“Meaning you cannot stand me searching for a ledger without your hawkish eyes present.”
“That too.”
“Not even hiding your true intentions, I see.”
“You misjudge me,” he murmured. “My true intention is to stay by your side while we see this through.”
Words that made some sense, unlike the duke’s sleeping posture.Lawks, don’t think about it, Louisa.That would just make her heart jump about her chest. Honestly, she hadn’t hated the feeling of their closeness. She had quite enjoyed his warmth. But how on earth was she supposed to forget about it now that it was seared into her consciousness?
Gah!
It was much too early—barely noon!—to be thinking about such things.
“Does it bother you—my staying close?” he suddenly asked, the question catching her off guard.
Her brows knit together. “I...” Did it bother her? Well, certainly, but not in the way he might imagine. He must believe she was flustered in a horrified sort of way instead of flustered beyond breath in anI liked itsort of way. “I am not bothered.”
“Are you sure?” His voice filled with skepticism. “You’ve scarcely looked at me since we departed a quarter of an hour ago.”
“What are you saying? I scarcely ever look at you.” Liar, liar.
“Ah, yes, you are quite right. That does seem to be the case.”
She snuck another peek at him, only to catch him arching a brow. The flush of warmth traveled down to her collarbone. “Now you are just teasing me.”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “You caught me.”
“I must admit that the Duke of Mortimer teasing a woman—I could never have imagined such a thing if I had not experienced it myself.”
“Who is teasing whom now?”
Well... she had to admit she did rather enjoy this, too. “You are not as I imagined, Oliver.”
“And how did you imagine me?” He scratched his chin, the action drawing her gaze down to his lips. She quickly flicked her eyes up again.
“Cold. Rigid.”
“I am that,” he agreed. “Also not.”
Was he teasing her again? Well, she could attest to thatalso not. She had experienced both the heat and the ice, and she had enjoyed the latter more than she ought.
“You are certainly more than just cold.”
“You are going to agree just like that?”
“There is nothing to disagree on.” She considered him. “Well, perhaps toss indifference into the mix of hot and cold. Tell me, is that indifference a mask?
His brow furrowed. “I shall not claim it to be a mask.” He paused for a moment. “Perhaps more of a shield, if I were to put a word to it.”
“A shield?”
“An impenetrable barrier. Erected to ward off and defend against expectations, even judgments people might place upon me if any crack showed. It’s become, I suppose, a way of life.”
She had never expected him to say anything like that. Her heart suddenly ached for this duke. He was the way he was because hehadto be. He had grown up shielding himself from whatever he thought might bring him harm.
Just like her.
Perhaps they were more alike than they seemed.
