Silence stretched between them, juxtaposed with the servants’ quick footsteps and the pouring water in the background.
Once the servants had bowed for the night and the door locked, the couple had no choice but to focus on the beckoning scent of the bathwater.
Victoria stood by the window, inhaling the crisp air wafting through the small gap in the window. She liked it this way, although the room somehow remained warm. The fire had been stoked. Nobody was in danger of catching a chill, especially since she could feel him approaching her from the back.
His footsteps were slow and deliberate. Was this what a seduction was like? When he was only a few inches away, he unpinned her hair, letting his fingers go through the strands, playing with them as if he had not seen them before. Her blonde tresses fell on her shoulders, and his hands followed, resting there. She rested against his chest, groaning a little. She could feel the weariness of the day as her back cracked a little.
Marianne and Wilhelmina would tease her about going too soft. She was the wild child in the family, the one who climbed trees and ran through the forest. She could not possibly be feeling her muscles ache from going to the ball and taking care of a baby? She was still young.
“You look tired,” Richard commented, his voice dropping low.
She almost groaned at his comment. He had read her correctly. How much could he tell from her words and silences?
“I am,” she had no choice but to admit.
Confiding in him took away some of the burden. She leaned back into him. “I am tired of fighting with you. Of doubting you. Of fearing things without anyone to share them with.”
“Then, let us not fight,” he whispered, as he undressed her.
The way he slid her dress down to the floor was almost reverent. There was no rush in his movements, and Victoria felt comfortable with him. Even when she stood naked before him,she was not ashamed. Her arms remained at her side. She would not cover her body from him. She liked seeing his eyes roam her body when he turned her around to watch her face-to-face.
“I’m no longer pushing you away,” he murmured, his eyes carrying the look of adoration.
“I won’t,” she promised, shivering slightly in anticipation.
Richard followed through by stripping off his own coat and his waistcoat. He did everything efficiently, not slowly but not rushed, either. There was just enough time for her to admire his hard muscles: those strong arms, the defined chest, the capable thighs, the?—
She gulped as both of them stood bare in front of each other. He reached out to take her hand just like when she was descending from the carriage. She took it, trembling, and followed him to the side of the bathtub. He guided her into it. She gasped at the hot water, which was near scalding and smelled of lavender.
“Sit,” he commanded, and it made her knees weak that she obeyed quickly.
The discomfort from the heat turned into a soothing temperature that massaged the muscles of her back and arms. She moaned appreciatively, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she could see Richard watching her with an amused grin.
“What?”
“You look so relaxed,” he said softly.
“I have forgotten how it feels to be relaxed,” she admitted. “I also forgot?—”
She faltered.
“What?” It was Richard’s turn to ask.
“To be seen as who I am. Victoria. My sisters always saw me as the troublesome little sister. The half of a twin. The ton views me as a minx who needs discipline, and my mother always thought of me as someone to tame. But today, with you, I … I feel like I can be myself.”
“There’s nothing greater than you being yourself, my dear,” confirmed Richard, stepping into the tub behind her.
As soon as he did, the water rose, reaching the rim. If they moved a little more, water would splash onto the rugs on the floor, but she didn’t care.
The duke pulled her back against his chest, his muscular thighs framing her legs. She admired the contrast between them, her pale curves and his tanned and hard lines.
“Thank you,” she said softly.”
Richard massaged her back, making her moan. He unfurled the invisible knots at the base of her skull and her shoulder blades. She heard the cricks. They were satisfying. She let him explore and remove the pain.
When his hand rested on her thigh, her breath hitched. She already knew how expert those rough fingers were, and how they seemed to know how and where to touch her.
“You have so much fire within you, Victoria. I can’t think of a reason anyone would see you any other way,” he whispered against the nape of her neck.
