Page 32 of The Iron Duke's Flaming Christmas
They both jumped, hearing a noise in the hallway. The duke stepped back, gazing at her, a look of raw, naked need on his face.
“If you truly do feel the same way that I do, then meet me in the library at midnight,” he whispered, his chest heaving. “Until then.”
He turned, walking quickly out of the room. Selene slumped against the door, her hands splayed against the wood, trying to catch her breath, as she gazed around the room.
The desire was still coursing through her veins and her heart was racing faster than a rabbit. Slowly, she sunk to the floor, not even caring if another servant walked in and found her that way.
He wanted her to meet him in the library at midnight. And she knew, instinctively, that if she did, there would be no turning back. She would surrender herself to him. There was no denying what he was asking her to do.
She whimpered, clutching her hands to her head, staring at the floor. There was no denying she wanted to do it—she was aching for it so badly that it was agony. But now that he had left her, common sense was returning, like sunlight peeking through the clouds on a dark day.
I should not go. He will understand and respect my decision. He has been fighting this as hard as I have. He knows that it really isn’t a good idea as well.
If she met him tonight it would change everything. They would no longer be just master and governess. What on earth was she going to do?
Chapter 17
Selene paced the floor in her small room. She had barely touched her dinner. Her mind was whirring like a mouse on a wheel, as she debated what she should do that night. If she should meet the duke in the library at midnight… or if she shouldn’t.
I am a poor woman with little prospects in life. I may never have the chance to experience such passion again…
But Selene knew it was dangerous, and not proper. It went against all that she had been taught—that a woman must save herself for her husband.
She sighed heavily, staring at the floor. He had given her this choice—it was hers to make. If she went to that library tonight, she knew what was going to happen. Her eyes were wide open. And if it did happen, then there would be no going back. She could never undo it.
Her heart twisted. He could never marry her. The difference in their status was so great it was as if an ocean separated them. Dukes did not marry their governesses. They married high born ladies. It was the way of the world, and it would never change.
But even besides that, she didn’t know if she wanted to marry him, anyway. She didn’t know if she would accept him if he was at liberty to propose to her. She barely knew him, and he was a broken man. His heart belonged to his late wife. He lived in the past and he had no desire to drag his heart to the present.
This was physical desire and nothing more. He had never told her he loved her. He told her he desired her—and that he didn’t understand that desire any more than she did. He didn’t want to feel it. He had tried to fight it… as fiercely as she had tried to fight it. They both knew that this could not lead anywhere.
What was she going to do?
Selene bit her lip. It had been ten o’clock when she had passed the grandfather clock in the hallway. There were two more hours until midnight. Hours of torture, of pacing the floor… unless she made the decision now.
You know what you must do. You cannot give into this. You must go to bed and tomorrow you will pretend that he never asked you to surrender to him.
Her heart contorted with sorrow. She blinked back tears. The voice in her mind was firm and she must listen to it. It was the voice of her logic, her common sense.
She got into the narrow bed, pulling the blankets high around her shoulders, gazing up at the ceiling. A single tear trickled down her cheek. She knew she was making the right decision… but oh, how it hurt.
Quickly, she sat up, blowing out the candle. She was shrouded in darkness. She settled into the bed again, turning to the wall. Slowly, her eyes started to close. Slumber would be welcome, so she didn’t have to think about her choice any longer. So very welcome…
***
She was walking through a field of bright red poppies, turning her face to the sky, basking in the feeling of the sun upon her face. It was a bright, cloudless day. She didn’t know where she was, or where she was going.
She sighed with contentment, pressing her bare feet onto the ground, feeling the earth beneath them. Suddenly, she started twirling, dancing, with her arms outstretched, her face still turned to the sky, closing her eyes.
She knew he was there before she opened them again. She could feel his presence. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, gazing at him, her heart contracting.
He was standing before her, dressed only in his white britches, his chest bare and glistening in the sun, his eyes smoldering, his face glazed with lust as he gazed at her. She felt a stab of answering desire. She wanted him… and she was giving herself to him.
He strode through the poppies, grabbing her, tilting her back in his arms, his mouth on her neck, nipping and biting. She shuddered in ecstasy, drawing him closer, pressing him against her, as he rained hot, fiery kisses down the length of her body, searing her flesh.
She was sinking into the poppies with him. They were falling together. He was on top of her, his body blocking out the sun. All went dark as she arched her back, letting him know how much she wanted this, how ready she was for him. So ready…
Selene gasped, bolting upright, her heart pounding. The dream was gripping her so tightly still that she swore it was real. She realized her body was trembling with desire—a thirst so strong that it seemed impossible to quench it.
