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“Is this the sort of reading you quite enjoy, m’lady?” he asked
“I’m… I read a wide variety of books… histories, novels,” she chattered “I thought you had wanted to start a fire? I’m still quite cold”
“’He announced to her his undying need, with fevered and molten whispers upon her ear,’ the duke continued His voice slowed as he caers worked at her skin and at the war her feel alive…’”
“M’lord! Such things a-are quite… inappropriate, to speak aloud, in the company of a woman ofshe felt she could appeal to, that conventional sense of social expectation that she would otherwise so despise She hoped it would work in her favor this time
“M’lady,
it’s just the words printed in the book,” he added coyly She blushed “You said you didn’t enjoy this book?” he drew closer to her “You didn’t want it to be burned?”
“I… I just… I value all books, is all,” she said, looking away
“But this book…” his voice grew deeper, that baritone ru in his throat
“Fairy tales written by bored woinations,” Anne spat dismissively “I’ve no use… for…”
“’And he embraced her, but not only in body, but in soul,’” the lord continued reading froe as he stepped closer to her “’He knew her, and she knew him, and they knew one another like none had ever known anyone in the whole existence of the world For when they erew jealous, for it kneould never once in all its endless years of burning know the heat hich their passions for one another burned’”
“Eh she felt herself surrendering to the sords s don’t… exist, such feelings don’t…”
“Art is reflectively of the people who create it, don’t you think, m’lady?” the husky baritone imparted “That passion… that sense of love, of true devotion to one another…”
“Just silly dr… dreairl’s dreams…” He came closer, until their lips had nearly met; he sat beside her, the book in his hand, open to that passionate passage Though her cheeks burned in anxiety and in want, and he drew so close, she couldn’t find anything to say
“I’m… c-cold,” she blurted weakly He rose to his feet without another word, and next she knew his heavy coat had fallen from his shoulders; he placed it on the couch next to her, and Anne’s eyes greide She had known the duke to be quite handsoaze, the masculine cut of his jaw, the dark and handsoe But she had not seen this part of hiht to his flesh; beneath the damp cloth she could see a body crisscrossed with the chisel of finely-knottedand exploring in happy ht that her breath nearly got away froasped softly, her eyes wide and attentive even as the chill numbed her sense of touch
“M’…the wet clothes pressed against hisit across her shoulders She felt his war her the gesture Suddenly, she paid nonot fro through her very being