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“An opportunity to become friends.”
Theo’s eyes softened. “Friends,” he said, nodding. “I think it would be best if our marriage was kept at arm’s length. We don’t need to be friends to be partners.”
Theo’s words hung between us. “But you said you wanted love.”
“This match has to work,” he reiterated, his voice steady and determined. “I don’t have another option, Emilie. I’ll take what I can get. It satisfies both of our needs. I get a title and you get money.”
It was exactly what I asked him for, so why did it hurt? Why did it make me feel like I was losing the best thing that ever happened to me?
“I see,” I murmured.
Theo’s gaze softened as he looked at me, and there was a sense of understanding that passed between us. It was a shared acknowledgment of the burdens we bore and the sacrifices we would have to make. Our privileged lives were not without sacrifice.
We stood facing each other in the moonlight. Then, with a slow and deliberate motion, Theo moved closer to me. His arm encircled my waist, drawing me nearer to him.
“Do you want this?” he asked, his voice a soft and earnest whisper.
My heart pounded in my chest. I felt like I was staring at a crossroads. I was torn in two. My heart was telling me to do one thing, but logic was pulling me in the opposite direction.
“I want a partner,” I replied, my voice barely more than a breath. “Someone to help with all that has to be done.”
Theo’s gaze bored into mine. He seemed to see through the walls I had constructed, the façade of composure I had maintained. “I know.”
“Theo—”
“I know you want this,” he asserted, his voice filled with a quiet certainty that sent shivers down my spine.
Theo pulled me closer, his presence enveloping me, and I found myself unable to resist. His arm tightened around my waist, drawing me impossibly closer. I could feel the warmth of his body, the steady beat of his heart, and the magnetic pull between us.
Then Theo leaned in, his lips finding mine. It was a kiss that ignited a fire within me, a blaze of longing and desire that defied all reason.
I melted against him, my hands reaching up to tangle in his hair as I kissed him back with equal fervor. Our bodies were pressed together, the heat between us rising with each passing second.
Theo’s kiss was everything I had ever wanted and more. It was tender and sweet, yet passionate and intense. It was a kiss that promised more, a kiss that told me he was willing to give me everything I desired.
As we pulled away, I looked into Theo’s eyes and saw the same desire that burned within me. It was a desire that whispered of something more, something deeper and more meaningful.
“Not yet,” he whispered.
I was about to ask him what he meant, but my question was answered when his mouth covered mine again.
This time, the kiss was more intense, more demanding. Theo’s hands roamed over my body, igniting a fire within me that threatened to consume me whole. I was lost in the moment, lost in Theo’s touch, lost in the feelings that were overwhelming me.
As we broke apart once again, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I was trembling with desire, with need, with everything that Theo made me feel. It was a feeling that I had never experienced before and one that I wanted to hold on to forever.
Theo looked at me, his eyes filled with a hunger that matched mine. I would have loved to drag him upstairs to my bedroom, but my parents were inside. They were giving us some privacy, but I knew it wasn’t going to last forever.
“Come with me,” I said and grabbed his hand.
I led him into the hedge maze. It wasn’t exactly private, but we could make out for a while longer.
As we made our way through the maze, Theo’s hand never left mine. I could feel the heat of his body as we walked, and I knew that he was just as desperate for me as I was for him.
Finally, we found ourselves in a secluded corner of the maze. It was a small alcove, surrounded by hedges on three sides. I turned to face Theo, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close.
Our lips met once again, and this time, there was no holding back. I pressed my body against his, reveling in the feel of his hard muscles beneath my hands. I could feel the bulge in his pants, and it only made me want him more. I reached down and began to undo his belt, my fingers shaking with anticipation.
“We can’t,” he groaned. “Not here. Your parents.”
