
His eyes blazed with something indiscernible in the darkness. “Because people like you and people like me don’t mix, Your Ladyship.”
There was a darkness to the final two words that hit me hard. “Don’t call me that.”
“Why not? That’s what you are, is it not?”
A lump rose in my throat as he turned away from me for a second time. I watched as he made it to the top of the stairs before I did the same, except for me, tears burned in my eyes as I stalked along the path.
I was cold. I didn’t know where I was going. Even as a light flicked on, I wasn’t sure I knew where I was.
He really hated me, didn’t he?
Eva had it all wrong. He didn’t like me. Not at all.
How could I have been so very stupid?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
I dropped to the seat under a trellis and buried my face in my hands. I could still see and hear the party, so I clearly hadn’t gone far.
That was promising news.
I was so silly.
How could I have ever thought Miles liked me? He was clearly nothing but a judgemental, classist, prejudiced pig who—
Gravel crunched under feet not far from me, and I looked in that direction.
I’d know those steps anywhere.
Even if I were blind, I’d know him. And wasn’t that just so utterly terrifying?
“What do you want?” I asked coldly, trying to keep the true scale of my emotions out of my voice.
“Couldn’t leave you out here alone.” Miles came closer. “You’re freezing. Take my jacket.”
I shook my head and looked away into the darkness. “No, thank you. I would rather not.”
“Don’t be a hero.”
“I’d prefer if you’d stop trying to be one yourself.”
“Gabriella.” He sighed. “Come inside at least. I’ll leave straight away.”
“It’s fine. I’m ready to go home anyway.” I got up again and walked towards him, fully intent on pushing past him, but he had other ideas.
Miles stopped me, grabbing my hand. “Bloody hell, fine. I didn’t want to be friends with you because I knew this would happen.”
I inclined my head his way.
“Because if we were friends, I knew there wasn’t a bloody chance in hell I wouldn’t fall for you.”
I swallowed.
“Does that answer your question, princess? Do you want to shout at me some more? Or are you content in the knowledge that I’ve held you at arm’s length because me having feelings for you isn’t appropriate?”
I turned and looked up at him, almost glad I couldn’t fully see him because of the darkness.
“And that I’ve sat here at this bloody party all night pretending like I fit in, watching you speak to a ton of people I don’t know? Watching other men talk to you like they know that all they have to do is talk about house plants to get your attention?”
“Miles—”
“I kept my distance from you because if I didn’t, I knew that at some point, I would fall in love with you.” He exhaled.
“Miles—”
“And I’m not. Not right now. But if you don’t get that message and stop this nonsense, I will fall in love with you, Gabriella.”
Oh, my gosh.
His gaze bore into mine with an intensity I hadn’t seen before. “And if I do, I don’t know if I’ll be able to let you go when your father finds somebody he deems worthy of you. Some bloody duke or earl or whoever else can give you the kind of life you’re accustomed to.”
“Miles! For God’s sake, are you going to kiss me or are you going to keep talking until I freeze to death out here?”
“You want me to kiss you?”
“No, I asked you just for shits and giggles.”
“I—”
“If you don’t kiss me, then I’m going to kiss you, you blithering idiot.”
He stared at me, lips parted, indecision swirling in his eyes.
Oh, sod this.
Like any good, strong-willed lady with impeccable manners, I grabbed his tie and pulled his lips down to mine.
They were just as soft as I’d imagined them to be.
I pulled away, dipping my chin, and slowly released my grip on his tie. “I—”
Miles framed my face with his hands and pulled me back, closing his lips over mine. I slowly reached up and slid my hands up his chest, and the kiss deepened as I stepped closer to him.