“It doesn’t?”
“No.You understand patience.You breed horses which is an exercise in patience.”
Maurice growled.“What we have isn’t the same as a horse.”
Sebastian chuckled softly.“No.A horse is easily understood.”
“I could spend my life learning everything about you and trying to understand you.”Maurice spilled his soul, as if having Sebastian’s delicious weight on his body and his cock inside him made it impossible to control his mouth.
“If I’d known that the way to bring down a Duke was to fuck him in his bed, I might have done it years ago.”Sebastian’s soft laughter sent vibrations through Maurice’s chest, and he wanted to say ridiculous things like admit that he’d get on his knees for Sebastian every day if he asked.He rolled them both, so he was on top.
“Dinner.Let’s eat.”He had too many feelings and needed to get away from them so he could take some time to corral his feelings into obedience, except he didn’t want to move—he wanted to stay here lying on Sebastian forever—hence why he had to flee.If he wore his ducal clothes and ate his ducal dinner, then maybe the world would go back to the way it had been before.When he’d just been pining and didn’t know how perfect this could be.
Fuck.
Sebastian rolled them again and Maurice closed his eyes as Sebastian’s warm body covered his again, but it wasn’t for long as Sebastian eased himself up, leaving Maurice cold and ...lonely.
“Do you have a cloth?”
“For?”
“To clean you up.”
Maurice sat bolt upright.“I can do it.”It was a step too far to allow Sebastian to care for him, not while his thoughts were so tangled and upset and in awe and just so fucking confused.He wanted more than he had the power to grant.A rather alienating problem for a Duke.
Chapter 10
Sebastian had discoveredthe answer to his question; what would the Duke look like when he finally relaxed?Not in a hundred years would Sebastian have guessed that Maurice would babble in a panicked way as if he suddenly had feelings and didn't know what to do with them.Sebastian had no such qualms.He knew his place and there was no point in developing an emotional connection to a Duke.Some things in life were completely impossible, so he wasn’t going to waste his energy on dreaming of them.He would go back to his cottage—or a room above the stable block—and carry on with his life, but with a stunning memory to keep him warm at night.
Maurice walked through a door at the end of the room, and Sebastian was curious enough to follow.The room was the size of Sebastian’s lounge but had a tiled floor and in the middle of the room was a large tub.Various dressers lined the walls with elegant collections of soaps, cloths, and towels.The only familiar thing in the room was a jug, similar to the one Sebastian used for washing himself.
“Shall I ring for some hot water?”Maurice asked, as if Sebastian needed a reminder of how different their lives were.
“No.”He grabbed a cloth, wet it with the water sitting in a bowl, squeezed it out, and gently wiped Maurice’s chest and stomach.Maurice shivered and Sebastian wanted to laugh.
“Poor Duke.Perhaps you are too soft for cold water?”
