Page 23 of The Duke's Hellion

It was one thing for Mimi to fail and show weakness in front of him. He didn’t mind. After he saw her glory in her win over him in archery, the chit could be brought down a notch. (And arm wrestling him didn’t count.)

But what if she metaphorically fell on her face in front of Roger? Or someone else? Someone who wasn’t so accepting of her shortcomings. Someone who might feed the gossip mill. Dinner the other night had been excruciating, but if he was the only witness he wouldn’t have been cringing throughout the whole meal.

Something about watching Mimi fail, make a fool of herself, in front of others…no, that didn’t sit right with Sam.

She could show him her weaknesses, but others didn’t need to be privy to that. It was almost as if that could be a secret between them.

Like the secret he was feeling with her body against his. Her soft curves fit perfectly against his hard contours. He wanted to slip his hand down her bottom, pull her even closer, hold her tightly until there was no space for air to squeeze between them. That was a dangerous thought.

The danger was so sharp it ought to pop the bubble he felt he was still inside.

Holding her latched to his body, it was more than just the weakness that she showed. More than just a vulnerability that she showed. More than just the softness that she showed. It was something in her eyes, like she was seeing through a cloud. Like she was dreaming. Like he was the object of her dreams. The object of her fantasy. But that couldn’t be true. He wasn’t thetype of man single, young, marriage-minded women dreamed about.

A whimper crept out of her lips ripping a hoarse response from his. “What’s wrong?”

Was that even his voice? It sounded strained. This was not good.

Her eyes fluttered open. The softest expression he had seen from her. “My pinky.”

The look. The tone. The moment. It was a bubble beyond time and space. He heard nothing. Felt nothing. Except the pounding of his heart. Like someone was taking a hammer to it. In an even more gruff voice, he asked, “What’s wrong with your pinky?” And since he knew it was wrong for his hand to slip down to her bottom, he covered her hand with his instead.

Was it his imagination or did she suck in a breath at his touch? What universe was he in right now? He couldn’t think.

“It…hurts.” He had never heard her voice that gentle before. Vulnerable. Open.

“Where?” he asked as he rubbed his fingers along her delicate digit.

“On the knuckle.” Her blue eyes gazed up at him through long dark lashes.

“Here? Does this hurt?” He squeezed the place on her finger that she said was sore, and she winced. And her wince gripped his heart.

She nodded while her gaze fell to his mouth. Her tongue darted out and licked her bottom lip.

Her affirmation of pain, even slight, shook him. Everyone felt pain. It was one of the few common threads amongst the human race. He couldn’t do much about her pinky, but…the thought that flew through his mind flapped its wings hard. He could prevent her further pain with Roger.

He let the thought float around in his mind, and once the flapping ceased, the thought settled. He could help her. She didn’t have to try and win this on her own. There was no additional pride in accomplishing this particular feat on her own. She thought it was fate. Perhaps she already fancied herself in love with Roger. Who was he to question her love? Her choices? He would not stand in the way of love. If pursuing Roger would make her happy, that was what mattered. He wasn’t even sure why it mattered so much now, but it did.

The question looming in his head was how to offer her that help. She had been dead set on not accepting any advice from him. Then again, she probably hadn’t expected to be standing in his arms for so long either. Perhaps there was a chance it was going to be easier than he expected.

“It feels better now,” she whispered, and he couldn’t help watching her lips as she spoke. So engrossed was he by her rose red mouth that he didn’t realize he had still been caressing her hand and rubbing her pinky softly between his fingers.

He needed to release her, fingers and all, and go find Chris. A plan had to be put into motion before she could suspect something. He hoped it would work because he liked the idea of making her feel better.

“That’s good,” he mumbled.

But something inside of him flared up at those two simple words in warning, probably because he realized the first thing he had to do was stand up and get her perfectly fitted body off him.

Chapter Nine

Mimi’s body wastrembling as she followed behind Sam toward the targets. She could still feel his body all over hers. Or under, to be more accurate. A shiver, like a string, had been pulled through her, unraveling all her parts. And she was hot. Beyond any heat she had ever known. If merely one section of her body had been seared by him, she could rub that spot in hopes the burn would fade. Alas, no such luck could be had. The entire front of her body was in flames from having collided with him. And not just a brief collision and then parting, no, a full-contact, long exposure melding.

She was extremely grateful to her pinky in this moment. Though the poor thing had suffered, it felt next to no pain now. Yet it had provided her with touches, care, and closeness that she wouldn’t be rid of for a long time. Her mind was reeling with the possible outcomes of that scenario. It could lead to so much more touching, and so much more closeness. Her body shivered at the prospect of being pressed to Sam. Well, any man. She was sure that the man could be swapped out and the feelings would remain.

No, the feelings wouldn’t remain. That was ridiculous to think. They would beeven better.So much better because in her fantasies she was always with a man that she couldn’t get enough of. A man that she was instantly in love with. Her heart thudded once in front of him and would thud harder forever because of him. That was the makings, the crux of, her fantasies.

Her fantasies had always included a male hero that would sweep her into his arms somehow, but having never been swept, her physical reactions had been left up to herself. And touching herself had never left her feeling even half of the sensations that had just rippled through her.

This was amazing. She couldn’t imagine it getting any better, but it must be. If this was the kind of reaction her body had with a man that she didn’t even like, imagine what would happen when her body came into contact with Roger. She was sure that she might just explode. And if her body wasn’t feeling so heavy and hot from being held by Sam, she would undoubtedly skip onward to the targets. As it was, she needed a moment to calm herself before showing her face to others. Especially Nobi.

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