Page 65 of The Duchess' Ultimatum
They were still holding hands. Still looking into each other's eyes. The tension that surrounded them was gone. And with that sorted through, it felt as if their minds were going to the same place.
Despite the confusion, she had no doubt of what Dorian wanted. It was just a matter of if he was able to admit it to himself. And perhaps this right here would clear that confusion for him…
Penelope’s eyes flicked to Dorian’s lips. Dorian’s eyes did the same. His hands squeezed that little bit tighter. Penelope stepped as close as she dared. Looking up next, their eyes locked and held. A silent understanding reaching. And then, with nothing else for it, Penelope leaned up, Dorian leaned forward, and their lips came together for just the third time in a most overdue kiss.
The moment their lips touched, Penelope knew that she’d made the right decision. There was nothing awkward about the kiss.No sense that what she felt was misguided or doomed to failure. It was, on every sense, perfect.
Soft and subtle. She felt the kiss not just on her lips but through her chest and across her entire body. They held hands as their lips locked. Tongues gently prying apart lips and dancing together. Limbs tingling, legs shaking, her stomach fluttering.
And to make that kiss even better, Dorian didn’t pull away.
In fact, it was Penelope who did. They kissed for several long minutes that could have gone on forever. But as the kiss started to grow in passion and intensity, Penelope somehow found the strength to pull herself free. This was, after all, only meant to be a symbol of what was to come and she didn’t want to take it too far.
A deep sigh of relief as their lips parted and she opened her eyes to find Dorian smiling at her.
“You’re still here,” she said with a soft chuckle.
He laughed. “It looks that way.”
“And isn’t this better? Ending a kiss with laughter, and not by slamming a door in my face.”
“How long are you going to hold that against me?”
“Oh, at least until the end of the weekend. And that’s only if I’m in a good mood.”
They laughed together for a moment, letting it die naturally between them.
“I guess I should…” Penelope began, half leaning back.
“Tomorrow,” he said, still smiling. Only, it wasn’t quite so reserved, as if his decision was already reached. Surely that kiss was enough to tell him what he wanted?
“Find me,” she said.
“I will” He gave her hands a final squeeze and let them go.
“You better,” she said. Another smile shared.
Penelope had not gotten the answer that she wanted. But it felt to her that she was moving in the right direction. Tomorrow, she was certain the duke would come to her, that he would tell her he was ready to try and make this marriage work, and all the struggle and pain felt across this weekend would be a thing of the past.
Penelope left after that. Her cheeks were flushed red and she could not keep herself from smiling as she bowed her head and scurried from the room, not wanting to look back at Dorian because she didn’t want him to see how pleased she was. As if that might embarrass her.
She was quick through the door, shutting it behind her, and when she did she collapsed back into it. Her heart swelled inside her chest and her entire body was shaking. And all she could think about was that perhaps, just once, she was looking forward to tomorrow.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Dorian woke with a smile on his face. It was, he realized, the first time he had done so in longer than he could remember. He went to sleep the previous night with the taste of Penelope still fresh on his lips, and he woke today with it still very much there.
He was no longer as confused as he once had been. He was no longer purposefully ignoring his feelings or lying to himself. Finally, he was willing to admit that he had feelings for his wife, that he wanted to explore what that might mean, and that if all went well…
First, he had to tell Penelope what he had decided. And for that moment, he could not wait.
Dorian could not see into the future just yet. He was careful not to try, aware that to do so might lead to problems that for now served no purpose. But that he wasn’t running from that future, that he looked forward to it, was a huge step forward.
Thus, he climbed from bed early and was quick to change into his outfit for the morning. Breakfast first, then a day of activities and games because this was the last full day of the weekend and it promised to be a good one. What was more, he fully expected to find Penelope waiting for him at breakfast and he very much looked forward to joining her.
That was until he walked into the hallway to find Lord Kenbrook walking toward him.
“Your Grace…” Lord Kenbrook signaled for him and increased his pace. “Wonderful, I was hoping to run into you before breakfast.”
