Page 57 of Duke of Chaos

She was falling in love with the way Ezra always reached for her neck; she was falling in love with him. She couldn’t deny the jealousy she’d felt when she had seen Ezra with Sophia or the utter relief she’d experienced when he’d confessed that not only was she simply his mother, but that he had not been with another woman since they had wed. She knew then, even in the rain, even in public, that she wanted Ezra. She wanted to behis.And she wanted him to be hers. Definitively so.

Arousal filled Lydia as she thought of the way Ezra had chased her through the park; how the rain, though cold, had seemed to sizzle on her hot skin as he had drawn nearer to her. How, when he’d finally caught her, they had snapped and snarled at one another like two wild creatures. Even their lovemaking had been such.

Ezra had been as gentle as he could, but what she had not expected was her own drive, her own need to have him inside of her. Lydia smiled devilishly in the darkness, thinking of the way she had to squirm and lift her hips to take in his size; of how, despite feeling discomfort, she had still wanted more of him.

Lydia’s smile faded as she advanced her memories to the point when they had made it back to his home. Ezra had been sogentle with her in the bath, so unlike any persona she’d seen him display so far. His tending to her had been gentle but thorough, from the cleansing of her hair to the washing of her feet.

Then, when he was sure he’d gotten every speck of mud and maidenhood cleaned from her body, he’d rubbed and massaged her dry before carrying her to the settee. As he did this for her they did not speak, but she had watched him, and he had let her. He had let her see the devotion in his eyes; his reverence for her. He had not tried to hide that from her, and she understood how vulnerable he’d felt exposing his bewildering emotions.

A heavythumpsuddenly scrambled Lydia’s thoughts and she opened her eyes to focus on the present. She listened for a few seconds, her spine becoming rigid with tension.

“Laura, was that you?” Lydia called, sitting up in the darkness.

From the cot on the floor, a small spark lit a candle, and Lydia saw her handmaid sitting straight up and alert, just as she was.

“No, Your Grace,” the handmaid answered quickly, her eyes wide. “It came from below us, I believe.”

Another thump sounded again; identical to the one that had pulled her from her thoughts, and her handmaid rose from the cot, her breath coming out in strained huffs. Lydia also felt her discomfort rising, and she thought of the ridiculously large guard that Ezra had left for her to soothe her worries.

It truly had been difficult leaving London without Ezra. A large part of her wanted to disobey his command and stay and wait for him. But then she remembered the look in his eyes; the intensity in his voice, and she chose to obey him.

She had been told to be careful but had been greatly alarmed when she came down the stairs of his London house dressed and ready to go, to see that guards had appeared in the foyer to escort her to her carriage. One quick look at them and Lydia knew that these were no guards of the Crown. No, these were Ezra’s men. They did not march, they did not wear uniforms. They didn’t have to, for they looked sufficiently intimidating in their all-black garments.

Her alarm for the large men had turned into annoyance, however, when she discovered that Ezra had sent word ahead of her that two guards were to be posted at her door in whateverroom she was in, and that her handmaid was to be with her at all times.

“It is surely nothing, Your Grace,” Laura whispered, anxiously rubbing her hands together, “The guards would be doing something if it was.”

Another thump echoed from below, and this time Lydia pulled herself out of bed and reached for her robe.

“Your Grace, no,” Laura whispered hurriedly, stepping between her and the door.

“You are right about the guards,” Lydia replied, “So if it is not a threat, then as the lady of this house it is my duty to discover what it is. If it is my husband then I want to see him. Now please step aside.”

She had endured her personal space being violated for long enough and was willing to walk right over the girl if necessary. Whether it was for the purpose of self-preservation or obedience, Laura stepped aside and let Lydia out into the hallway. However, the moment she stepped outside, two guards stopped her in her path.

“Let me pass,” she snapped, “I need to know what all the thumping is about.”

“It is nothing to worry about, Your Grace,” one guard answered with a slight bow.

“His Grace has arrived and is looking for something. He does not wish to be disturbed,” the other advised.

Lydia felt her pulse quicken as she heard this and attempted to step around the guards. When they stepped into her path again, Lydia brought her eyes up to them as she straightened her shoulders and let her wrath unfold. She did not like the way she and Ezra had left things, and she was not going to be kept from him a moment longer.

“As the lady of this house and duchess of these lands, I command you to move out of my way.Now.”she barked, mimicking her husband’s cold, deadly energy.

The guards visibly paled in front of her, and after exchanging worried glances they stepped to the left, allowing her to move toward the stairs. No other guards she saw along the way dared to stop her, all of them bowing their heads and standing down the moment she turned her vengeful eyes on them, and she arrived at Ezra’s office without incident.

As she opened the door she heard another thump, but it was much closer this time. Worry filled her as she saw Ezra standing at his desk, a box with its lid open parked on its surface. Ezra’s half-undone white collared shirt appeared stained with sweat and his riding boots were still caked with mud from his journey. His hair was a black, matted and thoroughly soaked curly mess that hung before his wild eyes as he scanned over the multiple papers in his hands.

“It is here,” he murmured, and Lydia realized he was speaking to no one in particular. “Ithasto be here somewhere.”

“Ezra,” Lydia said, keeping her voice calm.

He did not hear her and kept muttering to himself as he tossed the stack of papers he was holding to the floor and retrieved another handful from the box.

“Come on, you bastard,” he said through clenched teeth, his eyes once again scanning across the pages. “Where are you!?”

“Ezra!” Lydia called louder, her worry for him deepening.

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