Page 51 of The Duke's Impossible Deal
She saw him swallow and felt triumph spread through her chest. “Only a fool would find me distracting when you are in the room, Rowen.”
His eyes roamed over her, and she felt it like a physical touch.
She shifted her weight unconsciously. “Then it would seem you are a fool.”
“Only when it comes to you.” His voice was soft, completely at odds with the fire in his eyes.
Her mouth went dry as she looked into his irritatingly handsome face. All the thoughts in her head tangled into a jumble of incoherent noise.
Say something.
“Will you be joining us for tea, Your Grace?” Verity’s voice shattered the moment.
Rowen and Tobias started. She practically leapt back, her face a red so deep she was sure it was visible from the next room. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Verity’s overly innocent look as her friend moved to stand beside them.
To her amusement, Tobias’s cheeks were slightly pink as he cleared his throat and gestured to the door. “I have no wish to intrude more than I already have, Lady Verity. I shall leave you to lavish my wife with the praise she so deserves. Perhaps she will heed it.”
“I shall do my best, though she is rather stubborn when it comes to such things.” Verity moved before he could step on her foot.
“So I have found.” Tobias smiled and swept into a low bow. “Good day.”
He left the room and shut the door behind him.
Rowen could feel Verity’s eyes boring into the back of her head as they moved back to the coffee table.
“Shall I pour you another cup?” Rowen asked, still not looking at her friend.
“What was that?” Verity gestured to the closed door.
“What do you mean?” Rowen put on her most innocent face.
“You know perfectly well what I mean, Rowen. You could have cut the tension with a knife!” Verity made a show of fanning herself. “Honestly, that bordered on indecent.”
“You are being ridiculous.” Rowen made a dismissive motion. “Besides, none of it is real. He only behaves like that to keep me off balance, and I was sick to death of it, so I thought I would give him a taste of his own medicine.”
“I did not know medicine could be so scandalous.”
“Verity!” Rowen threw another biscuit at her. “Firstly, we are married, so such exchanges are hardly a source of scandal.”
Verity opened her mouth as if to interrupt, but Rowen continued, holding up a second finger. “Secondly, as I have already said, none of it is real. If anything, it is a game between us, and you know that I hate losing.”
“You are rather competitive,” Verity agreed.
“And thirdly, when the man is not playing the fool, we do manage to get on in a friendly manner. And that is all there is.” Rowen’s eyes drifted to the door again. “I do not want more than that. After all, this is all temporary.”
“For something temporary, you have put rather a lot of effort into making this place feel like a home,” Verity pointed out. “Especially if you plan on leaving it all behind.”
The remarks cut a little too close for Rowen’s comfort, and she shifted. “I expect Tobias would allow me to take some of the things with me. He seemed quite content to live without most things you would find in a civilized household.”
She pursed her lips. The thought of the house returning to its empty state made her heart clench. She tried to imagine the furniture in Irving Manor instead of Kidlington House, only to feel hollow.
“Regardless, the repairs to Irving Manor will be extensive, and having lived through one lot of redecorating, I have no wish to do it again any time soon.” She ran a hand through her hair. “All I want to do is enjoy the fruits of my labor and have a little peace.”
“And it does seem a rather comfortable arrangement.” Verity’s eyes drifted to the window. “Will a part of your enjoyment include procuring a new wardrobe?”
Rowen’s mind flashed to the lavender dress she had seen in Mrs. Green’s shop. She thought of the way the fabric would feel against her skin. She could picture herself in it, striding into a ballroom and commanding the attention of everyone in it.
Her heart sped up at the thought. She shook her head, putting the fantasy aside.
