Page 21 of The Duchess and the Beast

She raised an eyebrow at him. “And who claimed I intended to?”

“I just thought—”

“I only jest,” she beamed, and he returned it. “And thank you, Sebastian. This is...” She held her hands out. “This is more than I could have ever dreamed.”

For a moment, the two stood there silently, grinning at one another. Virtue, clearly ecstatic with the gift he had given her. And Sebastian, thrilled with the response, for it went above and beyond the countless scenarios that played over and over in his head before he finally settled on bringing her here. But the moment stretched on, Virtue’s smile remaining, Sebastian’s confidence dwindling under its radiance. Despite his best efforts, his eyes wandered southwards, to her body—he caught his breath as he did so.

She was dressed in a simple half-dress; a muslin gown paired with a Spencer jacket. Only, the gown was cut daringly low, offering a glimpse of her décolletage, while the jacket, tailored to hug her curves, accentuated her form provocatively. It pushed up her breasts in a manner that seemed almost intentional, drawing the eye and stirring his imagination. Sebastian foundit incredibly difficult to maintain his composure, each moment around her increasing the struggle to keep his hands to himself and his eyes from staring…

“I’ll leave you then,” he stammered as he forced his head down and stormed across the room. “I am glad you like it.”

He was nearly at the door, his fists clenched, eager to escape the room before he lost control, when her voice halted him. “Wait!”

Sebastian froze but did not dare turn around. “Yes?” he responded, his voice strained.

“Will you be...” She hesitated. “Will you be joining me for supper?”

He was glad that he had his back to her, for he did not want her to see the smile that spread across his face such that his mask became loose, and he was forced to reach up and hold it in place. It had worked, he realized. His plan, for all his worry, had truly worked.

He coughed. “Yes,” he managed to say, back still turned toward her. “That would be acceptable.” And then, not allowing her a chance to follow up, he made a swift exit, his steps quick as he rounded the corner into the corridor.

Once out of sight, Sebastian pressed his back against the cool wall, his chest heaving as he took in deep, steadying breaths. A mix of hope and fear coursed through him—hope because itfelt as though they were turning a new leaf in their relationship, opening possibilities he hadn't dared to imagine. And fear, for he knew himself too well. If he joined her for supper tonight, there would be no room to hide, no opportunities to evade the intense, intimate presence of his wife.

It would be him and her alone. No distractions. Just conversation and thus infinite chances for things to go awry. And knowing himself the way he did, this version that she had seen today was not the true Sebastian. Like the mask he wore, there was another side of him, one he feared to show her, one he knew he could only keep hidden for so much longer.

Tonight’s dinner would be pivotal. It would either cement their marriage and futures or put an abrupt end to them ever becoming anything more than two names on a signed sheet.

And there would be no in-between.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“How is everything?” Sebastian’s voice was gentler than usual, softer, as if purposefully so. Even amidst the quiet ambiance of the dining room, Virtue almost missed it.

She had not been paying as much attention as she ought to have been. From the moment she sat across from Sebastian, she had struggled to keep herself from staring. As they dined alone for the first real time, the soft candlelight cast a warm glow on her husband’s skin, enhancing the rugged contours of his handsome jaw and face—at least from what she could decipher beneath his half-mask. It was challenging to concentrate on anything but the palpable tension and the tantalizing possibility that, if the evening progressed well, it might very well lead to their first night spent together as wife and husband.

“Oh! It is perfect,” she quickly managed with a seductive smile and a fluttering of eyelashes. “And yourself? How are you finding this meal?”

“Good,” he responded gruffly, only to immediately stiffen, perhaps catching the abruptness of his own reply. “What I mean to say is it is rather scrumptious. Quite delectable.”

She giggled lightly, eyeing her husband with a curiosity that had been building ever since this afternoon when he had shown her the library. The way he ate was a contrast to his physical size. For a man of such brawn—that looked a giant compared to her petite frame, he ate with a delicacy that belied his physique. He handled his cutlery with impeccable finesse, sipped his wine with measured decorum, and maintained a posture that spoke of a disciplined regard for table etiquette. Each bite was small, each chew thoughtful, and after swallowing, he would carefully dab at his lips with a napkin.

Again, Virtue tried her best to get a read on the man who sat across from her, finding him a mystery that she was unable to solve.

On the surface, he was a savage like the ones she might find in the storybooks. She still remembered the way he had leaned over her in the carriage the prior day, like a predator bearing down on its prey before tearing out its throat. A temper, oh yes, one she would do best not to agitate… even if a small part of her wanted to. The idea of him on her again in much the same way, her feeling so helpless and subservient, was enough that she could not stop herself from blushing.

But then there was the softer side of him, one that she was catching glimpses of. Him showing her the library, for one, and how delighted he seemed by her excitement. How careful he waswhen he ate, unlike many a gentleman she had met among the ton. And right now, how soft his voice, how careful his manner, how nervous his temperament.

There were two sides to her husband, and she understood neither as well as she might have liked.Yet.

“I wish to thank you again,” Virtue began as she cut into the piece of meat on her plate. Venison was her guess, grilled, sauteed, and rare. “For showing me the library earlier. It truly is wonderful.”

“I am glad it is to your liking.”

“And you have told me you, yourself, are an avid reader,” she ventured with a wanting smile. “I am not going to catch you in there, am I? Distracting me.”

“Distracting you?” he stammered awkwardly. “I would never.”

She giggled softly at how tense he was. “Just be sure to ask before you remove a book from the shelves. I would hate for you to put it back in the wrong place. I might never find it again.” To that, Sebastian frowned as if he thought she was being serious. “I am only joking,” she hastened to explain. “Of course, you can do as you wish. It is your library, after all.”