Chapter 242 - Two Hundred And Forty Two
Suzy stood before him, her eyes sparkling with pent up desire, her earlier whispered words – "I am not yet satisfied" – hanging in the air between them like a silken invitation. Her hand, which had been resting on his erection, now began to trace feather-light patterns on his arm, sending little shivers of awareness through him.
He swallowed, his gaze dropping to her inviting lips, then quickly back to her eyes, his mind a battlefield of desire and ingrained caution. "Cassandra," he began, his voice a little hoarse, "my love, we... we can’t. Not now, not now. What if I ...?"
She tilted her head, her smile unwavering. "Dr. Abernathy, assured me it is perfectly fine, Ryan," she said softly, her fingers now gently stroking his cheek, a touch that made his carefully constructed composure tremble. "For the baby, for me. He said so himself."
Ryan’s eyes widened slightly. "Really?" he breathed, a spark of hope, of incredulous relief, igniting within him. The fear that had kept him so carefully distant, so afraid of inadvertently harming her or their unborn child since they’d received the news, had been a heavy burden. If the doctor had truly given his blessing...
She nodded slowly, her gaze tender and full of understanding for the turmoil he’d clearly been experiencing. "Yes, really."
He looked at her, truly looked at her – the soft curve of her cheek, those freckles, those tiny dot that are like stars scattered across the sky, the gentle swell of her lips, the desire that lit up her eyes – and a wave of longing, so potent it almost buckled his knees, washed over him. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, to lose himself in her.
But then, his gaze fell upon the dreadful stack of documents Davis had just brought in, their official seals and curling ribbons a reminder of his ducal duties. They stared back at him, a silent rebuke to his distraction. "The courier..." he murmured, his voice laced with regret, "he’s waiting for these. They require my seal, my attention."
Suzy’s hand stilled its gentle caress on his cheek. She didn’t pout or sigh with disappointment. Instead, a thoughtful, almost calculating, glint appeared in her eyes. With a graceful movement, she stepped back, walked over to one of the plush visitor’s chairs, and perched on its edge, looking every bit the capable Duchess.
"Well then, Your Grace " she said, her tone suddenly business-like, though the playful sparkle remained in her eyes. "You can share them. I can attend to half of the documents, and you do the rest. It will be faster that way."