Page 7 of My Blind Duke
Panicking, she almost let go of her breasts before catching herself just in time and keeping her hands over her nipples. Her firm breasts bounced slightly from the movement, making her wish, for the first time in her life, that she had at least a corset on.
“That might just do the trick. I have been shouting since the moment I arrived, and I have yet to find a single servant. Or do they only answer to the mistress of the house?” The man took another step toward her, making her heart race faster when his lips curled into a teasing smirk.
Why does he keep staring at me like that?
Was he so accustomed to walking in on naked ladies, that he hardly batted an eye when he saw one?
His indifference to her compromising and vulnerable appearance made her slightly uneasy as her chest began to rise and fall with every breath. The friction on her nipples made them harden as she squeezed her breasts a little tighter.
The door suddenly opened again, revealing a tall, thin man with greying hair and distinguished features. “Your Grace, I merely wanted to check and see if…” His eyes widened in shock as they fell on Prudence’s naked form in front of the tub.
“Get out!” She screamed at the top of her lungs and attempted to cover her thighs while reaching for a bar of soap and hurling it across the room.
The man slammed the door shut, but not before Prudence had stumbled forward, landing in the arms of the duke.
His hands moved to steady her but then lingered on her back, feeling her skin with the tips of his fingers before reaching the top of her buttocks. “What… Why in God’s name are you naked?!” His voice was steeped in disbelief as he held her up straight, gripping her waist firmly.
Her nipples brushed against the steel muscles of his chest as she braced herself against his body, sending a jolt of something hot down her spine.
She tried pulling away from his touch as she sputtered. “I have been naked this entire time! How are you just realizing this now? I was preparing for a bath when you so rudely barged into my chambers!”
“Then why did you not say so when I walked in?”
“Why did I–” Prudence stuttered, confused, irritated and embarrassed. “I would not have needed to if only you had knocked! With all due respect, Your Grace – if you really are who you claim to be – the one in the wrong here, is you. It is common courtesy and a sign of good manners to knock before entering a closed room. You did not do that and you have now put me in this rather humiliating predicament. This is not my fault. Unhand me. Now.”
The duke stood his ground silently for a moment, looking as though he was staring right through her with his brilliant blue eyes, lips pulling into a smirk.
“That was never my intention. What would I derive from intruding in on a woman in such a compromising state?”
His assumption was preposterous and just as her lips parted to let him know as much, Prudence came to an odd realization.
It was not as though the room were dimly lit. She could see him clearly enough, and he had been looking right at her the entire time. So why had he been so surprised that she was naked?
“Could it be… Did you really not see that I was naked?” she said out loud without thought.
Prudence inhaled deeply as she examined the brilliance of his blue eyes. The centers of his irises were crystal clear, while the outer edges were dulled with a milky hue.
He was blind.
As a twinge of pity pierced her heart, the smirk on his lips suddenly gave way to a dark look of disdain.
Perhaps he does not like it when people mention his lack of sight.
“Your Grace, I apologize for overstepping, I–”
With an angry look in his eyes, he reached out and held her chin, his voice dark and low as he stated, “I do not need to be able to see to feel you squirming in my arms, Duchess.”
A strange feeling came over her, leaving Prudence breathless and confused.
Why am I feeling like this?
“Are you nervous, Your Grace?” His mocking tone caressed her ears when she did not respond, his lips parted into a mischievous grin.
“Yes... I mean no, I am not.” Her breaths came in sharp bursts as he used the back of his fingers to trace a path up her side, stopping just shy of her breast.
“I am warning you. I am not sure what has happened in my absence, but I run a tight ship. Things are about to change around here.”
Her eyes locked on his as she attempted to cleanse her mind of the illicit thoughts gathering within. “Forgive me, Your Grace, but you do not seem like a sailor to me. Do you have pirating abilities that I should be aware of?”
