Chapter 16
Diana shivered at the cold look in Zeke’s eyes. It had never been society that had wedged a wall between the two of them, it had been his grandfather all along.
A dead man.
And as Zeke described his grandfather’s expectations, she realized that he’d not exaggerated when he’d first explained his great sense of duty to all those ghosts and future Lords of Greystone.
Up until he’d mentioned his grandfather, Diana had watched his eyes warm as he shared his passions—the excitement of a new discovery—the challenge of a difficult equation. And he’d been satisfied that she’d comprehended the importance of his pursuits.
They mattered to him.
Of course, his estate mattered to him.
And the memory of his grandfather mattered to him. But there was so much more.
And so, she found herself pushing back.
“How could you think you could fail him? You’ve already done so much—for your title, for science, for England—
He tipped his head, unconvinced. “For England?” he mocked.
Warming to her subject, she nodded. “But also for your cousins, your friends, your estates, all those tenants.”
“How would you know about my tenants?”
She shrugged. “Chase is constantly taking steps to implement your practices. He speaks freely to his family. But I also know that you helped Lord Manningham-Tissinton with the troubles he faced before his marriage. And that you treat your butler exceedingly well, allowing him to attend his sisters’ come-out. Although I don’t understand how you ended up with a duke for a butler.”
She bit back a smile. His life was rich and colorful, and nothing about him ought to be stifled by the irrelevant ideals of a dead man. Even if that dead man had shown him the affection and care Greystone had lacked as a boy.
The Marques of Greystone, Zeke, stared at her—a little dumbstruck.
“I’ve asked Chaswick about Blackheart’s position on your servant’s roster, and he simply looks at me as though I’ve gone rather insane.” Diana elaborated. “Did the duke lose a wager to you? It’s the only reason I can imagine why he’d do something so fantastic as act as butler here.”
“You think it fantastic, do you?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Diana took back his hand and resumed stroking lazy circles over the smooth skin inside his wrist.
She had not been wrong in thinking passions lurked beneath his calm exterior. This man wanted to understand the universe. If that wasn’t passion, she didn’t know what was.
“More light,” she said.
“Pardon?”
“You said astronomers are always searching for more light.” Diana rose from the chair and took hold of his other hand, drawing him toward her. “What would you want to explore if you had more light?” It was a leading question.
“Everything,” he answered, stepping between her legs and pushing her back so she was half sitting on his desk.
“Everything?” she whispered.
He worked his wrists away from her, taking control and holding her hands onto the edge of the table. Diana licked her lips.Kiss me. Kiss me. Kiss me.
She would have reached up to tug his mouth to meet hers if her hands were free. Her breath hitched, and she tilted her head back. “Kiss me,” she said the words out loud.
He moved closer but not close enough. And then he dipped his chin and instead dragged his mouth along the edge of her jaw.
“Zeke,” Diana nearly growled at the delicious hunger he ignited. When she’d been in the water with him, she’d been able to move freely, to reach for him with her core, thrusting, gripping—
