Page 55 of A Duke Makes a Deal
“You know very well he isn’t a young man,” she said softly. “You were listening.”
“Are you accusing me of eavesdropping?”
“I am.”
“In my own garden?” he countered. “It’s hardly the place for a secret conversation. Anyone could have happened upon you.”
Clara smirked at his haughty answer.
“So, youwerelistening?”
“To admit to such a thing would call into question my character.”
She took another step and suddenly there was very little room between them. He wasn’t the type of man to be cowed by a female, but Silas couldn’t deny that his body responded to her closeness. Clara seemed completely unaware of her effect on him—or the proper amount of distance to maintain when speaking with someone. She was wholly unfazed by societal norms.
“I would never question your character, sir,” she said, her eyes full of gentle teasing. “A man who won a wife.”
“I did win,” he said huskily. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief. It both intrigued and worried him, though he knew not why. Without thinking, he raised his hands to her arms to gently stroke her. “How do you feel? After last night, I mean.”
A blush touched her cheeks but she smiled.
“Very well,” she said, her tone soft. “And you?”
“There’s no need to worry about me. It was new for you.”
“It was new for you too, Silas. We had never slept together before.”
He cocked his head.
“You’re right. In any case, I feel very well too.”
Her smile brightened.
“Good,” she said, seeming happy with his response. “I’m glad.”
Silas felt pleased that she should be so satisfied and in an instant of sheer joy, he leaned down and kissed her. For years, Silas had kissed women with the single thought of seduction, but this was something else. This was simply a desire to show her that he was pleased. The beat of his heart seemed suddenly more pronounced as Clara leaned into him, kissing him back with unconcealed enthusiasm.
He pulled back for a moment, mindful not to lose himself to his desires out in the open, particularly when they were hosting so many guests. But all the same, he noted the heightened color of her cheeks, her swollen lips with decided satisfaction.
“Perhaps we should go inside,” he suggested prudently.
“We could,” she said coyly. “Or we could take a stroll in the maze?”
Her innocent prodding gave him pause. While he was more than willing to continue their rendezvous, the strength of his reaction to her was concerning. His previous relationship had been based off of physical feelings and he had intended to avoid that in his second marriage.
He hadn’t considered that he would find himself so constantly excited by her. Hopefully it would wane over the next several weeks as the novelty wore off…but a nagging feeling told him that his reaction to Clara might be permanent. If that was the case, he would most likely have to put some distance between them, if only to preserve his control of the situation. It wouldn’t do to fall in love with Clara, not when she deserved so much more than the shattered pieces of a broken heart that were all he had to offer.
He moved her back a fraction.
“Perhaps tonight…” he said. He needed to control himself. “…we should tend to our guests.”
“Oh. Of course,” she agreed, sounding disappointed.
He nodded and moved around her, convinced that it was the right choice. This would surely prove to be a different sort of marriage than before. He would simply have to lead by example.
However difficult that might be.
Chapter Fourteen
