Page 86 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction

“Then play those,” Marina encouraged, lifting the cover to reveal keys that gleamed with recent polishing. She must have instructed the staff to prepare it, Leo realized with surprise.

He sat himself on the bench and ran his fingers over the keys in a simple scale. The instrument felt instantly familiar, awakening long-dormant muscle memory, and unconsciously, he began playing a Haydn sonata that his mother adored.

The music flowed easily beneath his fingers though he occasionally stumbled over the difficult passages. Marina stood nearby, her face glowing with delight as she listened to him play.

“That was beautiful,” she said when he finally lifted his hands from the keys. “Why did you stop playing?”

The question hit closer to home than she could know. “After my mother died, it seemed pointless,” Leo admitted. “She was the one who encouraged my playing.”

Marina nodded in understanding. “My mother insisted I learn the pianoforte, but I had no talent. However, despite my lack of skill, Mother insisted I continue since it would make me more marriageable.”

Leo smiled at the thought of a young Marina dutifully practicing scales. “And did it?”

“Not at all,” she snorted. “Henry only cared that I could play well enough to accompany his spinster aunt when she insisted on singing at family gatherings. He once told me that accomplished women were tedious with their endless performances.”

The casual mention of her first husband sent an unexpected flare of jealousy through Leo. He resented the idea that another man, one who hadn’t appreciated Marina’s talents and spirit, had once been married to her.

“Henry sounds more and more like a fool,” Leo observed, keeping his voice neutral. “A man who couldn’t recognize the value of what he possessed.”

Marina’s expression softened. “He wasn’t cruel, just indifferent. In many ways, that was worse.”

“Indifference to you seems impossible,” Leo said before he could censor himself. The naked honesty in his voice surprised them both.

Marina’s cheeks colored as she took a seat beside him on the bench. “Would you teach me something simple? Just for tonight?”

The request provided a welcome distraction from the intensity of the moment. Leo positioned her hands on the keys and guided her through a simple melody. Her fingers were graceful despite her claims of limited musical ability.

“You’re a much more patient teacher than my music master,” Marina remarked as she played the simple tune. “He used to rap my knuckles with a ruler when I missed notes.”

“Barbaric,” Leo replied, enjoying the warmth of her beside him. The subtle scent of roses that seemed to cling to her skin drew him closer. “Though I might be persuaded to devise alternative punishments for missed notes.”

Marina turned her head to meet his gaze, and her eyes danced with mischief. “Perhaps rewards for the correct notes would be more motivating.”

“An excellent suggestion,” Leo murmured, leaning closer. “What sort of reward did you have in mind?”

Their faces were inches apart now. The music was forgotten as awareness sparked between them. Leo could see the slight quickening of Marina’s breathing and the dilation of her pupils as her gaze dropped to his mouth.

“I’m sure you can think of something suitable,” she replied, her voice dropping to a husky whisper that sent heat coiling through his body.

Leo closed the remaining distance between them and captured her lips in a kiss that started gently but quickly flamed into something more urgent. Marina turned toward him on the bench. Her hands came up to frame his face as she returned his kiss with equal fervor.

These past days had brought a new openness to their physical relationship. Marina no longer held back, no longer seemed to fear revealing her desires. The transformation was intoxicating. His passionate, uninhibited wife was a far cry from the guarded woman he had married.

But as their kiss deepened, Leo realized the transformation had not been one-sided. He had changed, too. The need that drove him now was more complex than simple desire. It contained elements of tenderness, possessiveness, and something deeper that he wasn’t yet ready to name.

Leo pulled Marina closer, realizing how much she had changed everything. For years, finding William had been his only priority, but lately, it didn’t seem to matter as much. Now,instead of dwelling on the past, he actually looked forward to what might come next.

All because of Marina.

He tightened his hold around her on the piano bench, enjoying the simple warmth of having her near. The soft glow of candlelight turned the music room into their own quiet space, away from the rest of the world.

“We should return to our chambers,” he murmured against her lips, even as his hands betrayed his words by drawing her closer.

“Should we?” Marina challenged softly, her fingers threading through his hair. “The house is quiet. The servants have retired.”

The suggestion in her voice sent heat coursing through him. Leo pulled back slightly to study her face—the flush across her cheeks, the brightness of her eyes, the slight parting of her lips.

“You continue to surprise me,” he said, tracing the line of her jaw with his thumb.

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