Page 32 of The Wallflower and the Duke
“I can’t think of anything more perfect than right now.” He kissed her forehead, then rolled off the bed, grabbing a napkin from the picnic basket and wiping her clean. He braced his arms over her, staring down at her smile and the way her eyes sparkled back at him, as though he was finally home.
The moment was suddenly overwhelming. He ducked his head and kissed her throat before her hands circled his cheeks and drew him upward. “Eyes on me, Alfie.”
He grinned.
“I love you. Thank you. You kept your word and ruined me like a perfect gentleman.”
“Only fair. You’ve ruined me for everyone else, sweet. You are it for me, Marjorie Merryweather.”
Marjorie giggled, then fell onto the bed, where they dozed off for a time before finding their way to one another again.
Like it always should have been.
Perfect.
Just like his Marjorie.
CHAPTER 9
Early morning light filtered through the windows as Marjorie stirred, surprised to roll over and discover Alfie awake and watching her. She stretched and smiled as he dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“Good morning,” he whispered.
She tilted her head down as if to hide, but he peeled back the sheet, refusing to let her slip away.
Stubborn man.
“I’m so hungry,” she said. “I can’t believe we stayed out here all night.”
His voice was low and rough when he replied, “I can.”
“There’ll be no living with you now, Your Grace.”
He reached over and pinched her nose. She wiggled her bum against the mattress, then he dove in and kissed her. First a fun, teasing kiss that slowly melted into desire, simmering and stirring. The kiss made it clear in her mind that, above all, they would no longer be just friends.
“Let’s return to the house,” she said. “Find something to eat.”
“Then?” He brushed the hair back from her shoulder with his finger, drawing small circles there against her skin.
“I suppose I should return home.”
“Do you have to?”
“Yes. All good things must come to an end,” she said dramatically, though she had a long way to go before she treaded the boards of Drury Lane.
He snickered softly.
“I should see Emily. And I don’t wish for any gossip.”
She rolled away even as he tried to snatch her back into bed, and she glanced over her shoulder and laughed, quickly running her eyes from his head to his feet, soaking up every small detail of him. Admiring how handsome he was, her heart felt happy for once.
“If I don’t find something to eat—” Her stomach cut her off with a grumble.
Alfie nodded, reaching for his buckskins. She laughed. She loved how easy things had become between them. Things hadn’t changed between them—not really. It felt right, as if it should always have been this way.
He tidied the bed linens while she finished dressing, and then he came over and helped her with the fastenings of her dress. She brushed back her hair and held out her hand for his, glancing toward the door of the small glass folly, wondering if he would have a problem leaving. He surprised her and walked out, hand in hand with her.
On the first morning of October, they walked back slowly, talking about this and that, nothing important. He never let go of her hand. She wasn’t sure she had ever had a more perfect morning in her life until she spotted the carriage in the drive at the front of the house.
