Page 34 of Bookworm

But he was not looking at her that way now.

No.

The Duke's eyes were hooded as they took in her flushed cheeks, her red lips, and the flames dancing in her eyes. Sophie could not deny it. She felt that look everywhere.

"Did you like it, Sophie?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

"It was…adequate," she said finally.

"Only adequate?"

As his gaze caressed her lips, Sophie's body betrayed her with a shiver, and he chuckled softly.

"Well then, perhaps I should try again," he said, pulling her to his chest. "Does that sound like a good plan?"

As her hands began stripping him of his cravat, the Duke was the one who shivered.

"If you must," she said primly. "But do try and make more of an impression this time."

"Minx," he growled, lifting her so that her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Rake," she said back.

"You will be mine after this, Lady Sophie."

"Hmmm, or perhaps, you'll be mine. If you are so lucky."

As his lips descended on hers, the fire in the hearth seemed to burn hotter. Sophie could not seem to catch her breath. But strangely, she did not miss breathing. She only needed his lips on hers. His scent filling her lungs. The way his hands molded to her—

"Good book?" a voice said.

Startled and forgetting I was on a ladder, I screeched, wheeled around, and smacked the person standing behind me.

Or rather my book made contact.

The awful smack of book meeting face could probably be heard in the next town over.

"Oof," Bo said as the hardback walloped him in the head, taking him by surprise and knocking him back a couple steps into a bookshelf.

The fact that I'd literally book slapped Bo did nothing to stop my momentum.

I squeaked again.

As my body swayed and my feet scrambled for purchase on the tiny rung to no avail, I accepted my fate.

I was going down.

I'd probably hit my head and fall to my death off this dumb ladder.

But at least, I thought, I'll have died reading a good book.

Those were my thoughts as I began to fall.

And then suddenly, Bo was there.

He moved so fast.

Bo's arms shot out, grabbing my waist and hip, as he pulled me to him. At the same time, he kicked the ladder away, and we kept falling together. It felt like it happened in slow motion. Bo turned us in midair, and as we fell on our sides, I felt Bo's handget squished under my …well my butt…and heard him grunt in pain. Once on the ground, Bo rolled us, so I was on top of him, our foreheads close. I was breathing hard from all the panic, but Bo looked cool as a cucumber.

---