Page 18 of Wedded to the Deviant Duke

He nodded slowly, a bemused smile crossing his face. “Such a unique woman must have such a unique outlook on life.” Closer; he dared to inch closer, their noses but a hair’s breadth from each other. If he wanted to, he could tilt his head and nip the lobe of her ear. But, whispering would suffice, and given the visible shiver running the length of her back, she seemed equally as taken by his act.

“I-I…” she leaned away, their eyes meeting once more as she dared a slight furrow of her brow. “I recall the exact phrasing being ‘strange’.”

“Was it, now?”

Thalia nodded weakly. “I was… a strange woman, with a strange mind.”

Gabriel chuckled deeply, lips barely brushing against Thalia’s; a gentle test, the first bite to see if she was fully alert. Warmth flooded his body as she leaned in for more, and of course, he was more than willing to give it.

* * *

What was she doing?Whatwas shedoing?! Thalia should’ve pulled away—she shouldn’t have allowed for a kiss to begin with. There were so many emotions running through her upon arriving at Stonewell manor, and she hadn’t expected them to come at her so violently.

She assumed her room could have been the place to let said feelings out, but then the duke came, and the way he spoke to her, drew close to her, touched her hand and pulled her closer while talking about… about…!

She had to pull away. She had to stop, but she found herself unable to. The duke tasted of smoke, of the outdoors, and his hands settled so perfectly against the curve of her hip. And—and he was leaning into it, grasping at her, trying to discover every inch of her being through the use of his hands or the taste of his tongue.

Her imagination flew past her, reminiscing the sensations she felt during Orion’s Hunt; Thalia wanted nothing more than for him to take her to the ground, pin her beneath his body and restrain her like…like…

Suddenly, he pulled away, and Thalia found herself dizzy. His arms remained around her, keeping her balanced, and he scrutinized her with those beautiful, all-reaching eyes.

Deep and dark, like the forbidden reaches of a forest, prowling with predators far too dangerous for someone like her. And yet, she was leaning, pressing against his chest, hoping for another taste. A bite, she mused, facing burning hot and core positively melting.

But, he was right to move away. He was of far saner mind than she, and Thalia pulled away completely, her hand brushing curls of hair behind her ear. “I… I…should take a bath. I mean, I wanted to… that was my original intent. For coming up here.”

A look crossed the duke’s face, and Thalia swore he wanted to suggest he join her. But, no, he had proven himself an honest man, and she was simply imparting her own beliefs. Her own twisted desires, corrupted by the stress and hardship she’d faced the last month or so.

The duke eventually nodded and started towards the door, offering a glance over his shoulder as his hand grasped the knob. Gracious, but if his hands were only grasping—Thalia shook her head furiously, fighting to pay attention to the buttons on his vest. Anything but his face, the expression of polite disgust he was likely to be wearing.

“I would suggest the bottle of ‘Chamomile Dream’, Miss Sutton. It helps one settle the mind,” he suggested.

Thalia nodded furiously, offering a low, long curtsy that she didn’t break until her door clicked shut. She listened intently for the duke’s footsteps, and as soon as they faded away, her legs gave out completely, and she collapsed in a disparaging state.

D-Did I just kiss the Duke of Stonewell?!

CHAPTER9

The afternoon wove seamlessly into dinner, with only the Suttons remaining at Stonewell manor. Louise had long-since excused herself back to her own home, and Gabriel couldn’t help but feel some relief in the matter.

It would be difficult enough to eat in a composed manner with Thalia directly to his right. The fewer folk he had to mask in front of, the better, especially with Charlotte being immediately up to her old antics.

“Did you end up having a bath, Thalia?” Charlotte asked, her fork having long-since abandoned the remainder of her slice of spinach pie.

Thalia appeared startled, looking up from her own plate quickly and… rather flushed. Almost as if lost in a particularly indecent thought, one perpetrated mere hours ago. “O-oh! Um, yes, I did. Thank you again for the suggestion, Lady Char—ah, Charlotte.”

Gabriel eyed his sister, who looked as pleased as a fox in the henhouse. “I saw my brother went to your room as well. Tell me, did he… help you choose a scent?”

Thalia’s face brightened considerably. As much as Gabriel enjoyed seeing her squirm, he’d rather not be dragged into his sister’s machinations.

“She had a few things to still unpack, dear sister of mine. I was doing my job as host and offering a hand.”

The conversation needed to steer away from Charlotte’s fixation, and so Gabriel added off-handedly, “how has your latest artistic endeavor gone, Charlotte?”

Thalia immediately latched onto the change in subject. “Oh! Are you a creative soul, Charlotte?”

Charlotte beamed, plucking her wine glass off the table as she gave the contents a swirl. “I like to consider myself as one, yes! Though, I tend to race around different interests—like, this week I’ve taken to really learning embroidery, but last week, I really had a desire to become a professional pianist.”

Gabriel winced inwardly, the memories of off-key practice ringing fresh in his mind. Thank goodness that interest hadn’t lasted as long as the others.

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