Page 85 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
Stop being ridiculous, Lily.
She knew Magnus wouldn’t wait for her.
Drawing in a breath to compose herself, she stepped barefoot into the hallway and marched down the stairs, her fingers trailing along the polished railing.
As she moved toward the study, she spotted a sliver of light beneath the door.
Of course. That was where he was. Always in the study. Always alone. Even on their wedding night.
Without knocking, she pushed the door open.
Seated behind his desk, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a half-filled glass of brandy in front of him, Magnus didn’t notice. Until she stepped into the room.
His head snapped up, and he froze.
Lily stood close to the door, dressed in only her satin nightgown. It was revealing, provocatively elegant, letting her bare arms gleam in the firelight. The neckline was low enough to make his breath catch, and her hair… it hung down her back, begging for his fingers.
And her eyes? They were defiant, like she had something to break.
He stood up immediately. “Lily?—”
“Don’t,” she said quietly, closing the door behind her. “Don’t say you weren’t expecting me.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’m your wife.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
She crossed the room slowly. Each step was deliberate and controlled, not betraying the nervous flutter in her chest. “I waited. In my room.”
“I know,” he said gruffly. “That’s why I stayed here.”
Her heart sank at his words. He didn’t even pretend otherwise for the sake of her feelings.
“You kissed me,” she reminded him, furious. “You touched me like a man starved. You said?—”
“I said I wouldn’t touch you again.”
“That was before.” Her voice cracked. “Before we got married.”
“That changes nothing.”
“It changes everything.”
He rounded the desk before she could say more. “Lily, you know what this marriage was supposed to be. A contract. A promise. A deal. I offered you security—your name, your home, your freedom. I did not offer you myself.”
Her throat burned. “And what if I want you?”
He froze. Then, he slowly looked at her like he couldn’t breathe. Like her words had hit him somewhere vulnerable. And yet, after a moment, he shook his head.
“No, Lily.”
Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “Why? Because you pity me? Because you think you’re protecting me from a part of yourself you think I can’t handle?”
“Because if I touch you again,” he said slowly, darkly, “I won’t stop.”
Her breath caught. The air thickened with tension.
