Page 6 of To Wager with Love

Before she could speak, however, Jasper beat her to it.

“What are you going to bet, Harry?”

A strange sensation, akin to ice water sliding down her back, snapped Harriet’s attention back to Jasper. His aquamarine eyes were intent, and something in his expression made her heart beat faster.

“W-What?”

“You have a dare to complete. To bet something you do not wish to lose.”

Kitty Connolly, I will wring your pretty neck!

“What of it?” Harriet demanded.

Her head was spinning again, her heart beating too fast. She was filled with the desire to do something reckless, to run away into the darkness and never be seen again.

She gasped, beyond shocked as Jasper caught her by the waist and pulled her close. Suddenly she was sixteen years old again and gazing at the boy she’d loved her entire life.

No.

No, she would not be that girl again. That stupid, stupid, girl.

“I dare you, Harriet,” he said, his voice low and so intimate the hairs rose on the back of her neck. She couldn’t breathe. “I dare you to stop hiding, from me, from life. I dare you to go back into that ballroom and dance and laugh and have fun. I dare you to dance with me, with an open heart and no pretence between us. I dare you to dance with me, look into my eyes, and tell me I mean nothing to you.”

Harriet stared up at him. Surely her heart ought not beat at this ridiculous pace. It could not withstand such punishment, and would burst at any moment…. Only it didn’t burst. It just kept on thundering, battering against her ribs like a panicked bird trying to escape a trap, and this was a trap.

“And what do I get if I win?” she asked, all too aware of the breathless quality of her voice.

“I’ll leave you be,” he said, his grip tightening on her waist. “You’ll never be plagued by me ever again. I won’t seek you out, won’t speak to you. You’ll be free of me, for good.”

“You m-mean it?” she asked, grasping at his words.

It was what she’d wanted, what she’d been planning for: a way to escape him, to put him behind her, and he was handing it to her. All she need do was pretend to enjoy herself for a few hours. She could manage that, surely?

“I mean it,” he said, his voice harsh. “But don’t forget your forfeit, Harry.”

There was a warning note there that she ought to have heeded, but the possibility of being free of this maddening connection that held her tied to her past was too tantalising.

“Which is?”

“If you fail—”

“Yes?” She watched him, trying to read his expression and wondering at the determination she saw there, or… was that desperation?

“You’ll give yourself to me.”

Harriet blinked, not understanding.

“I’ll…?” she began, frowning.

Jasper laughed, but it was not a sound she associated with him. It was darker, that desperate edge audible once more.

“You’ll show everyone the real Harriet, the one I grew up with, the one I knew was bold and brave and funny, and then, at midnight, you’ll dance with me. You’ll dance with me and you’ll look into my eyes and tell me how you feel about me. If you can tell me I mean nothing to you, if you can put your hand on your heart and swear that there’s nothing between us, that you don’t care for me… you’ll never see me again. But if you can’t… if you can’t, I will take you down to the summerhouse and make love to you. You’ll be mine, Harry, just like you were always supposed to be.”

Harriet stared at him. She wanted to tell him he was mad, she wanted to slap his face and kick him in the shins and stamp her feet and rage, but she couldn’t. The idea of Jasper taking her to the summerhouse and making love to her was so overwhelming she couldn’t even breathe, let alone move.

“Did I hurt you, Harry?” he asked. He cupped her face with his hand and stared down at her, his voice tender now. “I swear I never meant to.”

That was probably the only thing that could have snapped her out of the trance she’d fallen into. She pushed away from him, out of his arms.