There was a rustle above as the Duke entered his study. Let him wait, she thought, knowing that if she waited too long he would turn up at her door. Let him come for me this time, she thought defiantly. She was upset at herself for being upset. She knew what this was when it began, but perhaps she thought this small thing would be theirs forever. Truth is, she cared deeply for him. She loved how he was kind and encouraging. She loved that she could make him laugh and that they enjoyed a comfortable rapport. Then there was the physical. That for a man whose body was covered to never reveal even one inch of flesh, he was tender and instinctual. Or that his body felt strong and his skin, for what must have been scar tissue, felt remarkably unblemished.
Peytra could feel a heat rising in her
