Page 45 of My Blind Duke
“If I ask nicely, will you leave?” she tried, in a last-ditch attempt to regain her peace of mind.
“I am afraid not,” he grinned as he settled down on the bench next to her.
“Lovely.” She sighed. “I will let you know that I intend to play my part no matter what you do to distract me.”
“You are far too confident in your capabilities,” William noted in a tone that hinted he did not like that.
Seeing a chance to irritate him further, Prudence nodded.
“Why would I not be? My formal pianoforte training lasted five months and I am still doing better than most who had over a year’s worth of training. I do not think I would stun anyone at parties, but I can impress a few people with what I know,” she nodded proudly.
“Is that so?”
“Positively. I can likely play better than you – seeing as you are content telling me what to do without actually doing it yourself.”
William was still for a moment, then he grinned, his expression sending chills down Prudence’s spine.
“A master pianist now, are you? I wonder… how well you can play under duress,” he told her with a smirk.
Prudence frowned, confused. “What do you–”
“Play me something,” he whispered in her ear, his tone turning dangerous.
Hesitating only for a moment, Prudence finally returned to her task. Her accuracy was slightly unsteady at first because she feltnervous, but then, when nothing happened, she regained her confidence.
And that was when she felt it. His hand was on her leg, gently resting against her calf.
Prudence swallowed and ignored him, still focused on her task. Her fingers nearly slipped as his hand climbed higher, onto her thigh. She sank her teeth into her lower lip, fighting her mind to remain focused.
It was hard to do so when his touch was teasing, alternating between soft, gentle pats and moments of him gripping her thigh with the barest force, as though he wanted her to be aware –well aware– of his touch.
“I wonder… were you ever in love with your husband?” he asked quietly, but loud enough to be heard over the tunes.
Prudence was struggling to keep the notes going, barely able to avoid mistakes as his hand went up her hip, then moved to nestle between her legs.
“Your Grace, I-I–”
“Will you not answer the question? I am quite curious about it, but unlike most people who would rather speculate about it, I want you to tell me about it, of your own volition.”
He pressed closer to her for a moment, interchanging his hands so his right was between her legs and the left was gently brushing her hair back, and later caressing the length of her neck. She had missed a few notes already but that move caused her to miss some more and he chastised her.
“Stay focused,” he scolded her. “No matter what I do to you, ensure that you keep playing.”
Prudence nodded, confused at first, then aghast when he slipped down onto his knees, somehow managing to maneuver around beneath the piano until he could push her knees apart.
“What are you–”
“If you stop, I will stop.”
The thought of that made her heart sink, especially when she considered how utterly handsome he looked, right there and then. He was the one on his knees but she was at his mercy.
Prudence kept her lips pressed together and shakily continued to play, forcing herself to do nothing as he pushed her skirts up and ducked his head beneath them.
She thought she was ready for what was coming, but when his tongue lapped at her wet folds, she nearly slammed her fists onto the piano keys.
“William! What are you–”
He squeezed at her hips – a warning.
