Page 149 of Stolen By the Heartless Duke
A faint smile touched his lips. “That is a persuasive argument.”
“I thought so.”
He laughed quietly. She loved that sound. It was rare enough to feel precious.
“But,” he continued, “remaining merely a gentleman has become... increasingly difficult.”
Jane felt her pulse quicken. “Difficult?”
His gaze lingered on hers. “You know it has.”
She swallowed. She remembered the carriage rides, the lessons, the stolen kisses. Each time he had been the one to pull away. Each time she had wondered whether he regretted them. Now she realized the truth had been something altogether different.
“What makes it difficult?” His eyes closed briefly, almost as though gathering his composure. “When you stand this close to me, it becomes remarkably hard to think.”
A smile tugged at her lips. “I hadn’t realized I possessed such power.”
“You possess entirely too much of it.”
Jane laughed softly. “I rather like hearing that.”
“I suspected you might.”
She looked up at him. “Aren’t we past pretending?”
“Pretending?”
“That we do not affect one another.”
His gaze rested on her face with quiet intensity. “I gave up pretending some time ago.”
“So did I.”
The admission settled gently between them. Jane could hear the rain beginning outside, tapping softly against the windows. The room felt smaller somehow. Warmer. Safer.
She could smell the cedar and sandalwood of his cologne, clean and understated, carrying the faintest trace of the cool evening air he’d brought in with him. It suited him perfectly.
He seemed to notice her breathing had changed.
“So,” he murmured.
“So.”
“You are still tempting me.”
“Am I?”
“Very much.”
She lifted one eyebrow. “Why is that a bad thing?”
His smile became almost dangerous. “You truly wish to ask that question?”
“We are married.”
“We are.”
She held his gaze. “I fail to see the difficulty.”
