Page 19 of A Duke's Wicked Secret
“I feel the same way, Theo. You set me aflame. I dream of you constantly. You are on my mind day and night,” replied Penelope as she buried her head in his chest.
“I want you to hear me say this out loud, Penelope, so there is no doubt in your mind. What I feel for you is not just the lust of the night that burns hot and in the morning is nothing more than ash to be swept away and thrown out. My feelings for you run deep, sweet, beautiful, Penelope Ainsworth,” declared Theo as he looked her square in the eyes.
“I feel the same for you, Theo, and if I am being completely honest, I have been falling for you from the first time I met you. You are the man I have always dreamed about; though I did not yet know you, my heart did.”
“I would love nothing more than to court you properly, but I know that your father views me as unstable and mad as the rest of the ton does, so until we can change his perception of me, will you permit me to court you secretly, until I can do so openly?” requested Theo.
“I completely understand, and in the core of my soul, I earnestly believe that my father will see the error of his ways and allow us to be together, but until then, yes, it will be a secret courtship,” agreed Penelope and with this, she stood on her tiptoes so that she could kiss his lips once again. Theo eagerly obliged and leaned down to meet her kiss with his own.
Theo felt his manhood stirring in his trousers and growing larger against her body, and before he lost all control of his actions, he stepped back and breathed deeply, trying to clear his head. “We should slow down, Penelope.”
“Hm, yes, we should. I will quietly go to the kitchen and get some cold milk. Everyone in the house is already asleep, so I am not too worried about being seen,” suggested Penelope.
“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. But I wish I could help you down those stairs.”
And with that statement, Theo swooped Penelope up in his arms, and she laughed as he twirled her around after he sat her back on the ground. When Penelope regained her balance, she clandestinely went down to the kitchen. Once she arrived at the kitchen and retrieved the desired beverage, she again crept up the stairs to her chambers where Theo awaited her return.
“What took you so long? It felt as though a year you were away from me, my lady. God, how I missed you!” Penelope handed the jar to Theo, but he refused to take the first sip. He gave it right back to Penelope so that she could take her fill of the creamy drink before she handed it to him, and he did the same.
“Mmm, that was delicious! Thank you, my good sir!” said Penelope.
“My pleasure. I would do so any time you had such a craving! But, now, you young lady, it is high time I returned you to where I found you,” said Theo with a silly smile as he picked her up again and carried Penelope back to her chambers.
“Ohh, Theo, how I wish you could stay. I am very tired, though, in truth.” Penelope yawned as he laid her gently back on her bed.
“I would like nothing more than to lay down in this bed with you, but you are tired, and if I were to enter into this bed with you, I am afraid you would get very little sleep tonight.” Theo tucked Penelope into her covers, brushed her hair from her sweet face, and kissed her once more before heading to the window.
As Theo sat straddling the windowsill, he looked back at his perfect lady and said, “Sleep well, my beauty. Meet me tomorrow morning at dawn in the glen, where we rode. And know that my heart and thoughts will be with you tonight.”
Penelope blew him one last kiss before he ducked out the window and climbed down the tree, disappearing into the quiet night.
“Hmm, and to think that I was not even sure if Theo would dance with me tonight! I cannot believe that is really true, that he loves me. It is more than a dream come true. Oh, my heart is bursting!”Penelope thought.
Again, Penelope yawned, and then she thought about how she wished he were still there with her, but that at the same time, she was afraid of him staying longer. If someone found out about them, she would be ruined. Her father and mother would never forgive her for such scandalous actions.
“Would even my dear Georgina judge me? Still, I cannot bear to be away from him. I want to know so much more. What are his hopes and dreams? How many children does he wish to have …?”
These thoughts and questions floated in the air around heras Penelope drifted into her dream world. She smiled to herself and could not wait to see what the morning would bring with her handsome duke.
Chapter 8
Theo awoke the next morning full of excitement and anticipation. He could not wait to see Penelope again! Theo could not remember ever feeling so happy or intrigued about the day ahead of him. As he donned his riding clothes, he felt his heart skipping with anticipation.
It was a beautiful day outside, much like the morning on which he had first seen Penelope, and Theo was eager to bask in it with Penelope. He dressed as quickly as he could and went to mount General, heading for the glen.
Once he arrived at the glen, Theo saw that Penelope was not there, and for a few moments, his heart dropped at the thought that maybe she might not come. However, just a few minutes after that, Theo felt relief and joy wash over him when he saw her gorgeous figure climbing up the hill on her mare. She was wearing a blue riding habit, and her hair was braided in one long loose braid down her back, with a few stray curls whipping in the wind.
When Penelope neared the glen, she slowed down and smiled at Theo. Theo helped Penelope down from Phoenix and gave her a long slow good morning kiss.
“It feels so good to have you hold me again. It felt like such a long night. How are you this perfectly spectacular morning?” asked Penelope.
“I am perfectly happy now that you are here, my lady; you look stunning! I love the way you look in that riding habit. Did you know that blue is my favourite colour?”
“Yes, I did,” said Penelope bashfully. “I heard Mr Davenport mention in passing that you particularly favoured the colour.”
“Well, the colour has never looked as lovely as it does now on you,” stated Theo.
“Thank you, Theo! I must tell you about the note I read this morning that Georgina slipped under my door last night. You have met my sweet friend and know how lengthy of speech she tends to be, so I will just summarize the contents of the letter for you.”
