Page 16 of A Duke's Sinful Bargain
He purposefully spoke in a manner as convoluted as possible to confuse her. Much to his delight, he managed to do so.
“This was my own idea,” she almost snarled.
“If that much is true, Lady Anna, then answer me this…” he mused, using her first name on purpose and enjoying the outraged look in her eyes, which refused to leave his. Her nostrils flared at him, but her body beckoned to him. He could hear it clearly. She would not be here unless she was enjoying this as much as he was. “Why would an honest widow such as yourself lead herself so easily into sin?”
This question stunned her into silence. Her beautiful eyes widened in shock and her lips parted, but no words flowed out of them. He had never seen a woman petrified in such a moment of shock look so utterly ravishing. She resembled a Greek statue, innocent yet erotic, shy but beckoning, immortalized for all times.
“The debt,” she finally confessed, her eyes fluttering down to his lips only for a brief, almost imperceptible moment, only to lift back up to his eyes. Upon noticing this, Alexander sensed a hidden truth he had only suspected up until now. She was as attracted to him as he was to her.
“Is that truly it?” he asked again, demanding more of her.
“What else could it possibly be?” She frowned at him as if his insinuation offended her. But he noticed the flicker of a smile in the corner of her lip, which she was trying to conceal.
Alexander quietly pondered that her proposition could be beneficial for him in more ways than he could have anticipated. Namely, it could solve two pressing issues for him. The first one would be alleviating the guilt associated with the debt collection, and the second one would provide him with means to explore and understand the depths of his inexplicable desire for this woman.
All of a sudden, she stepped back, pulling away from him. Her eyes did not reveal shock any longer. Her cheeks were still a delightful shade of red, but she was no longer enjoying herself. He had, somehow, overstepped the invisible line.
“No,” she said unexpectedly, shaking her head. “I don’t know what has gotten into me. No, no. This was a mistake…”
Without waiting for him to say anything, she rushed past him and reached for the door, but before she could open it, he grabbed her gently by the wrist. Once again, a surge of heat washed over him from the simple touch of his skin against hers. He couldn’t believe this woman had such an effect on him.
“Lady Ravenscroft, wait,” he said, realizing that he didn’t want her to pull away. He didn’t want her to change her mind. His response was swift, like the cut of a finely sharpened blade. “I accept.”
She didn’t turn around immediately, just like he didn’t let go of her wrist as soon as she stopped. He could feel the palpitations of her heart just underneath the surface of her skin. A few seconds passed, which felt like an entire eternity, before she finally turned around.
“All right.” She nodded.
As soon as she agreed, he released her wrist. “Go home now, Anna.” He purposely referred to her by her first name. The sound of it made all the little hairs on his body stand on end. “And think about this again. Think about it well. Then, tomorrow, you shall return here for supper, where you will inform me of your real answer, whether you truly wish to proceed with this arrangement of ours.”
Her lower lip quivered, but before she could say anything, he added, “I can assure my secrecy and the loyalty of everyone employed in my home, but… you know this is still a risky endeavor. You are playing with fire, Anna.”
She swallowed heavily, staring him straight in the eyes, her composure back to grace them both with its presence. She was once again as in control of herself as she was the moment she had walked in. “You will have my answer tomorrow, Your Grace.”
Within seconds, she disappeared from the drawing room, leaving Alexander completely stunned as a result of what had been offered to him. Yet instead of feeling confused and anxious about the potential repercussions of this deed, he found himself smiling.
It was no ordinary smile. He had not smiled in such a manner for a very long time, from the very depths of his soul, in anticipation of what was to come. He felt a sense of excitement unlike any before.
Quickly, as if he did not wish to lose a single moment, he called for his valet, who appeared within minutes in the drawing room.
“You called, Your Grace?” the man asked obediently.
“Yes.” Alexander nodded, approaching him and placing his hand on the man’s shoulder, an unexpected gesture of camaraderie. “You are to prepare for a lavish, romantic dinner for two tomorrow evening.”
If the valet was surprised by this, he did not show it, a behavior that Alexander expected. “I want flower arrangements, fancy desserts, everything. Tell the chef to prepare his finest meals. And make sure there are no mistakes. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The valet nodded immediately. “Would that be all?”
“One more thing, Reynolds.” Alexander’s words lingered between them. “There is to be no words spreading regarding this outside the household. Tell only those who need to know. I don’t think I can stress this enough.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The valet nodded again reassuringly. A moment later, he left Alexander alone in the drawing room, in anticipation of what was to happen the following evening.
***
Eliza knew better than to question her mistress at a moment like this. As the carriage took them through the cobbled streets of London, Anna yearned for the solitude of her own home, wondering if she had not made a terrible mistake by going to the duke and presenting him with such a shocking offer. This was so utterly unlike her, but she felt like a cornered animal, ready to do anything for the sake of her survival—even the unthinkable.
Her stunned silence permeated the confined space as she grappled with the intensity of her encounter with him. She wasn’t expecting to be questioned. That much she could easily admit. But worst of all, he seemed to be quite enjoying himself during their conversation, probing behind the curtain of her composure.
Her gaze was fixed on the passing cityscape, yet her thoughts were a tumultuous sea. Had she made a mistake by going to see the duke? Why was he asking all those questions? What was the purpose behind them? Why did it seem as if he were interested in more than just settling the debt? Or was it just her imagination?
