Page 17 of A Trap by the Rakish Duke
Unsure of how to react, Aurelia did as she was told, picking up the bow and retrieving another arrow. However, she once again missed the target entirely. She was about to give up and go back to the house when Philip placed his hand on her shoulder and angled her body toward the target.
“You need to breathe along with the arrow. You are treating your weapon as a separate piece of equipment, when you need to see it as an extension of yourself.”
He reached for another arrow and placed it in the bow for her, before taking up a stance behind her.
Her heart skittered furiously as he pressed himself against her back and pulled her into him with one arm on either side of her body.
“Keep this arm in line with the tip of the arrow. Use it as a guide to make sure that the weapon reaches its target. Sure and true as the breath in your lungs.”
He corrected the position of her elbow before curling his fingers around the hand that was holding the string.
Her breathing became heavier as she felt his strong thighs against her hip. His body was strong and muscular, almost as formidable as the bear he had compared her to during their argument.
His breath was closer now, tickling her ear as he lowered his voice. “Use your mouth as an anchor. Place the hand pulling the string against your lips as if you are about to kiss it.”
He dropped his hands to her waist, allowing her to take control as he simply guided her.
The feel of his strong hands on her waist nearly caused her to moan as she struggled to focus on the task at hand.Did he have to stand so close to me? Could he not help me from a distance?
His voice drew her out of her thoughts as he applied the slightest amount of pressure to her waist. “Focus on your breathing; you are in control of your body as well as the arrow. No breath can move through your lungs unless you permit it. And likewise, no arrow will miss its mark unless you allow it…”
The Duke’s words had a strange calming effect on her as she suddenly found herself being able to focus on nothing other than the task at hand.
“Take a deep breath and release the arrow when you feel that you have given it permission to find its mark,” he commanded in a gentle voice that sent shivers of pleasure down her spine.
“You are to obey my orders…”
His words came rushing back to her as she let out a breath, releasing the string at the same time.
The arrow flew through the air, strong and sure as it hit the target just to the side of the bullseye.
“I did it,” she breathed.
“You did,” he said in a low voice just a breeze picked up, whipping a few strands of her hair about her face.
Who is this man?
Aurelia wondered again about his brother and what had happened between him and her father. Surely a moment such as the one they were sharing could bring them closer to each other.
“Your Grace…I…I was wondering if you would tell me more about your brother and the circumstances that led to his death?”
She reached for a strand of hair that had become caught in her mouth and tucked it behind her ear.
The green in the Duke’s eyes darkened until it resembled the color of a deep sea on a stormy night.
“You already know what happened. Your father owed my brother a great debt after being defeated by him in a game of cards. Your father promised him land as payment, and when he failed to follow through on his promise, my brother challenged him to a duel.”
Her heart raced uncontrollably at the cool tone of his voice.
“I…I am sorry that your brother lost the duel, but is it right to punish me and my father for it?”
“That duel was rigged. Your father arranged matters so that my brother was bound to lose.” The coldness of his voice now turned into a blizzard as the wind picked up.
“How sure are you of the matter?” Aurelia’s fingers gripped the bow tightly as she felt her breath catching in her throat.
What evidence could there be in a situation like that? Dueling was a barbaric custom that men with lesser intellect used to settle their disputes.
He said that it was his brother who had laid down the challenge…
