Page 39 of A Duke's Sinful Bargain
“I was thinking we might read passages from our favorite books,” he suggested.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”
He shrugged with a smile. “Why not? I barely have any time for books these days. I would welcome an hour of reading and being read to.”
“That sounds lovely,” she gushed, walking over to the shelves and caressing the spines. She easily made her choice.
“Ah, I should have put that one away,” he teased, upon noticing that she had chosenMuch Ado About Nothing.
“Too late.” She chuckled.
He proceeded to choose a book of his own. Seated in a cozy corner of the library, they opened their chosen volumes, the rustling of the pages becoming a soothing melody, almost as soothing as her piano playing.
Anna started to read first. Alexander was seated opposite her, not taking his eyes off of her. The shared solitude bound them together as the magic of literature intertwined with the subtle exchange of glances and shared smiles. She would pause occasionally to look up at him. He was always watching, always smiling.
Then it was his turn. Their voices mirrored each other, low and melodious, resonating with the passage they had chosen to share. He surprised her with his choices of romance, of adventure novels, and one, a gardening book.
They shared a long, amused laugh about that one. Yet, a book was a book, timeless and precious, regardless of what it was about. Over the course of that evening, it seemed they had created a new bridge between each other, one she never knew would be possible to create.
She had no idea when she closed her eyes. The chaise longue she was sitting on became too comfortable, too inviting, and she fell asleep without even realizing it.
When her eyes fluttered open again, she was in Alexander’s bed, covered with a blanket. He was sleeping soundly next to her with his arm across her stomach, not possessively, but rather in a caring, protective manner. It made her heart flutter with all sorts of forbidden thoughts, thoughts that were dangerous to even consider, let alone entertain.
She had to go home. They were already risking so much by prolonging her stay, but she could not be stirred away from him at that moment. It would have been impossible for anyone to do so.
She inhaled deeply, nestling close to him.
Just one more minute,she thought to herself.Then, I’ll go home…
Chapter 21
Time seemed to seep out of his hand like fine grains of sand, second by second, minute by minute, day by day. Before Alexander knew it, an entire month had slipped away, and he still could not get his fill of Anna. Worst of all, he could not focus on anything or anyone else. She occupied his every waking moment, and he found himself ensnared in the captivating allure of his secret nights spent with Anna.
That morning, he was seated in his study, leaned back into his leather chair, which squealed every time he moved as if replying to his thoughts. The more he thought about it, the more a realization crystalized inside his mind. It was not so much as a realization but rather a yearning to explore their connection beyond the clandestine nightly meetings at his residence.
He grabbed his quill pen and started to swirl it between his fingers, playing with it, providing his mind with an irrelevant distraction, as he could not tear it away from this newfound and newly evolved desire for something more with Anna.
He frowned at a very simple thought. How on earth was he to broach the subject with her? They had both agreed upon this arrangement because neither of them was in search of anything other than what the rules had stated beforehand. Now, it seemed that everything had changed. He knew he was not mistaken when each night they spent together, he would see her behavior toward him change, becoming more open, more welcoming, more… loving.
All they had were their secret nights. Would she be open to discussing something more, something outside of this familiar setting that they had grown used to? He didn’t know.
What he did know was that, just as it was the case with him, her life as a widow was governed by societal norms, and being seen in public with him would mean navigating uncharted territory. Then again, it would be the same for him as well.
He got up and started to pace about the room, like a caged animal yearning for freedom. Yet the bars were inside his own mind, where his heart was the captive of the woman who had the most mysterious, most beautiful, most enchanting smile in the world.
He raked his fingers, approaching the open window. The fresh morning breeze did little to alleviate the weight on his shoulders. If he were to suggest something like this, he had to do it the right way.What is the right way?he wondered silently. Then it dawned on him. He would need to court her, as a gentleman courted a young lady.
He smiled at the thought. Courting, he mused, scratching his chin pensively. Courting required a chaperone. Tom! His mind rang with an obvious solution to the predicament of his heart. He rushed over to the rope hanging in the corner of the room inconspicuously, pulling on it fervently. As soon as the steward appeared, he was instructed to send for Tom.
“Yes, yes.” Alexander nodded, locking his hands behind his back and continuing with his stroll that had no destination, other than the one in his mind. “That might work…”
When a knock on the door finally interrupted his feverish thoughts, he lifted his gaze to it. “Come in!” he shouted a little more loudly than he had intended to. The doors opened, revealing Tom.
“Your Grace.” He bowed respectfully. “You sent for me?”
“Ah, yes! Tom!” Alexander, for some reason, could not adjust the tone of his voice. It sounded either too loud or too silent. He had no idea what had taken over him. He tried clearing his throat, but that did little to help. “Do sit down, old boy,” he urged, gesturing with his hand as he spoke and finally taking a seat himself. His body, however, refused to stay put.
“Is everything all right, Your Grace?” Tom wondered, clearly noticing a shift in Alexander’s conduct.
