Page 60 of The Duke and Lady Scandal
The fire had gone out in the grate, but her entire body was flushed with warmth. Anticipation. Need. Desire. She’d never felt any of them as fiercely as she did with Ben.
He noticed her glance at the grate and immediately moved to lay a fire, assembling the wood and kindling with care. Clearly, he had a strategy and she waited patiently, watching him.
And watching him kindled a fire inside her too.
The muscles of his chest and shoulders always strained the buttons of his shirtfront, but now shegot to focus on the muscles of his thighs. They tensed and shifted as he moved.
He was such a gorgeous man. She’d seen a thousand statues of men in her life—in books, in the British Museum, in her own family’s shop—and none of them could compare to Benedict Drake’s physique. At least not in her estimation.
As soon as the fire sparked to life, he dusted off his hands. The air immediately grew warmer.
“There. That will cure a bit of the chill.”
“Or you could just wrap me in your arms.”
He came to her without hesitation and twined his arms around her waist. She lifted her hands to his shoulders.
“You’re such a temptress.” One of his hands dipped low on her back, almost as far as it had that night in the garden when he’d cupped her backside and lifted her effortlessly against him.
“Are you sure about this, Alexandra?” he asked in a husky whisper.
She didn’t answer quickly, wanting him to know that she had given this proper thought. This was a step beyond any choice she’d ever made in her life—something that was wholly her own, against rules others and society had set for her, and carrying consequences she would have to be willing to bear if her siblings or Jo or, heaven forbid, Lady Wellingdon ever found out.
But she was done with doubting herself.
She gazed into Ben’s eyes, wondering if a man of such strength and cleverness ever felt as she had for so much of her life.
“Do you ever doubt yourself?” she asked softly as he stroked a thumb across the back of her hand.
“Of course. More than I care to admit.” He offered her a soft smile. “Not about you or this moment,” he rushed to add. “Not even about my work.” He hesitated, swallowing hard, and a pained look came into his eyes that she wished she could soothe away. “My doubts haunt me from the past. Choices I’d change if I could.”
The revelation showed that he trusted her, and she understood the preciousness of that. Leaning forward, Allie lifted her hand to his cheek. The green depths of his eyes sparked when he looked at her.
“What would you change?”
He swallowed and ducked away from her a moment before meeting her gaze squarely. “My brother. I... failed him. I should have tried harder to save him.”
“Save him?”
“From his bad choices.”
“I’m certain you tried.” Allie couldn’t imagine him doing anything but the utmost for those he cared about.
“Not as hard as I could have. I washed my hands of him at one point. Lost faith in him.” He’d gone off into memory, staring at the fire once more. “He died many years ago.”
“I’m so sorry, Ben.” Allie stroked a hand down his arm, feeling the hard swell of his muscles beneath the fabric.
Her touch softened his expression; the haunted look was gone.
“Please don’t doubt yourself, Alexandra.”
“My siblings doubt me.” She wasn’t certain why the admission bubbled up, but once it was out, the truth of it made her eyes burn.
“Then they don’t see you clearly.” He cupped her face, feathering his gaze over each feature as she’d become used to him doing.
“But you do?” she asked on a breathy whisper.
“I do.” Leaning forward, he brushed a kiss against her cheek. “I see that you’re clever.” He slid his hand along her neck, tipping her chin up and then bending to place a hot kiss at the base of her throat. “I see that you’re determined.” Stroking his fingers across her skin, he reached up to grip her nape. “I see that you’re brave.”
