Page 30 of A Tale of Two Dukes

But it’s still there, cloying, thick in my nose. With a sigh, hovering over my lips, I dip lower in the tub, allowing the heat to run over my face. My chest expands in the most painful manner, but I force myself to stay there, willing the water to do its work.

When I emerge, I gulp air into my lungs, wheezing for a moment. The scent is still there. Bollocks! I cry out in my mind. Why can I never be rid of either him or his smell?

I slip under the water again, my mind racing. Hopefully, powders or perfumes can help mask the scent of my secret. Nothing, however, will stop the tremor in my body or hide the acrid stink of my fear. I must get myself under control before Birchleigh sees me, or all will be lost.

CHAPTER 13

William

I know my thoughts should be here, listening to my brother prattle on about this year’s coming out. His bemoaning the fact that there is no one suitable for him is yet another refrain in the endless song he sings every year. No doubt even the queen omega herself wouldn’t be good enough for him.

I want to sympathize, to show him some form of solidarity, but I can’t tear my mind away from my own omega waiting for me at my pleasure house. It’s only been a handful of hours, and yet I can’t wait to have her back in my arms. What is wrong with me that I cannot drive her from my mind?

I thought surely after bringing us to a mutual, immense satisfaction, I would be able to put her out of my brain, at least for a few days, and yet I find myself wanting to bury my nose into that delectable juncture where her neck meets her shoulder. I want to breathe in her scent, allowing it to fill my lungs until all that exists is her.

“You need to think about finding a bride as well.” My brother's voice cuts into my fantasies, just as effectively as cold water splashing upon my face.

“Indeed? And I suppose this has absolutely nothing to do with the bet?” Crossing my ankles, I lean back and thread my fingers together, looping my hand behind my head. “Are you that desperate not to lose any coin that you are trying to push me into the marriage path instead of you?”

“Nonsense,” he cries, striding over to me. “It’s merely a matter of principle. You are a duke now. You have responsibilities.”

Yawning, I shake my head and give him a grin. “Sounds like you’ve been speaking with Whiteport. What if I tell you I plan to never marry?”

“And what? Spend your days frolicking about with your mistress?”

“Careful, brother, one might think you’re jealous of my fortunate find.”

For a moment, I watch as his features tighten as he turns away from me. But not before I see the jump in his jaw as he clenches his teeth. My, but I seem to have struck a nerve.

Could it be he wants my Kitty? For a moment, my blood boils as I watch whatever battle this is play over his features. I force myself to calm down, knowing there’s no way on Earth Robert would betray me in this manner.

“It’s not as simple as all that,” he eventually sighs. “Though you are a duke now, you are still my brother. As such, I feel a keen sense of responsibility towards you.”

“That may have worked when we were children, but as a grown man, you need not worry about me or my affairs.”

With another exasperated sigh, he turns, pinning me with an intense stare. “Just be sure not to bring any scandal to this household.”

My smile instantly drops into a deep frown. “Since when has that been a concern for you? Have I not conducted myself with the utmost propriety? The Rose and Thorne notwithstanding. But then, you too frequent that establishment in order to have your sexually deviant urges met. Or is it because I’ve decided to take a mistress and extricate myself from that establishment? You could always take a mistress for yourself, you know?”

The look he gives stops me in my tracks. There’s a hunger there, a longing I’ve never seen before. Does he perhaps have someone in mind? But just as soon as it appears, his face relaxes back into a mask of neutrality.

“I would if I found someone so keen to please me the way yours seems to do with you.”

Rising, I cross over to him and clap my hand against his shoulder. “Don’t fret old chap, I’m sure you’ll find your own Venus who worships every part of you. But as it is, I must away back to my own.”

“You cannot spend all your days lying about in her bed, you know.”

“Perhaps not, but how will I ever know unless I try?” With another impish smile, I tip my invisible hat to him and rush out of the house.

* * *

The elation I feel as I bound through the house, looking for my omega surpasses all other sensations. Never before have I wanted to just bask in the presence of a woman like this. And yet, as I near the door to our shared bedroom, my cock lengthens with anticipation.

She was to visit the modiste, but the carriage appeared untouched when I arrived home. Will I find her in the bath? Is she still abed? When I left her this morning, her soft snores sent me on my way. I wanted so desperately to stay in that warm haven, a cocoon made with our bodies and sheets.

However, my brother, the stickler that he is, more than likely would have dragged me from the house himself for this little meeting. The fact that he obsesses so is not healthy. In truth, I worry for him.

If only he could learn to relax and take things as they come. But then, as the only natural-born son, I suppose it makes sense he would take on the mantle of duke with far more seriousness than I do. It’s an unfair burden he has to carry.