“W-Why? Why does no one win against it?
“It is not possible to do so. It is all consuming, crippling, breaking down your senses and resistance, until all that is left is the hunger.” He whispered, taking another step towards her.
The beating of her heart nearly completely cut off the sound of his voice, but still, the heavy timbre of it continued to leak through, sinking into her mind and rousing the hunger growing within her.
“So… what happens next?” she questioned quietly, looking up at him as he stood before her, now only inches away.
He halted, his expression unreadable as he continued to speak. “It lies in wait, growing, eating at your thoughts of the person you want, feeding your appetite for them simultaneously, until one day. A taste is all it takes for you to lose your mind completely. And you’ll be filled with a ceaseless need to consume them whole.”
As soon as he was done speaking, he reached out, grabbed hold of her face, and pulled her towards him, pressing their lips together. Nora let out a squeak of surprise, her heart thundering in her chest as his lips moved hotly against hers.
He tasted warm, like cinnamon with a twinge of sugar, and she vaguely realized he must have sampled one of the treats she had brought. He pressed closer, the kiss turning slow and deep and she felt her nerves threaten to crumble when he nipped at her lower lip. She felt the thoughts in her head dissipate as she melted in his arms, unable to stop the whine that left her throat when their tongues brushed.
He pulled away at the sound and released her, snapping,
“Let this serve as a warning of what you should avoid. Now, leave.”
Nora stood there, blinking at him in utter confusion, startled when he yelled at her,
“I said, leave!”
Quickly, she left the room, her mind spinning as she tried to fathom what had just happened. It felt so unreal, like a dream.
She raised a hand to her lips, still feeling the demanding press of his, and she sighed, her heart beating in her chest as she mumbled to herself.
“What a strange and intriguing dream.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Oh, Mr Rogers, what a delightfully humorous story.”
The man before Nora, Michael Rogers, grinned, positively preening over her compliment, cleared his throat, and sat up straighter.
“I am glad to hear that you find it entertaining, somewhat. I worry that I might bore you with the tales of my travels.” He confessed sheepishly.
“Nonsense,” Nora shook her head. “I am honored that you would choose to share the stories of your exciting and treasured moments. I could not think of a better way to spend my afternoon. I have always wanted to travel myself. My brother – Cecil – is currently on a grand tour of his own, and I will admit… I envy him more than I miss him.”
Michael smiled gently and leaned closer towards her,
“I do hope you get to fulfil your wish. You will never realize just how small the world is until you leave your home. There is nowhere near as safe or as comfortable as one’s home, but the true excitement of life lies in the great unknown that surrounds this country. Beyond the borders, that is where a life worth living lies. And… to me, spending time with you has been the best activity I could have dedicated an afternoon to.”
Flustered, Nora tried to hide her smile, but almost immediately, her mind felt obligated to remind her that his sweetness fell short of the duke’s effect.
Quickly, she shook her head and subtly shifted closer, determined to keep that man out of her head. She was fortunate that her father was too busy that morning to supervise her closely, opting to stay in his study a few doors down, while Nora received suitors in the drawing room.
So far, two men had shown up bearing flowers and gifts, and she was well on her way to putting Tobias Crane behind her.
If only she could do the same with the duke.
“You flatter me, Mr Roger,” she smiled in a sultry manner. “But I fear I have not been as interesting as one would like their host to be.”
“That is quite false. You have graciously given me your time and listened to me ramble on about my travels and sights, all the while asking questions and offering riveting contributions. As I said before, I could not think of a better way to spend my time –”
The door opened suddenly, and Nora jumped, irate as she whirled around to scold the servant for interrupting. But the words died on her tongue as the duke of Ironwell walked in, regarding Nora and her suitor for a moment.
“Excuse me, Your Grace?” she seethed, glaring at him. “What do you think you are doing? You cannot just walk in here as though this is your house!”
Godric did not respond. It took her a moment to realize he wasn’t staring at her, but rather at Mr Rogers, because after a few seconds of the chill silence, the man scooted away from her, leaving a respectable distance between them.
