closer. “You’re not what I expected you to be, Nero Finch.”
Something shuddered through him as she sought his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. His voice was soft and tender. He was…touched. “Only around you. I’ve never wanted to do nice things for people before. Why would I? I can always have what I want from them. But what I want from you, I can’t take. I want your love. I want your hand in marriage. But I also want your smile. That look of wonder you had on your face as you petted that silly elephant? I’ll take that to my grave.”
She moved her other hand to the back of his neck and pulled his head down to hers. She kissed him first for a change. It was the very least she could do to repay what he had done for her. And besides, she wanted to.
As he pulled her flush to him, she wrapped her arms behind his neck and deepened the embrace. He was more than happy to return the favor. She broke away after a long moment and felt heat coiling in her body again.
He feathered kisses along her cheek. One of his hands roamed lower from her waist and went to grab her ass. She growled a warning at him, and she felt him grin against her. “That’s not a no.”
He grabbed her with both hands, squeezing hard.
Smack.
He laughed. “Eight. Ow. You’re getting good at that.”
“You’re giving me a lot of practice.” He let her go, and she stepped back. “There are people watching.” She could hear them. He always had plenty of servants nearby. “Manhandling me in private is one thing. Manhandling me in public is another.”
“Oh, so I get to handle you in private now?” He chuckled. “I’m making phenomenal progress. I can cope with that. Rule accepted.”
She sighed. Great. She knew she was just encouraging him. “It’s too fast, Nero.”
“I know, I know…” He took her hand and pulled her in for another quick kiss. “I can be patient. Ish.”
“You also smell like dung.”
“So do you.”
“Exactly.” She smiled and stepped away from him again. “I’m going to take a shower before dinner.”
“Can I join you?”
“No, Nero.”
“Damn.” He snapped his fingers.
She laughed as she walked away. He was incorrigible. Stubborn. And impossible to dissuade. And something about him made something in her heart glow.
She didn’t love him. But maybe it wasn’t a matter of if.
Maybe it was simply a matter of when.
Dinner was as delicious as it always was. They talked of everything and nothing once more. He wasn’t an idiot like some of the less-kind stories made him out to be. He was simply easily distracted and exuberant. After dinner, he brought her out to sit by the pool. Brutus and Cassius were contentedly chewing on some steak bones left over from the kitchen.
She sat next to Nero with her glass of wine and found herself smiling. The night air was cool and smelled of flowering trees. It was lovely. “Thank you again for today, Nero.”
“Of course. Have you ever been to the zoo before?”
“Why would I? I can’t see. If I wanted to smell animal shit, I could just walk around the alleyways of the city. That’s free.”
He laughed. “Good point. I forget that you’re blind.”
“It’s fine. I prefer that you forget. It’s better than the alternative, trust me.” She sipped her wine.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing is worse than people thinking I’m a complete invalid. Opening doors for me, asking if I need help with everything, and so on. It comes from a kind place, but it makes me feel…less than human, sometimes.”
“Does it bother you, being blind?”
“It’s the only thing I know. Do I wish I could see colors? The landscape? The sky? Sure. I suppose so. It must be beautiful. But my world is filled with plenty of wonderful things. Music—the smell of flowers—of cooking food. I love the feel of certain fabrics. I think I experience those things more intensely than others because I cannot see it. It has its upsides, as well.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t care what people look like.” She reached out and found his hand and wove her fingers into his. “I’ve been told you’re gorgeous. It’s wasted on me. I only know the beauty that lives in people, not what they wear on the outside.”
“Well, then, I’m fucked.” He grunted. He was playing, she could tell—but he might also be a little serious.
She chuckled. “You’re a kind man, Nero.”
“No one