Page 26 of Claimed By the Duke of Ice

“I wanted to thank you for my new gowns,” she explained as a maid with a cart came into the room.

“Mrs. Snievely informed me that you had an inclination toward Mutton and creamed potatoes, so I asked the cook to prepare it for you especially.” Grace motioned for the maid to set the meal on the nearby table.

“I know you are busy with your affairs, and I will not hold you long, but I was hoping you and I could dine in here this evening,” she added, looking at him curiously.

Speak, you fool, Nathaniel urged himself, his eyes still drawn to Grace’s perfect figure.

“Yes, well, my aunt and I differ on many things, and taste in fashion is one of them,” he replied. “The fabrics you were drawn to seemed much more suited to your style. I am happy to see that my liberties were appreciated.”

His words came out as stiff as his member, and he wanted to bang his head against his desk in frustration. The urge to accept her thanks with a kiss was raging hard inside of him, and it was getting harder to ignore.

“They were indeed, Nathaniel,” Grace replied, seemingly unbothered by his tone.

Nathaniel. He loved the way his name sounded on her lips. It had been many days since she’d called him such. After their cursory wedding night and the issue after their horse race, she had been referring to him as “Your Grace”, and he only now realized how much he’d missed the sound.

“Come,” she urged gently, pulling out one of the chairs, “won’t you please join me? I shan’t keep you from your work long, I promise.”

“I do hope that leaving you alone with my aunt hasn’t caused any permanent injuries to your mind or person,” he said, half-serious, half-joking. He hoped Grace wouldn’t notice the bulge between his legs as he talked and walked stiffly from his desk chair to the small table laden with drink and food.

“Nothing that won’t be healed within a day or two,” Grace replied playfully as she took her seat. She turned quickly to the maid, and with a subtle nod, she dismissed her from the room.

“She did indeed teach me many new things about my station,” she went on, “and I have grown much more comfortable with my duties.”

Nathaniel looked at her, both shocked and amused.

“You mean to say that my aunt did not frighten you?” he asked.

Grace laughed softly as she leaned forward to pour his wine, once more giving him a lovely view of her cleavage. He felt his cock jump at the sight, and a low groan escaped his throat. He coughed to disguise it, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

“She was indeed frightening,” Grace admitted, “at first. But I better understand her now and found that if I put myself to the task of pleasing her, she is not all that bad.”

Nathaniel found himself falling into an easy conversation and a good mood with Grace as they ate their dinner. He typically didn’t enjoy company of any kind and would just knuckle through it, but with Grace, he found himself at ease. The way she spoke of things made him smile—even laugh at times. He was amused by her stories and drawn to how her face lit up when she spoke of something that excited her.

“When do you believe we could ride again?” she asked as they laid their utensils down over their now-empty plates.

Nathaniel smirked, now more at ease with her.

“So that you may beat me again?” he asked, one brow arched in amusement. The lilt in Grace’s laughter reminded him of that very day and how excited she was when she won. It also reminded him of what her prize had been and what that had cost him.

“Oh, come, dear husband, you do not know that I will win again,” she replied in a convincing tone.

“I am most certain you would,” he mused, looking into her eyes.

A silence spread through the room as the energy shifted. A soft blush tinged her cheeks, and there was a warmth in her eyes that beckoned to him. Subtly, her hand moved toward his on the table as if she wanted to touch him.

Yes, he thought, his cock stirring to life once more. Touch me. Sit on my lap. I want to feel you so badly; you have no idea.

Nathaniel cleared his throat and shifted his chair but did not reach for her hand.

“So, you enjoy your new wardrobe then?” he asked, hoping to drive the intrusive thoughts away.

“Oh, I do,” Grace replied emphatically, getting up from the table to come around to his side. “They are some of the most exquisite gowns I’ve ever owned.”

She paused in front of him, her eyes roaming slowly down his person.

“In fact, I am so grateful that I would like very much to find a way to repay you for such kindness. Tell me, dear husband, what can I do?”

Nathaniel was on his feet in a moment, arousal running through him so intensely, he could feel the tremble within his body. He wanted so terribly to give in, to tell her what he truly wanted. But he couldn’t take the chance.

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