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I nodded, looping my arm through his as he offered me his elbow. As I stepped into the hallway, the cozy ambiance enveloped me. A soft playlist of romantic tunes flowed up the stairs, and when we reached the bottom step, my fingers lifted to hide my soft gasp. The room was adorned with twinkling lights and candles. Duke had gone all out, and the gesture made my heart flutter.
“You did all this?” My heart swelled with a mix of surprise and affection.
Duke scratched his head, looking adorably sheepish. “Yeah, I thought we could use a change of scenery. Come on.”
He had cooked a simple dinner of rosemary-garlic steaks, roasted sweet potatoes, and a side salad. Knowing my growing list ofweird pregnancy cravings, he’d also arranged a charcuterie board with olives, cold spaghetti, and frozen grapes.
Hard swoon.
After eating, we settled onto the plush couch, our conversation flowing effortlessly as if we’d been doing this for years. Stories, anecdotes, and laughter filled the room, and it was easy to forget the world outside, a world that buzzed with talk of us—the forbidden couple.
“So, wait,” I said, my eyes wide with disbelief. “You actually tried to convince Kate that there were chocolate milk rivers in the town park?”
Duke chuckled, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. “Yeah, well, she was annoying me that day, and I figured a wild story like that would keep her busy for a few hours.”
I burst into laughter, imagining a young Duke spinning an elaborate yarn to captivate his sister’s imagination. “And did she believe you?”
His grin turned mischievous. “She did, until she went to the park with a straw and a cup.”
Laughter bubbled up from deep within me, and I couldn’t help but picture his little sister’s disappointed face as she realized there were no chocolate milk rivers to be found. It was in moments like these that I saw a different side of Duke—the carefree teenager who had a knack for stirring up trouble in the most creative ways.
As the evening wore on, we continued to swap stories, each one drawing us closer together. Whether it was my embarrassing attempt at baking a cake that ended up resembling a lopsided sandcastle or Duke’s adventure of getting stuck in a tree during a poorly planned tree house construction, our laughter filled the room. The weight of our families’ feud seemed to fade into the background as we discovered more and more common ground.
We talked and laughed, and I found myself feeling more comfortable with Duke than I’d ever felt with anyone else. It was as if, for those fleeting hours, it was just the two of us against the world, our connection growing stronger with every exchanged tale and every shared chuckle. And in the midst of all the drama and whispered rumors, I realized that this laughter, this genuine connection, was the real magic that had the power to bridge even the widest divides.
I just couldn’t shake the rumors that came to light at the book club. Beneath the laughter, a current of tension lingered in my shoulders. The rumor, whispered by the ever-eager gossip mill, about a connection between our families. We’d oncelovedeachother, and a greediness that ran in my blood had torn it all apart. Our families’ rivalry was tangled enough, and now this?
I found myself nervously fiddling with the hem of my dress, the rumors I’d heard at the book club weighing heavily on my mind. Gossip traveled faster than wildfire in this town, and I felt a strange responsibility to bring it up.
I took a deep breath, trying to gather my courage. “Did you know that our families were bootleggers?”
Duke frowned. “I had heard something along those lines, but we never got a lot of details. Why?”
I shook my head. “It was something that came up at book club. I guess that’s part of the reason our families are at odds. Hurt feelings and bad business.” I scoffed. “Kind of strange, huh? That we didn’t even know that.”
He shrugged. “I stopped worrying about what’s weird in this town a long time ago.”
I laughed, agreeing. I shared with him everything that Ms. Mabel had divulged with the Bluebirds—how our families loved each other as close friends, bootlegging, the Sullivans wanting out to start a family, the Kings’ fury and wrath. Not all the pieces clicked into place quite yet, but it was a start. When I was finished, I sighed. “I guess I just don’t understand how two families who once cared for each other can hold on to hate for so long. I just know there’s more to it.”
He considered, his lips pressing into a flat line. “I agree. I would think there was more to the story, but...” Duke leaned closer. “I’ve been more focused on figuring out why you’ve been avoiding mentioning something that’s clearly bothering you. You never have to hide yourself from me, Sylvie.”
His words caught me off guard, and I flushed with embarrassment. “I guess I just thought it might be some silly rumor. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”
Duke reached over, his hand finding mine and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Come here.”
His hand at the small of my back, Duke led me in a slow, swaying rhythm. The scent of dinner still lingered, mixing with the aroma of his cologne.
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Duke pulled me a little closer, and our feet moved in a slow, comfortable rhythm. “You know, I’ve had this fantasy,” he confessed, his voice low and intimate.
“Oh?” I raised a playful eyebrow.
“Yeah.” He grinned. “It involves dancing with a beautiful woman in my kitchen.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling butterflies in my stomach as the baby fluttered. “And does this fantasy woman have a name?”
He dipped his head, his breath warm against my ear. “Sylvie,” he whispered, his lips brushing my skin.
My heart raced, and the tension between us grew palpable. The music swirled around us, filling the space between heartbeats, and before I knew it, Duke’s full lips were pressed to my forehead in a sweet, lingering kiss. It was a gesture that spoke volumes—of his tenderness, his longing, and the unspoken promise of what lay between us.
