Page 43 of When the Duke Met His Match

She let go of a shaky breath and tore her eyes away, only able to stare at the far side of the room. “This will never end, will it?” Desperation filled her tone, “We will always be on the run with nowhere to turn and no one to trust. We will have nothing, and it is all my fault.”

The emotions welled up inside her as Theophilus rushed to her side, dropping himself to a crouch to be level with her. He took one look at her broken expression before he moved in and wrapped his arms around her, dropping himself to the bed.

His embrace was warm and full of life, but the strained look on his face when he pulled away told her the same thought also occurred to him.

“My actions during the war have made me a wanted woman in England and surely France, and now we will never be able to return to England or live a normal life together,” she murmured, eyes wet with tears. “We will be outlaws, always on the run and looking over our shoulders.”

Theophilus gazed at her with a small breath and placed a careful hand against the back of her head. Pulling her closer, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Even if the tempest of emotions stirring within her were overwhelming, she relaxed in the comfort of his arms around her. She drooped against him, uncertain how they could make an honest life for themselves.

Silence settled between them before Theophilus spoke gently, “We will get through this.” He pulled back enough to put a hand under her chin and urge her to face him. Resolve settled within his eyes. “We will go to France under new names. We can start a new life there, and nobody needs to know what happened. We just need to hold on for a while longer.”

“Why me?” Odette questioned with a quiet voice. “Why do you choose to risk all of this for me?”

“Because there is nobody else like you. There is only one Odette Toussaint—a brave woman who will do whatever it takes to fight for what she believes in,” Theophilus confessed sincerely. “I may have been a fool to free you from confinement and follow you into hiding, but I would’ve been a worse man if I let you be shipped out on your own against your wishes.”

“Surely there are better women to invest your time and companionship in,” she croaked, trying to avert her eyes despite his hold on her. “Ones not wanted for treason.”

A humored smile spread across his lips, surprising her. “I can assure you I have no interest in docile women. You have something they don’t.”

Odette sniffled and met his eyes again, immediately consumed by the softness in his hazel eyes. “What would that be?”

“Fire,” he murmured fondly, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “They aren’t willing to risk everything to save the place they grew up in and the people they met along the way. If there is anyone worth saving, it is you.”

Fighting back the tears, she couldn’t think of what to say. She had never had anyone so willing to sacrifice everything they once knew for her. Never once had she received such a raw confession before.

“Do you trust me?” he asked her, his gaze pleading.

“With my life.”

She didn’t let herself hesitate on those words, knowing she meant them entirely. He had already done so much to keep her safe that she had no reason to doubt him. He made it clear that her best interest was at the forefront of his thoughts.

Relief moved through his features, and he let his head rest against hers. “I will never let them hurt you, even if I must tear every one of them down.”

“I know you would,” she hummed in return, reaching out to caress his cheek.

When their gazes met, she leaned in and sealed Theophilus’ promise with a kiss.

She felt him relaxing beneath the affection, shoulders dropping. His hand fell to her thigh like it belonged there, and he leaned into her. Their mouths moved in perfect unison, two halves of one perfect whole.

Odette’s head spun from his mere presence, tangled in the memory of how skilled his hands were only hours prior. The kiss deepened, ensnaring her in the longing to feel even more of him and learn the extent of his passion and sensual touches.

Sucking in a deep breath in between kisses, a moment of courage coursed through her, and she reached over to the drawstrings of Theophilus’ trousers. While he jolted with surprise, he didn’t interrupt the kiss to question her.

Instead, he placed his hands on either side of her face and melded his lips with hers, pulling a strangled moan from her while her fingers ventured.

She pulled the lacing until it loosened, came free, and yanked the rest until she found purchase in the front, her hand trailing down until she gently gripped his manhood.

He stiffened at the contact, breath faltering. Pulling back enough to meet her gaze, his eyes flooded with a combination of questioning and raw lust. He twitched within her grasp, making her heart stammer.

“Always getting yourself into trouble, it seems,” he murmured, his lip curling in an amused smirk. “Is this truly what you want, Odette?”

Cheeks reddening with bashfulness, she tore her eyes from his and leaned closer until her lips were against his neck. A harsh swallow traveled the length of his throat, and she pressed a gentle kiss against the center of it.

Carefully, she stroked him with her palm as an answer while she painted his skin with soft affections.

Theophilus bit back a groan, relaxing into her touch despite how tense it made his abdomen with each stroke. He sighed, lips parting.