Page 59 of Bound By the Duke
And that thought sparked something inside Aurelia, something she had been thinking of for a while.
I want to give her a sibling. I want to give her a brother or sister.
Her throat went dry at that thought. Her pulse raced. Heat flooded her face. Because she knew what was required for that to happen.
She needed Percival. His touch. His body.His seed.
And just like that, the memory of his mouth on hers flooded back, hot and all-consuming. She could almost feel the bruising press of his lips, the warmth of his hands, and the hardness of his arousal against her thigh.
It made her shiver, torn between shame and hunger. Yet a bitter realization hit her like cold water—there was no love from him, no tender promises.
She wasn’t exactly sure what Percival wanted from her. And yet she wanted him. She still burned for him.
Her eyes dropped to the little girl in her arms, and she realized she wanted nothing more than to care for Lottie. And that strengthened her resolve.
If he will not claim me as his wife in heart, then at least I will give him an heir. I will not let this house remain so empty.
The little girl looked up, interrupting her thoughts with her hopeful question. “Will you really introduce me to them?”
Aurelia ran her fingers through the girl’s hair gently. “Why not?” She tilted her head. “That will happen, darling. One day soon.”
Lottie let out a satisfied sigh before, once again, hiding her face in Aurelia’s abdomen. She squeezed the girl tighter against her, then moved them to the floor so they could play some more, and soon, her lashes began to flutter as her eyes grew heavy with sleep.
When she finally fell asleep, Aurelia lifted her and carried her to her chamber.
She returned to her room after successfully tucking the girl into bed. The night breeze felt lovely, drawing her to the window, where she stood with her hand pressed against the glass pane.
She looked up at the moon that silvered the grounds of the estate. She was about to take a deep breath when her eyes caught something—a shadow across the field.
Looking closely, she sighted Percival on his great black horse. His posture was straight and proud, but even from a distance, she could still see the tension in his shoulders.
The moon caught in his dark hair and silhouetted his figure, such that he looked devastatingly tall and commanding. Everymovement conveyed restrained power, and those blue eyes of his haunted her mind.
Her fingers curled against the windowpane, her body heating with memories she dared not speak aloud.
How can a man be so impossible, so infuriating, and yet so achingly irresistible?
The thought alone made her press her thighs together. Her body ached with a need she could no longer deny.
She had her list. And now, she had one more task to add. She would give him an heir.
Whatever it took, whatever walls he built around himself, she would break them down with fire and flesh.
She caught her reflection in the glass, her determined eyes staring right back at her. Beneath it all was desire that she couldn’t hide even if she wanted to.
When she looked below once more, Percival had disappeared into the shadows of the estate, leaving her to her vow.
CHAPTER 19
The carriage rolled gently along the cobbled streets at the heart of London. Aurelia leaned closer to the window, her gloved hand brushing the polished glass.
It was finally happening. Percival had agreed to go to the ball, and now they were headed to oversee important preparations.
She wasn’t sure where they were going, but whatever the ‘important preparations’ were, she was excited. Because it was good to be back in London.
The city was alive, dazzling, and intoxicating. It wasn’t like the quiet outskirts, where Whitmore Estate stood in shadows and silence. Here, every street was vibrant. Ladies in bright bonnets strolled arm in arm, merchants called out their wares, and a mickle of carriages gleamed underneath the sun.
Aurelia’s lips curled into a smile. She had missed this—the colors, the noise, the liveliness of the city.
