Page 28 of When the Duke Met His Match

Curious, he leafed through the pile of linen and cotton garments until he found a simple yet durable dress. Telling himself the poor maid it belonged to could manage without that one dress, he tucked it over his arm and slipped away.

Careful to look around corners before entering hallways, he ensured nobody was up. Fortunately, he was able to hurry up the steps and return to his room without being seen.

Releasing a deep breath, Theophilus opened the door and moved inside.

He froze the moment he spotted Odette returning from the other room with only a towel wrapped around her. He swallowed hard and urged himself to keep his composure.

The soft material around her body left little to the imagination, which only made the situation more difficult for him. His mind reeled from the soft curves of her waist to the implied fullness of her breasts.

Even with wet hair draped over her shoulder and lacking anything to dress her up, she was breathtaking, and he could barely calm the rapid beating of his heart.

Her eyes met his, and she gasped, body rigidly gripping the towel tight.

Theophilus dropped the satchel and fumbled with his words, trying to explain why he saw her in such a vulnerable state.

He averted his eyes to stare at the floor awkwardly, trying to lessen her embarrassment while heat flared in his cheeks. Reaching down to grab the satchel once more, he cleared his throat.

She had already hurried back to the bathroom by the time he collected himself.

“I apologize. I assumed you’d be done by now,” he mumbled, carefully making his way to her. He handed the dress through the doorway, gazing as far away from her as possible.

A steady breath came from Odette, and she carefully took the garment from his hands. “Thank you.”

Theophilus nodded and turned away, reaching the bed. He kept his back turned to her while she got dressed, listening to the sound of her pulling the material over her head.

While he could picture it shimmying onto her body, he tried his hardest not to let her lack of clothing get to him.

Even if indecent thoughts worked hard to wriggle their way inside his mind, he shoved them away and reminded himself he was a gentleman.

They were supposed to share his room that night, and it wouldn’t be easy if he let those thoughts take over. The circumstances were odd, to begin with, and he didn’t want to make Odette feel worse.

He placed the satchel next to the bed and continued to wait, running a hand through his hair.

Her feet padded against the floor as she approached, and he finally allowed himself to look. Much to his relief, she was covered nicely by the dress. While a part of him wouldn’t have minded seeing more of her, he knew it was indecent of him. It helped them both for her to be properly clothed.

A small yet hesitant smile settled on her lips, and Odette carried the uniform along with her old dress on her arm. She dropped them next to the bed. “Again, thank you. I appreciate your help.”

The brief tension between them let Theophilus know she likely felt just as awkward as he did, surely aware of the many boundaries they had crossed by even being in the room alone together.

He nodded and pulled a small smile, then he gestured toward the bed. “You can take the bed, and I will sleep on the floor.”

Her brows furrowed as she folded her arms and shook her head. “No, that won’t do. You won’t be able to sleep there.”

Before he could say anything else, she went to the side of the bed and reached for the spare pillows that sat there neatly. They were normally thrown away while he slept, but it seemed she found a better use for them.

She arranged them as a column in the middle of the bed, dividing the mattress in half. A satisfied smile settled on her lips.

“There. Now we can both sleep on the bed without any issues.”

Theophilus chuckled at the arrangement, but if it put her nerves at ease, then he didn’t mind. In all honesty, it helped him too. He didn’t want to accidentally cross any lines during his sleep.

He realized how tired Odette looked as she pulled the coverlet back and slipped beneath it, letting it drop over her body. To keep himself from staring, he did the same, settling into the bed at last.

They both shuffled in until they were comfortable, and Theophilus sighed once his head hit the pillows.

His sore muscles also seemed to take a breath of relief, for it had been a long day and an even longer night. He never intended to spend time rescuing a traitor rather than sleeping, yet his chest warmed at the thought of having her there by his side instead of rotting away in a cell.

While it was tempting, he kept himself from touching her by making sure he was as far from the pillow boundary as possible. It was difficult not to be keenly aware of how close she was within reach of him.