Vain (The Seven Deadly, #1)(9)

A soft smile reached his lips.

“I’m so sorry that was incredibly boorish of me.” I needed to patch it up before my father found out. “I meant that it would only make sense you’d study business seeing who your father is. An unerring sense of business must be inherited.”

“And she recovers flawlessly,” he teased, making me smile genuinely.

“Dinner is served,” Leith said, interrupting the room.

Devon offered his arm and I took it. My dad winked at me in approval and I wanted to gag. Dinner was served in the more intimate dining room, as there were only six of us. Devon pulled a chair out for me at the end of the table then sat next to me, two full seats separating us from our parents.

“Thank you for this,” I secreted in his ear.

“My pleasure,” he flirted.

Devon was a complete gentleman throughout dinner and I found myself unbelievably attracted to him. I mean, of course, all the boys in my circle were utter gentlemen. It was a product of their breeding, but Devon seemed genuinely interested in being courteous just for the sake of being courteous.

When dinner was over, coffee and cake were to be served in the library and I followed my parents out of the dining room, but Devon pulled me away, out of range.

“Our parents are a drag. Why don’t you show me your garden instead?” he asked.

“Of course,” I told him before leaning into the library. “Devon has an interest in seeing the gardens. Is it okay if I show him?” I asked for show more than anything.

“I don’t mind. Do you, Rokul?” my father asked.

“Of course not. Have fun you two,” Henry added.

“Come with me, Devon,” I smiled sweetly, taking his arm once more.

As much as I was attracted to Devon, I knew my father would kill me if I was anything but what he thought a lady should be and I had already made plans to keep my cool with him. Not to mention I wasn’t exactly in the mood after the day I’d had.

It was also kind of nice for a guy to pay attention to me because he was just polite, no ulterior motive. I wasn’t used to it.

The gardens were a garish feature of our home and had been since I was small, but my mother loved them with their winding boxwood geometric designs, so they stayed and were impeccably kept up.

“It’s very beautiful here,” Devon chimed in after a quiet turn around the main garden.

“Mmm, yes,” I agreed politely.

“Not as beautiful as you though.”

Gag.

“Thank you,” I told him, trying my damnedest not to burst into tears laughing.

We rounded the boxwoods and entered the garden maze.

“Perhaps we should return to the house...” I started before Devon shoved me into the prickly bush maze behind me.

“Or we could just stay here,” he roughly bit out, kissing me so harshly I wasn’t able to speak.

I shoved him off me. “What the hell, Devon?”

“Oh, come on. You know you want to,” he continued, handling me as if I hadn’t just thrown him off.

“Excuse me?” I said, shoving him back again, but he only came back twofold.

“Please, Sophie. I know you’re reputation, and you could do a lot worse than me.”

My chin dropped to my chest. The gall. I purposely fixed my gaze.

“You’re right, but we can’t do it here so close to the maze entrance, someone might hear.”

He backed off me for a moment. “Lead the way, Miss Price.”

“Follow me,” I flirted over my shoulder. “This way.”

I led him through the winding maze and purposely toward a dead end but near a bench so I could enjoy the show. “No one will find us here,” I told him. I grabbed the front of his jacket and settled him in front of me as I sat myself on the bench, reclining on one arm. “Go ahead.”

“Wh-what should I do?”

“Undress, of course,” I playfully teased.

“You’re a kinky bitch.”

What a lovely compliment. “You know it.”

I watched Devon shed each expensive layer of clothing until there was nothing left but the moonlight on his skin. He smiled devilishly at me. I won’t go into how ironic his name suddenly became to me.

“Here I am,” he said, spreading his arms wide.

I stood slowly and walked seductively his direction. I bent slightly to retrieve his tie from the pile and sauntered around him. I placed the tie around his eyes and began to tie a knot.

“Wait, what are you doing?” he asked.

“Just a little game I like to play,” I sang into his ear before kissing his neck. This visibly relaxed him. “Now, I want you to count to ten then come find me,” I hurriedly said while gathering all his belongings down to his shoes.

“Wait, I don’t think...”

“Don’t think. Feel,” I teased.

He grabbed for me blindly and I sidestepped him, making a beeline for the exit of the maze I’d used to visit every day as a little girl. It’s where I used to hide from my nannies. What a fool. I made my way from the maze and finally let myself smile genuinely for the first time that night. I threw his clothing in the fountain in the center of the boxwoods and turned around when I heard Devon call out my name. He was quicker finding his way out than I’d anticipated.