Page 39 of An Accidental Bride for the Duke
She laughed softly. “I was never awkward. That was you.”
He scoffed. But then he squeezed her hand again. “Liar. The point is, neither of us really knows what we want or expect. But that puts us in a unique position to find out. And…” He bit into his lower lip, hesitating, and when she dared to look up she saw just how hard this was for him. “And I want to find out, Iris. I really do.”
“I do too,” she said softly, realizing that she meant it. “I just didn’t think you did.”
He laughed. “Again, I gave you no reason to. But I’m done with that now. Just as I hope you are done with this…” He indicated toward the room.
“Oh.” She considered. “I mean, I would still like to have my dresses made.”
“I meant purposefully trying to annoy me.”
She laughed. “Right. Yes. Well, I suppose I can do my best. Even if you are rather easy to tick off.”
Philip laughed along with her. Nothing too loud. Soft agreement. And Iris felt the tension lift around them. Only then, with him still holding her by the hand, and standing as close as they were, it was replaced by a new sort of tension.
Iris felt her heart quicken as she considered the implication. What she had said that she wanted versus what she now did.It’s not the same. Things have changed since then. So surely, I should not feel guilty for wanting…
Indeed, everything had changed in the space of a few seconds. Philip had apologized. He had been honest with her for the first time. And he’d said exactly what she needed to hear. Like him, Iris was just as confused about what she wanted, but just like him, she was willing to find out. And that was what mattered.
“So…” Philip smiled down at her, a look in his eyes that she recognized for what it what. “What now? Should we… go somewhere and talk?”
“Talk? About what?”
He shrugged. “I am not sure. But isn’t that what people do in these situations?”
“I am not sure…” She laughed nervously. “I have never been in one before.”
“Me either.” His dark eyes looked her over and paused on her shift, specifically her bosom. The shift was light, almost see through, and her curves had never been more pronounced. Iris had not cared before, too angry to bother with such thing. But now…
She felt a shudder ripple up her spine and her nipples hardened. He squeezed her hand again and then took her other one so thatshe was facing him fully. And all the while, her heart raced with anticipation because she knew too well what was on his mind.
Just as she knew that she did not have the power to deny him. Nor did she want to.
“Or perhaps…” A coy smile. “You know, you were rather rude to me earlier.”
“Oh, was I now…” She flashed her eyes back at him, her own coy smile as her body began to tremble.
“And bringing the modiste here like that.” He clicked his tongue in chastisement. “Done so just to annoy me. Admit it.”
“I admit nothing,” she said with a grin.
“Very naughty of you.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Downright wicked. I can’t help but feel that you need…” He bit into his lip and squeezed her hands as he growled, “punishment.”
Again, that single word, and what it did to her.
Iris let forth a whimper from her lips as shefeltthe word ripple throughout her body. It seemed to plunge inside of her, wrapping her heart and striking between her thighs so that her womanhood moistened in an instant. And the way her thighs began to tingle…
Deep down there was a part of me that knew it would come to this. Not that I’m mad about it.
“I have been rather bad, haven’t I,” she said with a sultry look.
“A very bad girl indeed.”
“I need to be punished for it.”
“You need to be taught how to behave,” he corrected with a growl. “It’s the only way.”
“Well…” She was looking right at him. Unblinking. Needing him to see how much she wanted this. There would be time to talk later. Time to build on what they had and see where this marriage might lead. But for now, she thought, this was the perfect place to start. “What are you going to do about it?”
