"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."
The room seemed to shrink. To appear as the Duke’s guest was to signal an intimacy that would set every tongue in Mayfair wagging. It was a dangerous dare, but Delilah Vane never backed down. "Agreed," she said, extending a gloved hand. Lady Delilah Dares a Duke by Sofie Darling
"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." "The wager is settled," he murmured, his thumb
The Duke’s gaze dropped to her lips for a fraction of a second before meeting her eyes again. "And if I win, I want something more than your silence, Delilah. I want you to attend the Duchess of Marbury’s ball next week—as my guest. On my arm." I expect a dance at the fair, Lady Delilah
"I dare you," she whispered, her eyes flashing. "A wager. One game of piquet tonight. If I win, the fair proceeds in the Hollow. If you win... I shall stop petitioning you for the land entirely."
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."
Lady Delilah Vane was not a woman who appreciated the word "no," particularly when it came from the mouth of the Duke of Ravenstock.