AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 19
Peeking through the door, Eloise sighed in relief at the sight. Simon was…topless—donning just his pants, holding some kind of sword tightly in his hands, and battling with the air, though his grunts were louder than usual. The moonlight shined on his bare torso, enhancing the glistening sweat of his muscles, and forcing a blush on her face; was it embarrassing to admit she liked what she saw?
Stopping in his tracks, Simon raised an eyebrow, turned, and smirked at the sight of her. She pressed her palm into her face at the realization of how the situation could be perceived; she, a lady of high status, was ogling a half-naked Duke.
“Won’t you join me?” he asked. With growing hesitation and unceasing doubt, she opened the door wider, slowly creeping in. He placed the sword to the side, wiping his sweat with a cloth as it dripped down his toned chest.
“Do you mean to join you in fencing?”
“Do you want to try?”
Eloise took a look at her violet gown, too long and puffy to even attempt dancing in, let alone fencing. Her hair was tucked in a French bun with two braids at either side. “I don’t think I’m appropriately dressed,” she said.
Stepping closer, she admired the way the gymnasium was built. It was organized, clean and it had everything a man like him could ask for; at the center, there was the fencing ring, at the far corner a boxing ring, and near the entrance, weights she couldn’t even imagine being lifted. The dewy moonglow reflected on the dark stone walls and the heavily wooded floor, illuminating like a spotlight everything inside the fencing ring.
“Take off your dress.”
A loud crackling noise reached her ears as she abruptly stepped back. Her shoulder made contact with the table, sending a glass to the floor. She couldn’t believe these words escaped his mouth. The temperature in the room increased a notch, and her cheeks grew rosy.
“W-w-why are you saying that? Isn’t that inappropriate?”
He threw the towel to the ground, chuckling and shutting the door she left open. “I believe we’re past that point.”
Her palms felt sweaty, her hands twitching. What was he hinting at?
“It’s for the fencing,” he finally added. “Here, let me help you.”
Locking the door securely, he inched closer behind her. His hands trailed the outline of her dress, pulling the two strings that held the garment in place. It went loose, and he gently drew it off, over her head. His fingers stroked her neck, and she shivered at his touch.
His deep breath brushed against her bare skin, and her lips quivered in nervousness. He was doing it on purpose. She knew it. He unlaced her shift, the cool air touching the thin chemise and causing goosebumps to appear on her pale skin. She felt exposed in front of him, yet she secretly loved it all the same.
“You should take your shoes off, too,” he commented. “It’ll be easier to move if you’re barefoot.”
“I-I have stockings on.”
“Can I take those off too?”
She clenched her fists, not knowing how to respond to this. Of course, he could. But should he? He was making this so awkward for her, and with each of her—justifiably—shocked reactions, he would only chuckle or smirk. She nodded at his request.
Walking to her front now, he crouched, helping remove her black leather shoes, his fingers tracing her ankle. He paused, appearing in thought for a moment.
“Are you trying to tease me?” she asked in between shaky breaths. “Are you trying to see if I’m enjoying this because of what happened…?”
“No.” His hand traveled up her leg, holding the edge of her stockings. “As much as I enjoy seeing your reaction, I’m trying to keep it rather innocent.”
It was her time to giggle. She threw her head back in disbelief. “You call this innocent? You’re practically undressing me.”
She gasped as his hand touched the highest part of her thigh. Time seemed to have frozen until he spoke again, “You have a point—though I did say trying. Unless, you want—”
Yes, yes, yes.
“No, no, no. I just meant that—”
He kissed her calf, silencing her. “I know what you meant. And trust me when I say, we’ll get to that later. Let’s fence for now.” He popped up and smiled.
Eloise’s muscles went stiff as her eyes remained glued on where he kissed her. Her thoughts were mush, focused on the fluttering of her stomach and the extreme passion she felt from just being around him. His words didn’t register right away, but once they did, she gasped.
“What do you mean ‘we’ll get to that later’? Will we…?” He continued walking back to the fencing ring, ignoring her. “Simon? Simon!”
