Page 66 of Claimed By Her Forbidden Duke
She barely heard any of his annoyed muttering in the carriage. Her thoughts were far too preoccupied with recalling the press of a bookcase against her back, the feel of the Duke’s hands on her, and the question of when she would experience that again.
ChapterFifteen
“Itrust you implicitly,” Edmund said the following day, towering over one of his trusted servants. “Do not make me regret that trust. Your loyalty will be rewarded, and your protection will be ensured.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Gregory answered.
“I need you to ensure that nothing goes into or out of that warehouse without you noticing. Report everything back to me.”
Gregory nodded sharply.
He had been in Edmund’s employ since before he was captured, and had been one of the leads in the search groups. Even after many had stopped looking, Gregory had continued. The fierce show of loyalty, reported by both himself and Benjamin upon Edmund’s return, was rewarded and would continue to be.
“Is there anything else, Your Grace?”
Edmund shook his head. “I do not think so. Cyrus Reed likely has the Poseidon warehouse under constant surveillance. As long as you know exactly how many men are surrounding it, I can continue to make plans of my own. Reed is clever—I cannot afford any mistakes.”
He’d spent the morning briefing Gregory on Reed, making sure he knew everything he would need to know. Everything he had learned about the shady dealer occupied his mind. He tried to balance the ton’s demands to be present at balls, as well as chaperoning duties, on top of the investigation. But as Gregory left, nodding his final assent, Edmund tried to smooth out his thoughts.
He exhaled deeply, leaning back in his chair, tucked beneath his desk. Too much was going on, and he was still strung tight from the evening before. He was physically trying to investigate what he needed, but mentally, Penelope was stealing his focus. That was partially the reason he had sent Gregory. He had barely been able to get through his breakfast without thinking about her, and that made him feel weak.
Yet, despite it all, he looked around his study, finding peace in the moment alone. When he had been under Logan’s command, he’d had long, long nights of solitude, lost in his thoughts and grief over being taken from his life. He’d had time to feel shame and anger and then tried to find peace in them, only for his anger to flare again the next time he was forced to act as Logan commanded.
Edmund had craved the silence on those nights, a private moment for himself without being watched or watching others.
Now, he was restless. He felt that familiar need thrum through his limbs, forcing him out of his chair, stirring the need to chase that agitated charge. As he did, he pictured Penelope—how breathtaking she had looked in her gown, how her lips had parted in ecstasy as he pleasured her, as she had followed his order—eyes on me.Her eyes had met his, as deep and as blue as the ocean, captivating. He had drowned in them, and could only think of seeing her again.
No.Get your mind back on the investigation.
But the fire within him that usually burned for vengeance only burned for Penelope now.
He pushed it aside, a side effect of letting himself give in to that need.
Instead, he opened the door, knowing that fresh air would let him focus on what he needed. But as he reached the foyer, he paused, hearing a scuff of shoes on the staircase behind him. He turned, finding his sister hesitating, holding the handrail.
“Yes?” he asked, that itch crawling beneath his skin.
Leave, leave, leave.Get out, use your hands, fight away the itch like you did for seven years.
“I do not want to disturb you if you are busy, but I was coming to ask if you wanted to play chess. You know, like we used to do before…” she trailed off.
“You can say it,” he urged.
“Before your kidnapping.” Her voice wavered.
He’d found that she had these moments where she could either be bold with her words or she felt the weight of how much she had missed him and it made her more vulnerable.
And although everything inside him itched to leave, to run, to ride—to just do anything other than sit still and think—he knew he was not the man he’d been for those seven years. He was not a captive, forced to fight and do Logan’s bidding. He was a duke, a brother once again. Those titles had been stripped away from him for too long. All those nights he had spent wishing for the simplicity of being a brother again would have been for nothing if he turned his sister down now.
So although his body ached for movement, he nodded. “Let us play in the library.”
Arabella still seemed worried about bothering him, so he led her to the library himself and began setting up the game. The chess table was over by the window, where it had always been. The library had always been his favorite room in the house, second to his father’s study when he was a young boy.
“It has been some time since we did this,” he noted, not wanting only Arabella to be the one acknowledging their time apart.
“It has,” she agreed. “Did you miss it?”
“All the time.”
