Page 94 of The Duke's Dream
He brushed his cheek against her calf, his stubble catching on her stockings and sending a shiver up her spine. “Are you free, Little One?”
“I used to be until—” Helene blurted and quickly averted her gaze. What was she saying?
William sat beside her and pulled her into his lap. Frowning, he caught her chin, turning her face back to his. “Until?”
“Until you.” A tear slid down her cheek. “Was that what you wanted to hear? Then rejoice. The Sylph of London was here, crying because you didn’t come to set her free.”
Wouldn’t he say anything? She had sworn to herself she wouldn’t fall in love, and now, here she was, trapped between her own vulnerability and his stoic facade.
“That wasn’t very exciting, was it?” Her voice wavered, and she slipped from his lap. “Opening my heart like that… You must regret coming here. Almacks’ women must be alluring, not this sylph with crumpled wings.”
The intensity of his stare stole her air. “Not exciting? Since I met you, I’ve had more excitement than a man has been built to endure. You’ve encroached on my daily life. Wherever I look, there you are. And even when I close my eyes, I dream—”
He stared at his fisted hands as if in pain.
Heart beating erratically, Helene shifted closer, her hand trembling as she interlaced their fingers. “What do you dream of?”
A shadow crossed his face, deepening the lines around his mouth. And then his expression changed. Helene was suddenly in the presence of the Duke of Albemarle, not William.
“Don’t ask me for the impossible.”
Her chest squeezed painfully. “Isn’t what this was from the start? Impossible?”
The duke glanced toward the door.
He didn’t return her love. The realization hit her like a blow, her heart aching as if it had been stripped of wings. Tears welled in her eyes, and she stood. She had to escape before the pain overwhelmed her.
He held her wrist, his fingers shackling her.
“Release me, please,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “From now on, I would rather you saw me only on stage. I cannot bear to receive you here when—It hurts too much—”
He tugged her until she was back in his lap and interlaced his arms around her, holding her close. She felt the thud of his heartbeats in her spine.
He buried his face in her hair, his breathing ruffling her neck. “If I could tell you what I dream of, Helene, in every night’s long hours, in all moods, invariably, without shame, without self-control, without propriety, still craving it even when exhausted, still looking for it even when it hurt me, still wishing for it even when the dream left me dissatisfied with my waking life—I would tell you it was you.”
Warmth flooded her chest, spreading through her limbs, reaching her soul. Her heart unfurled its wings and soared.
Helene looked up at him. So this was love—this overwhelming desire, this drenching thirst, this delicious ache. Before she could speak, he captured her mouth in a kiss. Helene lifted herself onto his lap, her fingers tangling in his hair as she tugged him closer and licked his lips. She needed him inside her, to be bare in his arms, to feel his skin sliding against hers.
Nothing should stay between them. No secrets, no hidden feelings, no clothing.
Panting, she broke away and tugged him to his feet. Holding his gaze, she reached for the buttons of his shirt. He stilled, his muscles coiled, as if tensing to spring. He would balk. He wouldn't share this part of himself with her. But how she craved it.
A carriage clattered. Outside, the city harked and hollered, chaotic as ever.
But here… Their breaths mingled, the sounds muffled, private.
Helene kissed her cheek. “Can you listen to this?”
His gaze searched hers, troubled.
“A flute, rising and falling, calling to us. It’s inviting us into this place, this bubble where there are no rules. Where everything is permitted.”
William’s chest rose in a deep breath. Then he nodded once, almost imperceptibly, followed by a second one, more resolute.
Pulse fluttering, she peeled off his neckcloth. Rising on her toes, she pressed a soft kiss to his throat, her lips lingering on his skin. With a deep breath, she turned her back to him, offering herself.
She felt his firm touch on her spine as he removed her wings.
