Lady Delilah Dares A Duke By Sofie Darling (Fully Tested)

Delilah took a step closer, ignoring the scandalous proximity. "You are a dull man, Arthur. A marble statue in a cravat. I bet you haven’t felt a moment of genuine excitement since the Regency began." One of Arthur’s dark eyebrows arched. "Is that so?"

Arthur Sterling, the Seventh Duke of Ravenstock, was a man of iron rules and even colder expressions. He was also, quite inconveniently, the guardian of the estate bordering Delilah’s family home. For years, the two had engaged in a polite but pointed cold war over a disputed strip of woodland known as The King’s Hollow.

"It is a simple request, Your Grace," Delilah said, snapping her lace fan shut as they stood on the edges of a crowded London ballroom. "I wish to host the Midsummer Fair in the Hollow. It has been a tradition for decades, one your father never contested." Lady Delilah Dares a Duke by Sofie Darling

"The wager is settled," he murmured, his thumb grazing the inside of her wrist where her pulse hammered. "But the dare... the dare is only just beginning. I expect a dance at the fair, Lady Delilah. And I won't let you win that quite so easily."

"My father was a man of sentimental whims, Lady Delilah," Arthur replied, his voice a low, gravelly baritone that vibrated in her chest. "I am not. The Hollow is private property, and I will not have half the village trampling the flora for the sake of cheap ale and ribbons." Delilah took a step closer, ignoring the scandalous

He tossed his hand onto the table, face down. "It seems," he lied smoothly, "that the luck of the Vanes holds true. The fair is yours, Delilah."

Arthur looked at the card, then at her. He held a King in his hand—the winning card—but he paused. For the first time, Delilah saw a flicker of something human in his gaze—a longing that went far beyond land disputes. I bet you haven’t felt a moment of

Lady Delilah Vane was not a woman who appreciated the word "no," particularly when it came from the mouth of the Duke of Ravenstock.