Page 44 of Duchess By Accident
“And I see the thievery continues.” An amused voice said from behind Natalie.
Natalie gave a start, her heart leaping into her throat as she whirled around to see the Duke leaning against the kitchen doorway, his arms folded across his chest, a smile on his face.
She blushed but did not look away. It may have been three in the morning, but she had just as much right to be in the kitchen as he did. She picked up one of her fallen biscuits and put it back on the tray.
“It is hardly thieving if it is my house.” Natalie pointed out, drawing her dressing gown more closely around her. “Besides, what are you doing here if not the same thing?”
The Duke gave her a lecherous grin. “Perhaps I was simply enjoying the view.”
She rolled her eyes and moved towards the door, intending to slip past him. “Well then, you will not mind if I do not share any of my snacks with you.”
“But have you not heard? Married couples share their lands. Their lives. Their biscuits, dear Natalie.” He closed the distance between them, his eyes glittering mischeiviosly as he deftly plucked a biscuit from the tray and popped it into his mouth.
How does he make chewing beautiful?Natalie caught hold of herself and snorted indignantly. “Do you know how hard it was for me to find those biscuits?”
Adrian smiled. “Cook does tend to move them around. Melody and I have a habit of raiding the kitchens together, and she knows that a part of the fun is feeling like we have thwarted her but she always tells me where they are.”
“Because she does not trust you to work it out yourself?” Natlie said in honeyed tones, batting her eyelids innocently at her husband.
She found the image of Adrian and Melody sneaking into the kitchen together deeply endearing. She could picture him holding her up to the cupboards, whispering so that they would not be caught. Warmth spread through her chest.
“Such wit.” Adrian rolled his eyes and attempted to steal another biscuit from her plate, but Natalie ducked out of the way. “If you are so happy to work things out for yourself, then you will not wish for me to tell you where she keeps the cakes.”
“There is cake?” Natalie’s stomach growled.
He grinned at her and nodded, taking a scone from the plate while she was distracted and eating it. “There is always cake if we are to have guests. And she will have made a little extra for her midnight marauders.”
“Where is it?” Natalie looked around as though the cake might be obliging and reveal itself.I have searched this kitchen high and low and not come across a trace of cake.
“And why should I tell you? You seem to delight in solving puzzles.” He gestured around them.
She scowled at him. “I bet you do not even know. You are just trying to get me to do the work for you.”
“And why would I do that?” he arched an eyebrow at her, moving closer to her again, but she darted away with her food.
The smell of cinnamon, amber and myrr washed over her, mingling with the scent of her snacks. She shook her head to clear it. “Because it amuses you.”
“So does this.” Adrian shrugged.
Natalie snorted and made a dismissive gesture. “Fine, keep your cake. I have plenty of snacks. Or I did before you stole them.”
She looked pointedly at her considerably smaller mountain of snacks and then at the Duke.
A corner of his mouth quirked upwards. “It is not stealing if it is my house.”
“Oh, very funny, using my words against me.” She frowned at him.
“They were good words.” He said.
Silence settled between them and Natalie wondered how she would get past him and into the corridor behind him without losing the rest of her feast.
He canted his head towards her and gestured to the plate. “Were you planning on eating those in your bedroom?”
“Yes, were you planning on joining me?” She shot back, tiredness making her bold.
He arched an eyebrow at her and moved closer once again. “Is that an invitation?”
“No.” She replied matching his silky tone, letting her eyes drift across his body as he so often did to her, stopping when their gaze met. “I do not share my food.”
