The Beast's Belle (The Bluestocking War) by Eva Devon & Maire Claremont

Author:Eva Devon & Maire Claremont [Devon, Eva]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Romance
Publisher: Bard Productions
Published: 2022-01-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Felicity found herself astonished by his opinion of her; did he truly see her thus?

So strong?

She had come to like herself in the last few months, especially in the last few weeks.

She felt stronger than she had ever had; she felt as if she knew herself better than she ever, and in this room, in the firelight, after the toll of midnight, she knew exactly what she desired.

Two years ago, she was a young girl who had been easily manipulated and tricked into believing she was in love. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe she loved the man sitting before her, not yet. She couldn’t deny that there was an affinity between their souls. But she wouldn’t fall as she had in the past. Though already, she knew what she felt for Damian was far deeper than she’d ever felt for Captain Barrow.

One thing was most definitely true. She desired him.

She wanted to know every part of him, his soul, his heart, his body, and much to her shock, she found herself daring to lean forward. Carefully, pointedly, she reached out her own hand and slipped it into his outstretched one. His signet ring of emerald and gold winked in the firelight.

“Do you truly mean what you say?” she breathed.

“That I admire—”

She cut in quickly, shaking her head, “I am not in search of compliments, Damian. I wish to know if you truly mean that you are not tied to the rules and bonds society loves so well.”

His jaw tightened ever so slightly as he caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. “Life is far too short for such rules, for such bonds.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” she said softly, relief pouring through her. All her life, she’d lived in the tight edicts of the ton. The one time she had tried to act outside them, she’d nearly been destroyed. Now? Now, she wished to eradicate that memory and that pain. With Damian.

“You see,” she began fervently, “I find, I do not wish to live in the shadows of my past. There is something magical about the castle.” She let out a small breath of dismay, concerned she sounded mad. “Yes, there has been much suffering,” she added. “But you and your aunt have found a freedom the rest of the world does not seem to understand or have.”

She squeezed his hand, willing all her hopes, all her need into their twined fingers. “Please,” she said. “Let me have that with you.”

In answer, his hand swallowed hers up, clasping it.

It was the answer she needed.

“I should like to kiss you,” she declared boldly. “Would you allow it?”

“Allow it?” he echoed as he cocked his head to the side and protested, “How can I allow myself, Felicity? It would make me the most awful bounder of a fellow. You are in my employ.”

“No,” she countered fiercely. “You have not lied to me. I have not lied to you. We are holding nothing back.” She licked her lips and locked gazes with him.

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