Page 45 of Her Wicked Duke
It turned out they had the same taste in art, and they had discussed several painters they both knew. When they came to a painting of a woman with a veil draped delicately over her bare skin, Anne’s face flushed.
“Your grandmother was right,” Anne conceded. “Franceisrather different.”
Alexander chuckled and pointed at the painting. “If this exhibition was in France, the men would be discussing the size of the woman’s generous… assets.”
Anne lowered her voice, a coy smile on her lips. “And you? Would you discuss it, too?”
“Why look at a mere hill when I can explore a mountain?” He cocked an eyebrow at her.
She blushed when she realized he was calling her breasts ample. Knowing she was large-chested wasn’t new, but it was the first time she felt desired for it. She fought the urge to tug her shawl tighter around herself, yet under his gaze, she didn’t feel exposed but ratheradmired.
“And these mountains you speak of,” she said slowly, suggestively, “how do they make you feel?”
Together, they still gazed at the painting of the woman draped over a chaise lounge.
From the corner of her eye, Anne saw Alexander smile.
“Like I might paint them myself just to capture every curve and the perfect peaks I will behold,” he said, lowering his voice. “Like I might leave the mountain range and see what is further down… south.” His fingertip drew circles on her arm suggestively, and she understood perfectly.
Her face was utterly red now.
“And then,” he continued, “I might find myself within the depths of a river. That river shall be my reward for enduring such a treacherous journey. After all, one might think it was deserved.”
Anne’s cheeks couldn’t possibly turn redder, and she turned away from him, lest her heart beat out of her ribcage.
“PerhapsIshall decide when you deserve a reward, Alexander.” She had meant to say it over her shoulder, a mischievous parting statement, but he pulled her back against him.
His mouth brushed her ear. “There is a door at the back, on the right. You will go through it and wait for me in there.” His voice was low—flat, even—and she detected a hint of anger that set her nerves on edge as she followed his command.
She ducked through the door undetected and shut herself in what looked like a private study. A large desk was at the back of the room, and a fireplace and mirror were on the adjacent wall. Blue walls made her feel secluded from everything else, and, as soon as the door closed behind her, it shut out the noise outside.
Her stomach fluttered. She was anxious but excited.
He seems upset.And yet that excites me.
Was this where she finally got to see the perfectly composed Duke snap?
Seconds later, Alexander burst through the door.
“Position yourself against the desk,” he commanded. “Brace your hands on it. I do not want to see them move an inch. Keep your eyes on me.”
“Alexander—”
“Do as I say,” he said, his eyes darkening as he looked at her from head to toe. “Or do you think you can tell me what to do and then not follow orders?”
Rather than feel scared of his tone, Anne felt wildly aroused. She braced herself against the desk, her fingernails digging into the wood.
“Where are we?” she whispered, not taking her eyes off him as he stalked toward her.
She felt like prey—the most desirable prey—and Alexander wanted to devour her whole.
Good.I hope he does.
“If your hands move, Anne, I shall stop,” he warned. “We are in the study of the man who’s curated this exhibition. I know him well, and I know he is out of the building today. We won’t be disturbed.” He fixed her with a sardonic smile. “Any other questions?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Good,” he answered. “Now, be quiet, love.”
