Her wrapper gaped open.
And the Duke’s mouth followed suit.
Confidence, she reminded herself. You are not weak. You are not someone to be pitied. You are not someone the likes of Colborn can walk all over.
“Manifest your dreams,” she said softly, covering her apprehension with a tone that was husky and heated. A reminder to herself as much as a declaration to the Duke. “Or so the wisdom goes. Envision. Believe. Take action.”
His gaze flew to hers at the same speed that a searing blush infused her cheeks. She was brave. She was bloody brave.Brave, Fliss.She just had to keep thinking that.
Because she had just loosened her wrapper, and she wore absolutely nothing underneath. And she could not ruin it by letting her embarrassment show.
He swallowed repeatedly, and her gaze dropped to the muscles of his throat. She had never realized how captivating a throat could be, how it could draw one in, tempt one with fantasies of a tongue tracing over corded muscles, of teeth sinking into heated flesh.
“I’m not sure about you, Your Grace, but Ireallywant my dreams to come true.”
She brought her hand to her own throat and slowly trailed her fingers down the small expanse of skin peeking through the edges of her wrapper. Down between her breasts, barely shielded from view.
“I was sure to envision it quite thoroughly this morning.”
His gaze didn’t stray from her fingers, his breaths coming strangled and hard. His features tightened. A vein in his forehead pulsed.
Her chest rose in rhythm with his, and she had to squeeze her thighs against the ache building between them. She was starting to confuse who the seduced was in this whole mess.
Especially when her fingers drifted over the curve of her breast, inching toward her nipple. Fire burned her skin as her fingertips made the slow path, the silk of her wrapper sliding open wider—
The Duke jolted out of his chair, and her gaze shot to his. And then dropped to his trousers. And dear fucking Lord, ifthatwasn’t a giant sign he was affected…
Her mouth watered, her tongue dipping to coast over her lips. And the minute her tongue made an appearance, his cock jumped.Jumped. Her breath hitched.
Heaven, help me.
All nerves, all embarrassment, all hesitance fled. All that remained was an unbearable need. For him.
“I-I… must be going?” he said. It came out a question, a hoarse plea, as if he was hoping someone would step in and tell him he could stay.
His gaze darted around the room until it settled on his empty breakfast dishes in front of him. He hastily gathered them in his arms. “I should take these down to the kitchens.” He cleared his throat, bowed awkwardly, and fled the room.
She sat back in her chair, heart racing nearly as fast as the Duke’s fleeing feet. That had definitely seemed like success, like progress.
Now that she had time on her side, it was just a matter of wearing him down.
And Felicity really,reallywanted to wear him down.
7
Ash
Ashrusheddownthehall, the panic coursing through him threatening to close off his airways. She couldn’t leave. Fordays. And if that little display in the breakfast room was any indication…
He was fucked.
And not in the good way. Though he was definitely at risk of it being in the good way. Shite, shite, shitesack.
Find your bloody restraint, Ash. You are a duke. You have discipline. You do not crumble beneath a woman’s wily ways.
But hereallywanted to be beneath her.
A groan rumbled from his chest. Sodding hell. He’d used an excuse to act as a servant to escape a woman. He could have run himself over with a carriage for how much of a cake he was. How green was he? He could only hope it made him look so foolish that it helped spurn her advances.
