His Innocent Rose (Hinley Manor Book 1)

Chapter 40: Seductress

"So now you're leaving me hanging for more." Em rolled her eyes. "Fine, I would simply win again."

"Try as you can, Em."
***

Not more than five minutes passed and Alexi had laid down his final pair of cards. Em still had a few on her end. He won.

"Well, well..."

She threw her cards down. "Ask away, Alexi. I shall begin the next round as soon as I give you the answer."

"I'd better think of a difficult question then." He said.

"You can try but I bet you that there is nothing more you probably did not know."

"Very well, remember the rules I gave you?"

"What rules?" She asked.

"That you may either ask a question or make me do something." His smile widened.

"Yes you said that. And I can tell that you are planning something wicked." She replied with a huff. So, he planned this all along. She should have just declined when the chance presented itself. But she can't be a sore loser and simply back out.

"It is not wicked at all. You might even enjoy it."
***

Em tried to shrug off the panic brewing inside and pretended to shuffle the cards again.

"Come here, Em."

"Whyever would I sit next to you?"

"Because I won and you are not a sore loser."

"I am comfortable enough where I sit." She said, trying to frustrate him and see how far he'd go with this stupid game.

Alexi's brow raised, "Are you afraid I would devour you?"

"Yes." She said flatly. "We agreed to put that drasted event in the library behind us. Why must you remind me at every turn?"

He sighed. "I swear I do not plan anything ill, Em. And you may scream should you feel the need. My driver shall hear you anytime."

"He could be working with you, for all I know. He is your driver afterall."

"Do not be difficult, Em."

"I am not! You are."

Silence ruled them. The carriage wheels suddenly seems too loud and the gravel beneath crushed with intensity. Em was hearing things after several hours they have been on the road. But her pulse thundered on her ears. She was mildly afraid, aggravated and was one moment away from jumping out of the carriage.

She had thought of it so she reached out for the door. Alexi was quick enough to flip the table away and caught her wrist. She pulled but he so did he. So she tried to use her other hand to push him away and with one swift move, Alexi did the very same thing. Em was thrown back on the farther side of her seat, on her back. Her skirts laid flat across the carriage seat and down the floor. She bared her teeth and stared at Alexi, "Let me go!"

He shook his head and took a seat on the edge while both hands pinned Emelia down. "You are mad for thinking you'd survive jumping out of the carriage."

"Oh, I could. I would do anything to get away from you."

"But why?" He asked innocently.

"Because..." why did she want to again? She stared at his amber eyes and noticed his pupils had gone large. He was intently watching her. Like a cat trying to catch a far off bird in a distance. Was Alexi trying to do that? Catch her? "B-because you..." she felt his hands pinning her down but they were never tight. She could brush him off but he was not being dangerous like he did on the library. It was as if she had gone mad and he was merely subduing her. Why did she react so impulsively? She knew that the carriage was going faster now and she could land face first if she tried to jump out whilst it was moving.