Rosie's Games

Chapter 264: Fire

Rosalind grabbed the wine and finished its contents in one go. Then she handed the glass back to him.

"Are we done now?" she asked.

"You sound irritated. Was it my robe?" he asked.

"You just ran away," she met his blue eyes that sparkled under the dark lighting inside the room. "Without telling me anything." She hated that. She hated worrying about him.

Rosalind knew that it would not kill him, but she was the one who caused it. She did not want to harm him or see him suffer because she asked him to eat something he should not have.

"You could have said no and I would have let it go."

"Why would I?" he asked.

"What?" This time, Rosalind took a step back. She now realized how close they were.

"Why would I refuse the food that my wife asked me to eat?"

"Because it would harm you?" Wasn't that enough of a reason?

"But it would not kill me."

"Your logic is absurd."

"That is not logic." He reached out and held her hand before lifting it to his lips. Kissing the back of her palm, he added. "Join me?"

Rosalind glared at him. Despite this, she let him lead her to the couch in front of the fireplace. The room was still dimly lit but she did not mind. In fact, she quite loved it.

He let her sit on the couch before he lit the fireplace. Almost immediately, the fire emphasized his chiseled features and strong jawline. His blue eyes looked like jewels as they reflected the fire in front of him. His hair was thick and tousled, giving him that carefree and wild appearance that she saw with him that night when he snuck into her room.

He then got up and poured himself some more wine. He placed the bottle on the table in front of them before he sat comfortably just a few feet away from her. His legs were slightly spread as he leaned back against the couch. He looked languid, yet confident.

He stretched his arms and rested them on the couch before he looked at her.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

"W what?" Her heart skipped a beat. For some reason, it felt like she was just caught stealing something. She swallowed as she chastised herself for acting like this.

Why was it that he could make her act like a young woman who never saw the world? Was it something about her? Or was it him?

Now that she thought about it

She swallowed her nonexistent saliva. Her cheeks are heating up and she knew that he could see it.

How embarrassing.

"It was satisfactory," she answered after a few seconds.

"Was it?" lifting an eyebrow, he reached out and fluidly poured her some wine.

"A little more than satisfactory." Just a little more. Only a tiny bit more

He sat the bottle down as he finished pouring the wine. Then he offered her the glass.

"And here I thought I was way more than that," he answered, his voice still relaxed, his actions unhurried. Rosalind bit her lower lip.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was nervous and she did not know what to do or what to say. She felt awkward, and perhaps even shy.

How could an old woman get shy around a younger man?

She did not know she did not want to know either.

Without thinking, she finished the wine in one go, hoping it would calm her racing heart.

"The wines in the North are a bit stronger than the rest," he advised. "And more bitter."

Rosalind nodded and handed him the glass. "Another one."

"Are you nervous Lady Rosie?" he asked, interest flashing in his eyes.

"Nervous?" she scoffed. "Around you?"

"Well, are you?"

"That would never happen," she lied without batting an eyelid.

"Did someone tell you that you are a horrible liar?"

"Well, I was not used to lying."

"Oh?" he chuckled and started pouring her another glass of wine. He handed it to her and this time, he said. "Slowly. You would not want me thinking that you are nervous around me, right?"

"Right," Rosalind nodded.

"That flower was for newlyweds and Madam Sula had heard the rumors about us." Lucas stared at his wine glass and slowly swirled it before he inhaled its aroma. Everything about his movements exuded both elegance and confidence and she could not help but stare at him even more.

What is happening to her?

She frowned.

Was it the flowers?

Impossible.

Those things would not work on her.

Still, she was starting to find herself drawn to him. Was it his physical appearance? His face, his body?

Unknowingly, she stared at his stomach.

Then she concluded that her attraction must have something to do with his body. Perhaps, his demeanor as well.

That was the only explanation she could come up with.

"Right," she nodded at mimicked his actions earlier. She inhaled the wine's aroma.

"But eating what you offer is not wrong," he added. "Therefore, there is no need for me to apologize."

"Why was it not wrong when you knew it could harm you?"

"Again, I would eat anything that you asked me to."

"That's absurd."

"Oh, it is." He laughed. Strangely enough, his laughter seemed to have a magnetic pull to her. In her past life, she never heard about this side of the Duke. "Reality can sometimes be absurd, but we are forced to accept it," he continued.

She had a feeling that he was talking about something else but was too afraid to ask him.

"Do not do it again," she said firmly this time. However, it seemed that he still did not understand why it was wrong of him to do it in the first place.

"Or what? Are you going to harm me, Lady Rosie?" With a smooth and practiced motion, he scooted over, moving closer to her.

"You are crazy," she took her wine. Her body was starting to heat up and she could only blame the wine and the fireplace. "You should probably move a little" she said. "It is getting a little hot."

"Is it?" he asked in a serious tone. Suddenly, he waved his hand and the fire in the fireplace died. "How is it now?" he asked.