"I feel an odd desire right now. And, if it doesn't get satisfied, I fear I might lose my mind."
"Ember,—"
"Please, Your Grace. I don't know what an insane feeling this is, but I want you everywhere. On me. Inside me. Anywhere."
Ember grabbed his rough hand, planting it on her bosom.
"Just touch me. Press into me as you were earlier. Satisfy this insane need, I feel."
The Duke watched her for a while, his gaze dark with lust, then suddenly started backing away.
"My bedroom lies in the last room on the second floor. Wait for me there. I will be back."
Then, he swirled around and darted out of the room, leaving Ember in the dim room.
Ember collapsed against the wooden wall with a heavy sigh, adjusted her gown - even though it needed no correction - and followed after Dallas.
The hallway was empty as she stepped into it. However, she heard chatter from the gathering. Lauren had told her brothers her undergarment needed fixing; if she had returned to the gathering without her, her brothers would surely stop at nothing to find out why Lauren had returned without her.
But, she trusted her friend to tell them another lie. Lauren was pretty excellent in that area.
And, if it hadn't played out that way, she was certain her brothers would have torn the place apart in a hot hunt for her.
That hadn't happened, so she was safe.
Ember had managed to sneak around Dallas' huge manor and was now skipping through the steps to the second floor without bumping into a single soul.
It was either his servants had been dismissed, or they were held up in the servants' quarters.
Either way, her shaky fingers flung the door to his room open when she arrived there and gazed around.
A strange feeling that she had been to the enormous, grand room knocked her, but she had, of course, ignored it.
Two single-seaters sat opposite each other a few steps away from the bed; a center table settled between it; she headed there to have her sit.
His room windows were floor-to-ceiling, hovering over her like a church tower.
She swallowed as she awaited his arrival.
And when she had walked up to a vase by the window to examine it, the door jerked open, making her heart jump in that instant.
She swirled around, catching the Duke undoing the buttons of his overcoat after shutting the door behind him.
Ember swallowed as the Duke slowly approached her.
"Everyone has been dismissed. It's just us now, precious."
Ember eyes widened.
"What? And my brothers?"
"They have gone home."
"But, how—?"
The Duke abruptly closed the space between them in a few long strides, pressing his index finger against her lips.
"Shh. Forget about that and think only about why you are here."
Suddenly, the frown disappeared off Ember's face, replaced shortly by lust in her gaze.
It was as though those words were hypnotized into her senses.
And, hypnotized they were. The Duke surely hadn't spoken those words to her in an ordinary tone. He had laced his tone with his supernatural ability and ensured she was compelled to heed his words.
"Right," a small smile played on her lips. "I said I want you, Your Grace. I want you to compromise me."
Duke Dallas rubbed his forehead against hers, brushing their noses as he did.
"Then, have me."