Theo did not blush as she had expected.
Instead, his eyes grew colder and colder until the coldness seemed to penetrate her bones.
He walked closer and leaned over her such that she could see his menacing eyes ever so clearly.
“There was once a time when I was more famous than my brother among the women… and it wasn’t because of my good looks alone.” His warm breath fanned her face and she prayed to whatever god that was listening that he should kiss her.
But he pulled away and straightened his shirt, much to her grievous disappointment.
“You must be hungry.” Then he turned and left the room.
‘…It wasn’t because of his good looks alone?’ What was that supposed to mean?
What else would have attracted women to him apart from his handsome face and alluring body?
Colour crept up her cheeks at the thoughts that flooded in and she shook her head to clear them away.
Why did she have to be bedridden now of all times?
Cursing, she sat up and cradled her arm in the cast.
It felt like a block of lead beneath the careful packaging.
Then she slid off the bed and went to close the door.
After all, it would take him quite a while to return with her food… or he would probably send a servant up to her.
Eve hurried to her vanity table to run a brush through her hair with her right arm.
The ordeal was much harder than she thought.
Then she picked up the bottle of lavender oil to put in her hair – it desperately needed a sheen after not being washed for days.
But her single hand could hardly massage the oil around every inch of her head.
“Blast it!” She dropped the oil vile on the table with a loud thud and just stared at herself in the mirror.
Then she picked up the vile of oil and poured it over her head.
The slick liquid slid over the mass of curls and she massaged it as she wanted to.
“Much better.” She finally said after brushing her hair and seeing positive results.
Now, he might consider her more attractive.
Gods, she needed a real bath, not a towel in a basin… She didn’t feel like herself.
On a normal day, she could dazzle a man wearing just an apron… but now?
When she set the brush down, she realized that the oil had dropped into the fabric of her night gown.
Instinctively, she pulled it off her right arm, over her head, then carefully slid it off her casted arm.
Wearing only a pair of tight-fitting drawers, she was bare from the waist upward.
Grinning at the sight of her flushed skin, she dumped the night dress into a chest and began to sort through another for a more seductive night dress.
Everetta did not hear when the door was opened and someone stepped into the room.
After grabbing the night dress, she slammed the chest shut and turned to go towards the mirror to wear it.
Until she saw him standing there with a tray of food in his arms.
There was something in his cold, ashen eyes that she could not name.
He didn’t blink, he didn’t blush, he didn’t gulp… he just stared almost… passively.
Instead of covering up and screaming like a normal woman who was scandalised would have done, she just stood there and stared back at him with wide eyes.
And instead of him quickly leaving, or turning around until she was decent enough, he stared back at her.
Why was his self-control still intact?
Then he asked, “Why did you move from the bed?” Colour crept up her cheeks and her common sense seemed to return with it.
Slowly, she draped the garment she was holding over her bare chest.
Was it really hopeless?
His eyes followed her movements before returning to her face.
He acted as if he had seen a woman’s breasts too many times to be bothered by it.
Her lips thinned.
Then her eyes dropped to his breeches.
She had been told that a bulge was to be expected.
Yet there was nothing.
“Do you have a habit of staring at women in indecent states of dress?” Theo didn’t blink nor flinch.
“How low would you go, Lady Whitmore?” Low?
What was he talking about?
Then his gaze slid down to her drawers briefly before returning to her eyes.
“What do you mean?” “This is your second strike.
After a third, I would tell my brother about your dubious advances towards me and call an end to this farce of an engagement.” She covered half the distance between them and raised her hand to slap him.
But he caught it midair with a smirk – as if he had been expecting her to do so.
How dare he!
“How very dare you!” In her anger, she hadn’t realized that the cloth she had been using to cover her breasts had fallen off when she made to slap him.
His eyes travelled downwards.
“Well, since you are so determined on ensuring that I do not marry your brother, I will ensure that I marry him.
How would you explain this to him?” She gestured around them wildly.
He arched a brow at her question.
“How would you explain barging into my room while I am nearly naked without so much as a knock?” Then she stepped even closer.
The knave didn’t even try to back away.
“No one will believe you.” His smirk faded and his eyes darkened until they almost looked black.
“No one will ever believe that a woman like me would chase a man like you.
So… it’s your word against mine, Theodore.” He took a step towards her and reached for her casted arm.
“You seem to be forgetting one thing, dear Lady Whitmore.” She glanced down at his hand that held her.
“If you want to play such a game with me… a ‘man like me’ has nothing to lose.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Maestrofunzi_07 Damnnnn…