Page 46 of Seven Nights with the Wicked Duke
Her brows dipped in question.
"Has he said anything to you?"
"No," he answered. "But your brother, while terrible at expressing his true thoughts, is well meaning. He will no doubt mourn your absence once you are wed."
His words were true and he needed her to understand she had the option of changing her mind before they went too far and she started to resent him.
She looked thoughtful for a moment as his words began to sink in and had the desired effect on him.
"I am thankful for him and I do know he cares for me but I want to start living for myself," she answered finally with a firm look.
He nodded.
"You are lucky to have a sibling to share such grievances with," he said finally and she lifted her eyes to his.
"I do not want to speak of my brother in this moment," she said, shutting her eyes.
"What would you rather do?" he asked with a small smile. He had a suspicion but he still wanted to be sure. "You are already dancing with the most handsome duke in all England."
"You are the most arrogant," she teased with a smile but lifted her face to his.
He leaned closer, skimming her lips with his, teasing but not quite touching.
"I thought I was incorrigible?" he asked.
"That too."
She surprised him then by placing her lips on his.
Cecilia was shocked when the duke let her lead the kiss and took her time tasting his lips like she had always wanted to. He made no move to deepen to kiss or hasten it, his hands remaining chastely at her waist.
She had wondered at his probing into her reason for choosing rebellion again when she had told him severally and wondered if he was having a change of heart about helping her and hoped he wouldn't.
One of his hands tightened against her hip, the other moving to cup her jaw softly but he still didn't take the lead but allowed her. She sensed there was something different about their kiss this time but she allowed the music and the wine move her.
Her hands moved from his shoulders to his chest and one hand trailed lower in bold exploration but he stopped her with his hand on hers.
"Let's just stay here for the evening," he said. "We have had too many harried moments."
She nodded and moved her hands to his hair, enjoying the sweetness of such a simple moment.
CHAPTER 16
Magnus, like most older brothers, could be insufferable and authoritative to the point of frustration, but that trait did not in any way detract from the love and care he had for her as his younger sister.
Over the weekend following their last big fight, he had been finding covert ways to make her feel better without apologizing, as she did not think his ego would survive it. So far in the last few days, he had asked the cook to make her favorite meals, ordered more dresses from her favorite modiste and taken care that everything was to her liking.
These gestures, sweet as they were, brought smiles to her lips, but she was not quite ready to stop giving him the cold shoulder. She pretended to be asleep when he knocked on her door, did her best to be out and about when she knew he would be home. While all these were unnecessary and felt silly, she wanted Magnus to feel the impact of her anger even if she had long forgiven him.
Her little cold war abruptly came to an end when she was having breakfast one morning and her brother walked in. She had been so surprised, she had almost choked on her food. Magnus immediately rushed to pound on her back.
She had not been expecting him back by that time, he was usually out on his morning ride at such early hours of the morning, but he must have decided against it if he was home that early.
"Take your fists off me, you brute," she said between coughs.
"I was only trying to keep you from choking," he said with a sheepish smile, going around the table to take a seat opposite her. He was dressed in outdoor clothes in his usual severe style, very well starched cravat and perfectly tailored waistcoat and trousers in his preferred shade of black. The ensemble was only missing his usual aristocratic demeanor, but instead today, that look that she had come to attribute as second nature to him was absent. He was softer somehow, a tad bit unsure, as if some parts of his internal walls were collapsing faster than he could control.
"Well, you did not have to pound my back so hard. You could have broken my bones before I survived the choking."
