“Y…yes, physical contact raises heart rate and causes euphoria, showing these signs point only to lust; and love is simply an intense form of it.”
“Have you ever been touched?” His voice dropped low.
Theodora took a deep breath and exhaled.
What does he think of me?
“Of course not,” she said tightly.
Alexander took a small step forward, closing the gap between them.
“Since you have already touched me, perhaps you should feel it too. Who knows? You may be wrong about physical touch altogether.” He flashed her a wolfish grin.
Theodora let out a choked laugh. “That is not —”
“Logical?” he asked. “It is perfectly logical.”
She hated that he was right and that her pulse was already racing. Despite any of her protests, she wanted him to touch her.
For the sake of the experiment.
“How can you prove a theory without some practical work?” He lifted a hand, brushing a rogue strand of hair from her cheek. The touch was featherlight, but it sent a shiver down her spine.
“Do you truly believe I will fall in love with you?” she scoffed.
“That is why we are experimenting…is it not?”
She wanted to wipe that smug look off his face.
“And what if you fall in love with me?”
He laughed and she did not understand why she felt insulted. “That is not possible.”
Theodora glared at him. “You are very sure of yourself.”
“I am,” he said smugly.
“As long as you remember that this is still an experiment andjustan experiment,” she muttered.
“Of course,” he whispered.
“All right, then… touch me.” She lifted her chin, dropping her arms to her sides and surrendering to him.
Theo noticed how Alexander’s eyes darkened and his muscles flexed tautly. His fingers trailed down her jaw slowly. His touch was unbearably gentle. Suddenly, she struggled to breathe and her knees weakened.
Why does his touch elicit such a response from me?
His bare chest felt like a furnace as he stood close to her, and she allowed his warmth to surround her.
Alexander traced a line from her collarbone down the center of her corset. His finger grazed her breasts causing her breath to hitch.
“Look at how you are blushing for me.” He spoke softly but each word left her in shambles.
“Tell me…how do you feel?” her voice trembled.
“I feel a pull towards you; it is almost as if I cannot control my own body.” His voice was so low and dangerous that it made her shiver with the same want he just described.
She had not realized that talking could impact a moment such as this until Alexander proved her wrong. He continued to travel down her body until he stopped at her waist. Theo looked into his eyes and noticed how his breathing increased as much as hers did. She felt his arms wrap around her and he grasped her bottom through her skirts. Theodora gasped but did not stop him.
