Page 33 of The Good Duke
Good. Simon would have had to call the fellow out, and he was a poor shot.
The blush on Simon’s cheeks flared several degrees hotter. “Where would a fellow put s-something like this?” he couldn’t help from asking.
Persephone scowled. “I don’t know, Simon,” she burst out with increasing the speed of her strides. “I don’t have a penis.”
No, she didn’t. She did, however, have a shapely pair of le—
He snapped her book closed.
Persephone remained blessedly oblivious to those impure thoughts still intruding.
“Bruce Brewster said he’d show me his so I can get it right, and that’s when I punched him good,” she was saying.
She paused mid-stride and scrunched her brow up in that way she did whenever she’d hatched one of her ideas. “But maybe I should,” she said, more to herself. “Maybe—”
Simon growled. “Bruce is a ruffian, and our first rule of friendship—”
“Is to never make friends with a bully. I know. Iknow,” she said, throwing her hands up.
They went silent, both thinking their own thoughts: Simon about happily bloodying Bruce for making Seph sad this day. And…who knew what was going through Persephone’s mind.
Slowly, she looked up and over at Simon. “I could…”
He stared at her, waiting for her to finish her thought.
Persephone nodded.
He shook his head. “I don’t know what—”
“I could draw you.”
Simon blanched.
“It was a stupid idea,” she said quickly and rushed over to reclaim her book from his motionless fingers. “You don’t want to be my male model.”
No, he didn’t want to. Hers was the understatement of the century. But she’d do anything for him. And they were best friends. And it was…just his…bits and pieces, as she called them.
Simon dragged a hand through his damp hair, sending flecks of water flying. “I’ll do it,” he said before he talked himself out of it.
Persephone’s big, expressive eyes flew even wider.
And then her face fell. “I don’t want you to do something you’re uncomfortable with. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“It’s my decision, Seph,” he said more forcefully. “I’m offering. I want to…do this for you.” And…he did—even as he didn’t want to.
Persephone searched her gaze over his face. “You’re certain, because—”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything. Friends help friends.”
That proved the other mantra of their friendship.
Her entire face brightened and, dropping her sketch pad, she tossed her arms about him, nearly knocking him to the ground.
Grunting, Simon caught her swiftly and steadied his legs to keep from tumbling back under the force of her unexpected hug.
She did give the best hugs. Her unexpected ones were always her best.
Persephone ended the hug as abruptly as she’d started it.
