Quinn didn’t reject the drink nor the company. His intentions for where he stood now weren’t solely to send Kyle home. He needed a distraction, and fortunately, one walked right up to him.

It wasn’t a good idea to entertain a woman he thought looked like Eloise, and if Damien found out, he would be upset, but this was better than dwelling on a relationship stuck in the past.

Quinn needed this interaction to get over his troubles, and then life in the estate would be better.

Teressa returned with a cup filled to the brim with rum. "This one is my treat. I might be mistaken, but you look sad."

Quinn accepted the drink and brought the glass to his lips to have a sip. "I am not sad," he replied.

"You are not? Then, do you want me to believe this is how you always look? I am willing to put a smile on your face. None of the gentlemen present has captured my attention as you have. I have never been so close to a Hawthorne," Teressa said, revealing she knew who stood before her.

There wasn’t a lady in town who didn’t know of the Hawthorne brothers.

"Men come here to drink, gamble, and enjoy themselves with women. I suggest you have a little fun to put a smile back on your face," Teressa said, hopeful that Quinn would use her.

Having a wave of confidence come over her, Teressa palmed Quinn’s face and urged him to look at her. "Allow me to relieve you of your troubles," she suggested.

Teressa smiled, feeling victorious as Quinn stared back at her. He eyed her just as the other men did who wanted her. If she could place herself as Quinn’s mistress, then she would live a comfortable life as long as she could keep his attention.

Teressa held the envy of all the other ladies around her.

Quinn didn’t know whether to place the blame on his feelings throughout the day or the rum he had not long ago taken a sip of, but without thinking, he leaned forward to kiss the woman before him.

The kiss was what Quinn yearned for, but not from the lady before him. He needed it to make sense of why he was acting like a fool for Eloise when he had not been by her side in years.

Quinn rested the cup still filled with rum down on the table before him and grabbed Teressa by her arms to pull her closer. Their chests were pressed against each other, their breaths tickling each other’s skin.

Teressa smiled against Quinn’s lips. She managed to capture herself a wealthy man. "Quinn," she whispered his name.

Quinn staggered back as he came to his senses. He snapped out of the false reality and stared at the woman who was not Eloise.

"I must be out of my mind," Quinn muttered.

Before Teressa could question him, Quinn walked away. He wiped his lips with the back of his right hand, trying to get rid of all memory of what he had done.

"Bastard," Quinn scolded himself.

He came to the gentleman’s club with the intention of distracting himself with a lady, but not one who bore some resemblance to Eloise. It wasn’t fair to either woman.

Quinn returned to his carriage and sat down. He leaned back on the seat, his right hand resting on his forehead.

Quinn took a deep breath as he calmed himself down.

It was evident that he wasn’t ready to go back to the estate to be in Eloise’s presence.

"You haven’t seen her in years. Why act like this?" Quinn asked himself, frustrated with his feelings.

It made no sense to be so drawn to Eloise when he had not thought about her since he was a boy, but seeing her, and how she had grown, stirred old feelings inside Quinn. Feelings that had now multiplied and become mature now that they were older.

This wasn’t just the girl he used to like, but now she was a lady who captured his full attention. A lady who might spoil the relationship he had with his brother because he could not stop wanting her.

"Take me to my townhouse," Quinn instructed the coachman. He needed a little more time before he could face Eloise.

***

Back at the estate, Eloise finished her dinner, and before she could retire to her bed, she sent a maid with food so Jane would not go to bed without eating.

Eloise thought of personally taking the food to Jane, but knew it wouldn’t put her in a better position with Jane. Jane might also be too proud to admit she was hungry and take the food.

Eloise returned to her bedchamber and dressed herself for bed. Damien entered shortly after sending out guards to keep an eye on his brothers.

"Tomorrow, I will select a personal maid for you. Or two," Damien said, not wanting Eloise to be without help. "I have been putting it off."

"I like the maid who was here the first day I arrived. I will trust your judgment for the other," Eloise said, watching through the mirror as Damien sat down on the bed.

Damien started to take off his shoes as he planned to go to sleep at the same time as Eloise.

Eloise braided the last of her hair and turned around to face Damien. While he was busy taking off his shoes, Eloise stood up and stalked over to where he sat.

"Damien," Eloise softly called, getting his attention.

Damien looked up, and before he could respond, he was surprised by a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," Eloise whispered, but Damien heard it thanks to the silence in the room.

Damien stared at Eloise, taking a moment to register that she had been so daring to kiss him.

Eloise chuckled, enjoying Damien’s shock. "I am going to bed."

Damien grabbed Eloise’s hand to stop her. "What have I done to be granted a kiss?"

"For your hard work with the will, you asked that I kiss you at night, so I will gladly do so. I also wanted to thank you for what you did with the Robinsons. I might have a bit of mischief within me as I enjoyed how you unsettled them," Eloise confessed.

Eloise leaned forward, her voice soft as she said, "Consider the kiss part of my gratitude for you defending me. I truly am grateful."

"It should be a kiss for every moment you are happy with. I am owed a second kiss," Damien said, guiding Eloise to stand between his parted legs. "It was cruel of you to sneak a kiss without warning me, as I could not fully enjoy it."

"I kept my end of the deal, Damien. You have your kiss for the night," Eloise said, not wanting to spoil Damien.

Eloise was only confident because she did it while Damien wasn’t watching. Now, his piercing gaze was directed right at her, and a lump formed in her throat.

Eloise turned away from Damien, needing a moment to settle herself.

"Look at me," Damien said, voice carrying a powerful authority.

Eloise moved without thought and peered down at Damien. She was nervous, though she did not need to be.

"You shouldn’t get greedy with kisses, Damien. You will grow bored of them," Eloise said, but she knew that wasn’t the case for Damien.

Eloise gasped, startled by Damien slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her down to the bed so he could tower over her.

"You are mistaken, Eloise."