The library had always been her sanctuary. It was a quiet, orderly, and rational place to hide in when the rest of the worldfelt chaotic. But with him in it, the room felt claustrophobic and frightening in an exciting way.
“Were you looking for me?” He regarded her with a curious expression, raising a dark brow.
She swallowed. “I… wanted to speak with you.”
Alexander got up and strode towards her, and she felt her pulse quicken with every step.
“How was Rosalind?” He sounded troubled.
“She was better than the last meeting,” Theodora said. “Much better. All she needs is some good food, sunlight, and exercise. And…” She hesitated. “I think you should take her to Bath. The waters there helped my mother when she was?—”
She was admitting too much to him. Alexander studied her with that same intense focus that always made her feel as though he were peeling back her layers one by one.
“I will consider all of that, thank you,” he said quietly and she was grateful that he did not ask her to continue.
“You are most welcome.”
“You care for others easily, even when you are suffering,” he added. His words and the observation he made surprised her.
She stiffened and frowned as she thought about it. “That is not true. I am perfectly fine.”
“It is,” he said. “Something made you stop believing in love or that you are undeserving of it. I am not going to ask you tell me what it is, but I can see it in you.”
Theodora’s breath faltered. She was the one who read and examined people, but she had never been on the receiving end of such scrutiny. His perception of her left her deeply unsettled.
She forced a laugh. “You are guessing wildly.”
“Am I?” he asked.
When did he get so close?
Theodora caught a whiff of his cinnamon scent and her stomach fluttered involuntarily.
“I am curious…was it a heartbreak? A betrayal? Or someone who?—”
“That is enough,” she said sharply, heat rising to her cheeks. “I did not come here to discuss that.”
He tilted his head curiously. “Then why did you come, Theo?”
“To check on you and to help Rosalind,” she said simply.
Alexander chuckled. “Do not bother about me. That will do you no good.”
“You are in pain,” she said, grateful for the shift in their conversation. “I saw it yesterday and today. So that means it has not improved.”
He hesitated, then sighed. “Very well, but I strongly disagree with this.”
“Why?” she raised a brow.
“Because a scientist should not get attached to her guinea pig.” He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes.
Before she could reply smartly, Alexander reached for the buttons of his shirt and Theodora stilled. He unfastened them slowly. It was difficult to tell if each movement was meant as a deliberate tease for her or if His Grace was in so much pain that he could only move at this pace. Eventually, the fabric fell open and revealed the ropes of muscles, a defined chest with a small tuft of hair in the middle and a huge, disturbing bruise along his ribs. The deep, dark, and angry marks bloomed across his skin.
Theodora swallowed hard. He was half-naked in front of her. The vast library suddenly felt too small and the heat she felt in her core felt unbearable.
This is not conducive to rational thought.
She forced herself forward, kneeling slightly to examine the bruises and ignoring the teasing smile on Alexander’s lips.
