The rumor mill would surely be in full swing by now, she thought ruefully, picking at what was left of her early breakfast. She had little appetite and had been mustering the urge to eat for the past hour. Now the food had long since grown cold and would only serve to make her feel worse.
Still, she continued to pick at it, sighing at the state of her situation. What had felt like an ingenious scheme the night before, now felt like a blunder of the highest order. Any moment now her aunt and uncle would come bursting in here to lecture her about how badly she’d marred their name. And she couldn’t blame them. Did she truly think that she could make demands oftheDuke of Stanhope?
I must have gone mad!
She sighed and pushed the tray of untouched food aside. Though she was tired of remaining in her bedchamber, she was far too afraid to venture outside of its comforting walls too. She’d rarely ever seen her uncle upset but knew very well that he had a fearsome temper. And Barbara? She would certainly jump at any chance to ridicule and degrade her.
If only the Duke had just agreed to her demands. Surely he understood the position they were both now trapped in? After all, she hadn’t been the only one to act indecently. He was the one who tried to seduce her, who had cornered her on the balcony in the first place. Yes, perhaps it had been a case of mistaken identity, but that did not absolve him of his share of the blame.
Subconsciously, Amelia touched her lips, recalling the phantom sensation of the Duke’s kiss. A deep, uncharted desire awakened in her core. Her legs tensed with an unusual longing. She squirmed a little when she thought of how deliciously he’d tasted, the press of his hard body against hers, and the shiver of pure desire when his heated breath teased her neck. Even with fury clouding his eyes, the Duke embodied something Amelia had never experienced before… and was fearful to explore. But he was the Masked Rogue. Was it wrong to be thinking such thoughts of the man who ruined her family?
Suddenly, the door creaked open, snapping her from her heated thoughts. Amelia gasped as she shot out of her chair, whirlingwith bated breath, half-expecting to see the Duke’s smoldering gaze before her.
But… wait. Itwasthe Duke of Stanhope?
Amelia rubbed her eyes. She was surely imagining things. He looked… glorious. Clad in a pair of deep-hued breeches, an immaculate white shirt, and a tailored blue waistcoat to match his eyes, it seemed almost criminal how his mere presence could make her feel so weak. She clenched the fabric of her gown, taking in the devilish expression on his face, heat seeping through her body when he slowly but deliberately shut the door behind him.
“You are not real,” she whispered, eyes wide in astonishment.
The Duke frowned. Then, his lips slipped into one of a boyish grin. “Good day to you too, Lady Amelia,” he greeted. “But, I assure you, I am.” His deep voice washed over her, and gooseflesh dotted her skin.
“H-how did you get in here?” she managed to stammer, despising the fear in her voice. She resented him for the wrongs he had inflicted upon her family; she shouldn't give him the honor of fearing him too.
Yet, as he tilted his head to the side, regarding her calmly, Amelia wondered how much was truly fear. “Your Aunt and Uncle, ever the gracious hosts, were more than happy to accept me. From there, I merely mentioned needing to visit therestroom, gave the servant a slip… and lo’ and behold!” His hands clapped together, punctuated by a roguish smile.
“You need to leave. You can’t be here. It is wholly inappropriate!” she whispered sharply.
“Inappropriate?” the Duke echoed louder. Amelia winced, afraid someone might have heard him. “I think we are far past propriety, don’t you?”
Amelia didn’t know what to say to that. He moved deeper into the bedchamber, his hands clasped behind his back as he took in his surroundings. There was something about the way his eyes eventually lingered on her disheveled bed that made her toes curl.
With each measured stride he took, Amelia was well aware he was artfully closing the distance between them. She tried to stand firm as best she could, fighting the foolish urge to confront him and the equal urge to recreate the distance between them.
“What do you want?” she hissed, her tone laced with enough bite to make him raise his brows at her.
“Surely you know what I am here for,” the Duke drawled. “Or have you forgotten the ultimatum you so strongly forced on me last night?”
“I thought you had decided to reject me.”
“On the contrary, my lady, I am here to let you know that I have given it much thought and I believe it is the correct course of action to take.”
Amelia narrowed her eyes. “So you’ve had a change of heart?”
“That I have.” He was coming closer still. Unable to help it, Amelia began backing up until she was almost pinned against the wall. He stopped just a few feet away from her, eyes dancing with an emotion she could not name. “Does the offer still stand?”
She swallowed. Something was off. But because she couldn’t read his true intentions, only her earlier desperation answered. “It does.”
“Ah, lovely. Because I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind, my lady. I was afraid that I might have scared you off last night.”
If he drew even a fraction nearer, Amelia was sure he’d hear the frantic rhythm of her heart. “You didn’t,” she assured softly.
“Good. For I do not wish to see fear in your eyes when you look upon me,” he replied, his tone dripping with liquid ice. “Rather, there is another emotion I’d like to see. Something that makes me think this marriage will be nothing short of… exhilarating.”
With one step, the Duke had drawn so intoxicatingly close, that the waft of his powerful Cedarwood aroma began to overwhelmher. Amelia licked her lips, savoring its taste. “And what might that be?” she breathed.
Leaning in, he gently swept a wayward tendril of hair from her neckline, unveiling the sensitive expanse of her throat. His thumb lingered there, tracing a feather-light path along her skin. An involuntary shudder ran through her at that touch.
“Lust,” he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. “I enjoy when you look at me with desire in your eyes.”
