The Duke's Surreptitious Ways (Rafael Benedict Valiente)

Chapter 24: Proposal

Natalia's POV

I woke up when I felt a pair of eyes staring at me. I snapped my eyes open, slightly hazy vision clearing almost instantly and met with the most gorgeous eyes I adored so much.

Raffy perching on the edge of my bed, his body slightly twisted, so he was facing me. "Hi," I smiled and slowly rose and sat. Raffy smiled back, but when his eyes fell on my chest, his eyes glimmered darkly. I quickly pulled the thin white blanket up to my chest, and Raffy instantly drew his gaze up and locked on mine.

"You look even beautiful with my marks on you," he said, a tinge of haughtiness in his husky tone, and I glared at him playfully.

"Should I be flattered?" I asked, feigning sarcasm and he just smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. I stared at him intently. A panic rose in my chest when I stared at his beautiful cerulean pools. Mixed emotions filling it, but sadness dominated the rest.

"Did you have a good nap?" he asked before I could speak, and I felt my cheeks growing hot. I fell asleep, I should be working. Sheer embarrassment washed away the worries as the realization of my stay here dawned on me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know our little—"

He placed his index finger over my lips, silencing me. "Shh..." he hushed. "You need more rest, pumpkin."

I nodded sheepishly. Hence, a part of me disapproved. I was supposed to work, not sleeping during my working hours.

My eyes wandered to the window glass and noticed that darkness overtook the horizon. Embarrassment flooded over me.

"It's night," I softly mumbled and dragged my eyes back to his, but he avoided my gaze.

"Dinner is ready," he said and rose from his seat. I nodded and pull the comforter away from my feet, and pulled the thin white sheet with me, struggling to wrapped it around my naked body as I climbed out of bed.

"Can you give me a minute to get ready?" I said, a little apologetic.

"You can take your time, pumpkin. I'm sure, the guest won't starved to death for an hour."

A soft giggle escaped my lips as I stared at him, but promptly withered when I noticed he didn't seem to be amused by his own humor, or perhaps, he didn't intend to sound humorous, did he? Maybe, he didn't mean it to sound funny, but it humored me. A pang of embarrassment washed over me, I quickly stifled the giggle bubbling up my throat and nodded sheepishly.

I gave him a perusing gaze, noting the worry lines on his forehead. He looked bothered, and the way his eyes shifting emotions such as sadness, fury, uncertainty, I gathered that he was genuinely upset about something.

What did I do wrong?

"Is there something wrong?" I asked. My eyes dropped to his neck, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed hard.

"Yes," he answered after a short contemplation. He held my gaze, staring at me so intensely that a delicious shiver ran down my spine, shooting down to my very core, leaving me hot and bothered.

I ignored those erotic thoughts starting to clamp down my whole senses.

"Get ready, pumpkin so we can talk, and while I can control myself." He avoided to looked down on my body as if there's something he could see while the sheet successfully hid what he had already seen.
Why did I bother to cover it anyway?

I whirled to the direction of the washroom. Once inside, I dropped the sheet on the tiled floor and hopped in the shower. I felt a little sticky from sweat and thinking about what happened this afternoon, it made my lower region clenched in desires.