Page 31 of Hawthorne

The friction makes me moan, and that’s enough for him to grunt in my mount.

Dear god. I’ve had a couple of boyfriends in the past, but I have never—ever—been kissed like this. When air fails to assist me, I gently move away from his touch.

Expecting the duke to let go of me as if I’d burned him once the heat of the moment is gone, I’m surprised to feel him press his forehead on mine. Both our ragged breaths are still mixing.

His heartbeat under my hands is just as wild as mine.

“It was just a matter of time until I gave in,” he pants.

“I–you–this is not a good idea,” I mutter, looking down in shame.

“It isn’t,” he agrees. It hurts more than I imagined. “It’s probably the worst idea ever, but I can’t hold it in anymore,” he confesses. “Every time I see you, I have this crazy urge...I can’t stay away. I won’t stay away, Camilla.”

“What does that mean?”

10

Vincent Hawthorne

Her expression falters for a second, and if I wasn’t watching her so intently, I would have missed it because she tries her best to keep her composure. Her hand doesn’t move away from my chest.

I am sure she can still feel my racing heart even if it’s now racing for a whole different reason.

Camilla is as best as it can get. She’s stunning, respectful, and intelligent. She’s effective in everything she does and always maintains a high standard. Even when others mistreat her, she never lowers to their level. Other than the physical attraction I already feel for her, the reasons why I am so weak to resist are far stronger than just the idea of her body pressed against mine.

She sparks my interest like no one else has.

But I still know I won’t be able to give her everything she deserves. Everything she may want.

Even if I wish I could.

Her slender fingers are splayed on my left peck, and I grab her hand gently, intertwining our fingers before bringing her handdown. As I shift my body weight from being pressed against her, I tug her hand, directing her to the couch by the opposite corner of the office.

“I know there is a huge rift between your world and mine,” I start cautiously once we’re both sitting down.

Her eyes lower in shame, and I curse myself internally. The last thing I want is to make her feel like less. I don’t see her as inferior to me, even if others might. But, whereas she has the liberty to choose the path she wants for her life,I don’t.

“Look at me,” I call out softly, tilting her chin up. “I am fully aware of how unprofessional and inappropriate this is, but it’s been incredibly hard to keep my hands to myself.”

“I just don’t want to lose my job and home.” Her eyes widen when she realises she called the manor her home. “I mean, I know this is your house,your property. But I grew up here, and it’s the only home I know.”

“I know what you meant.” I smile understandingly. “And if there is one thing I can promise you is that for as long as it’s my decision, you’ll never loseyourhome.”

“Still,” she trails off, looking down. “This is all so…weird.”

“There’s a million words running through my mind that I could use to describe our predicament, darling. But weird is not one of them.”

The slight smile on her face eases a bit of my uneasiness. This is uncharted territory for both of us, but…

“I understand,” I tell her instead. “I can give you some time to think this over, but I can’t promise that I’ll be able to keep my distance for long, Camilla.”

Her eyes meet mine, wide and shiny.

“Is there something we can do about it?” she asks innocently.

There’s something that could be done, alright. But I don’t know if I have the guts to ask this of her. Maybe honesty is the best choice? At least, that’s what my father always told me.

“I don’t know what to do, Camilla. Every time we’re in the same room, the tension is suffocating. All I can think about is kissing you, touching you,fucking you,” I grit out the last words, and she gasps.

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