Page 24 of Healing the Duke's Desires
Lost in her own contemplations, Emily wandered through the serene beauty of the rose garden. The delicate petals of various hues seemed to mirror the array of emotions swirling within her. Her heart felt like a fluttering bird, caught between the uncertainty of her future and the intriguing connection she had discovered with Alexander.
As she walked along the meandering paths, the rustling of leaves and the fragrant aroma of the flowers filled her senses. Thoughts of their shared conversations, the laughter they had shared, and the spark she felt when their hands had brushed during tea replayed in her mind like a melody. Could there truly be something more between them? A genuine bond strong enough to alter the course of her life?
If such a thing were to happen, would her father understand and accept someone like Alexander, a widowed duke, in place of the egotistical marquess? After all, her father wanted her to be happy. And being happy wasn’t only about being comfortable and having pretty things. There was so much more to it.
She glanced down at the delicate rose petals strewn in her path, lost in her reverie, when the gentle cadence of footsteps reached her ears. Emily’s heart skipped a beat, and she turned, her eyes locking with a pair of eyes that seemed to wander through the world as lost as she herself was.
***
“Alexander.” She smiled a little awkwardly, but that made her smile all the more alluring.
“Emily.” He smiled back. “Has the company become too much for you?”
“Oh, no, no, just…” she said, clearly endeavoring to find the right words and blushing a little as she did so. There was something about the way her cheeks flushed every time she spoke to him that awakened something inside of him.
“Don’t worry,” he said in a conspiratorial manner, moving closer, fully aware that this was a dangerous thing to do. Her presence was rattling the cage of the beast inside of him. “I get overwhelmed on such occasions as well. I won’t tell anyone.”
She graced him with one of her most beautiful smiles for this comment.
“My sister is the social one,” Emily explained as they continued walking languidly, away from the maddening crowd. “I think she can find common ground with anyone. As for myself…”
“You can find common ground only with those you like?” he asked, unable to control himself. He had been only watching her up until this moment, and now, he couldn’t tear himself away from her, drinking in the sight of her, the sound of her, the sweet fragrance of her. He could not imagine that a woman would ever thrill him in such a manner, but her image refused to leave the confines of his mind.
“Something of the sort.” She chuckled, amused.
“That isn’t a bad thing,” he pointed out.
“You say that because you are probably the same,” she said, but at the same time, it sounded as if she were asking as well.
“I am many things that the London society does not like.” He shrugged, looking in front of him for a moment, losing himself in the distance.
“But I honestly do not mind. I’ve learned to deal with it a long time ago. I just remove myself from the company of such people… like you just did.” Again, he turned to her, for he could not look away for too long. It felt almost painful to do so. “Or maybe you were trying to remove yourself frommycompany?”
Her eyes widened at his comment, her lips parting. Pulling away from her now would be the smartest thing in the world for him. Yet, it was also impossible. He’d said what he was not supposed to say. And now he had to bear the consequences.
As their eyes remained locked, the air around them seemed to shimmer with a potent energy. The garden’s serenity was juxtaposed by the intensity of their unspoken desires, and the world seemed to fade into a distant backdrop. Alexander’s inner voice warned him of the precipice he was standing on, but his heart and its longing were undeniable. One more step and he would fall into this abyss, which no one would be able to drag him out of.
With a gentle, deliberate movement, he reached out, fingers lightly brushing a stray strand of hair away from Emily’s face. The softness of her skin beneath his touch sent a shiver through him, and his resolve wavered. He should step back, resist the pull that drew him closer to her, but the magnetic force was too strong to resist.
Emily’s breath caught as Alexander’s hand lingered near her cheek. Her eyes remained locked on his, filled with a mix of vulnerability and unspoken desire. Time seemed to stand still, and the anticipation in the air was palpable. At that moment, they were the only two people in the world. No one else existed. No one else mattered.
Unable to deny the magnetic attraction any longer, Alexander closed the distance between them. His lips brushed against Emily’s, a feather-light touch that sent a rush of electricity coursing through him. It was a connection that neither of them could have predicted but felt as inevitable as the dawn.
The moment hung suspended, their lips barely touching, a silent question lingering between them. And then, as if guided by an invisible force, their lips met again in a searing kiss that ignited a fire within him.
The world around them melted away as their kiss deepened, a rush of sensations flooding their senses. It was a kiss born of unspoken longing, a passionate collision of two souls finally allowing themselves to surrender to the chemistry that had been building between them.
Their breath mingled in the space between them as the kiss continued, intense and consuming. The garden seemed to echo their desire, the petals of the roses bearing witness to a moment that defied all expectation. In that stolen moment, Alexander and Emily’s lips moved in unison, each touch a declaration of the emotions they had held back for too long.
The echoes of their passionate kiss still lingered in the air when the distant sound of approaching footsteps shattered the cocoon of their shared moment. Emily and Alexander pulled away from each other, breaths ragged. His heart was racing. The realization of what had just transpired settled in, leaving a mixture of vulnerability and anticipation in its wake.
It could be anyone.
Their eyes met, a silent exchange passing between them. The air around them was charged with a mix of emotions—desire, surprise, and a touch of unease. The footsteps grew louder, a reminder that the world outside their embrace was still very much present.
He couldn’t allow anyone to see them like this. It was far too dangerous… for them both.
Chapter 14
