Page 38 of The Duke's Contract

Henry moved closer. Bre felt his body heat through her thin pajamas, and even though her head knew all the reasons she needed to stay away from Henry, her body wanted to melt into his.

“Don’t do that,” she told him taking a step back.

“Do what?” he questioned, moving forward once more.

“Stop trying to seduce me,” this time she pressed him back with her hand. For once, she meant it. They always fell back into a cycle of sex whenever a problem presented itself. “Our problems are not going to go away.”

Henry’s dark eyes met hers, and without him even touching her, she felt herself melt.

“What do you want from me?” Henry asked. “And don’t say to leave because I have no intention of leaving you alone. I meant what I said when I told you I loved you.”

“Henry,” Bre breathed out not sure of what to say.

“You’re right. Our lives are different, but I believe you being in my life makes it better, and I’m willing to do what I can to ensure you are a part of mine. Please, Breanne, give me a chance.”

His heartfelt words pierced her heart, and she felt herself melt. “I need time to think,” she told him. “I care about you Henry, I do, but I’m not willing to give up everything I’ve built to fit into your world, and I’m not sure I trust you to stay.”

“That’s fair,” Henry said. “But all I am asking for is a chance. Give me a second chance, and I’ll prove to you how well this can work.”

Bre hesitated. She wanted to. Hearing Henry tells her he loved her did something to her. Knowing that he had a hand in Sienna’s demise made her strangely hot, but all the fears she held when they were together, all the insecurities, reared their head just as much as her love did.

“Allow me to take you to dinner tomorrow night,” Henry said.

“Just dinner,” Bre said, making it clear she wasn’t ready for him to expect anything else from her.

“Simply dinner, I swear,” he told her.

Bre nodded, feeling the first large crack form in her armor as she took in his earnest expression. “Okay,” she told him feeling as though she were free-falling into a disaster.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Nervous. Henry never felt more nervous than he did waiting for Bre to show up to the restaurant. Before he departed for the night, they agreed to meet rather than for him to pick her up. Henry knew it was because she feared spending the night in his arms and in his bed, and so he consented even though it went against everything in him. He wanted to give Bre everything, every luxury his money and position dealt him, but he recognized her need to be herself.

“You look beautiful,” he told her as she walked to their table. She wore her auburn hair down in soft curls, and her cream-colored dress hugged every curve in her body. Henry’s dick hardened for the first time in months as the vision of Bre in his bed manifested itself. ‘Calm yourself,’ he thought, remembering the purpose of the evening. He wanted it all on the table. He wanted her back.

“Thank you,” Bre said demurely as she took her seat, the blush he loved so much coloring her skin. He groaned inwardly. Tonight would be difficult in more than one way.

“Sorry, I’m late,” she told him. “The tube was delayed.”

“I just arrived myself,” Henry told her. “The rain backed up traffic.” The conversation felt stiff and awkward.

Bre obviously thought so as well since she chuckled at his comment. “That’s a nice segway into the weather,” she told him.

He chuckled, recalling how often Bre would take the piss out of him and lighten the mood. After she left, he realized he never laughed as much as he did in her presence. “Tell me about your new position,” he told her determined to keep things light and fun. Henry’s goal for this evening was for Bre to miss him as much as he’d missed her.

“It’s been wonderful,” she gushed sipping the wine he purchased for the two of them. “As the Graphic Design Director, I’m responsible for creating the visuals for our client’s marketing campaigns. Plus, as Director, I get to be in charge of a small team who helps design logos and banners around my general platform,” she told him her face animated as she spoke.

“Sounds wonderful,” he said honestly. “You mentioned before wanting to get back into the art space.”

Bre paused at his words. “I’m shocked you remember that,” she said to him.

“I remember everything,” Henry told her honestly.

Bre shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and Henry took a drink of his wine to calm his beating heart. Being near Bre seemed to affect every part of his body, and the vulnerability of it all made him uncomfortable.

“How’s work for you? I saw that you’ve managed to hold onto your Parliament seat.”

The mood shifted once more as Henry chuckled. “Yes, oddly enough I’ve managed to stay out of trouble these past months. Happily, too, as it seems that I actually enjoy my work.”

---