Page 74 of Bound By the Duke
Despite the smile on her face, Percival saw the way it wavered. He saw the way she blinked hard, holding back tears, refusing to show weakness.
“It does not matter what they feel,” he said, his voice deep and rough.
She jerked her head up, confused.
His eyes caught hers, steel and fire. “Their opinion means nothing. Not anymore.”
Her lips parted, and her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to laugh, to tease, to deflect. She needed to, or else she would crumble under the weight of his words.
“Then I suppose,” she whispered, “that only my husband’s opinion matters now.”
She chose to tease him.
Percival’s expression darkened, and his hand tightened on her back, pulling her into him until she could feel the unmistakable bulge in his trousers pressing against her belly.
She gasped.
“No, Aurelia.” His voice was low and dangerously intimate. “Not mine. Yours. Only your opinion matters now.”
The silence that fell between them came with half-desire, half something too tender to bear. She tried to look away, but his gaze anchored her. Her throat went dry, her body trembled.
To save herself, she whispered hastily, “I… I am not very good at forming opinions. I only know that I have a list of things to achieve, and I have only managed to achieve three so far.”
“A list?” His brow arched, though he still moved with her in perfect rhythm.
Before she could respond, he guided her through another spin before pulling her back against him. Her breasts were squished against his chest, her body screaming for more.
Surely he knew it wasn’t proper for them to be so close in public, never mind the fact they were married.
“People are staring,” she stated, reddening slightly.
He looked around then back to her face.
“I can see that,” he said with a nod. “We make a striking pair.”
She reddened even further but she shook her head.
“I meant that we are too close,” she told him.
He leaned close enough to whisper in her ear.
“I find that I do not care much for propriety tonight, Aurelia.”
His breath on her ear and scandalous words set heat stirring low in her belly.
“What list?” he asked, returning to their former conversation like nothing had happened.
Panic rose in her chest. She had not meant to say that out loud. Her lashes lowered, but there was no escape.
Slowly, haltingly, she confessed, “A list of goals. Things I must do. Tonight, I achieved one goal—to get along with high society. Another was to marry. And another was to… restore my reputation. I must also bring you closer to Lottie.”
His steps slowed then. He stared at her, before his jaw hardened. Except it was not with anger.
“You included me in your list,” he said quietly.
Aurelia swallowed, her voice soft. “Yes, I did.”
Something in his gaze shifted, raw and unguarded.
