Damian pulled back, his icy blue eyes fixed on the way she was punishing her own skin. "You do not want to make your lip bleed, do you?" His voice was a low rumble that instantly dissolved her tension, and she slowly lowered her hand from her neck, her breath hitching.

"Why are you doing that?" she murmured, her gaze searching his face. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Do not tell me you hate it." His gaze was boring into hers, demanding an honest answer.

"I don’t hate it," she whispered, her voice wavering. "I just... I didn’t know how to answer the others. I mean... everything happened so suddenly... and we..."

She trailed off, caught in the sudden warmth of his presence, and fell silent as he leaned in to press his lips against hers, leaving her breathless and stunned.

He reached up, his fingers lingering as he smoothed her loose hair, tucking the strands carefully behind her ear. "You are thinking too much," he whispered against her skin. "Just tell them your husband is bewitched by you."

’Bewitched by me?’ she thought.

His eyes dropped, tracing the shape of her lips before he claimed them again, this time with firm pressure.

As Eilika instinctively took a small step back, he countered with a step forward, closing the distance and giving her no room to retreat. He coaxed her into the kiss, his teeth grazing her bottom lip, drawing a soft, surrendered sigh from her as he deepened the kiss.

Eilika felt her knees buckle, the strength leaving her legs as the world narrowed down to the sensation of Damian’s touch.

The intensity of his kiss was a revelation; he teased the seam of her lips, his tongue flicking against them with a persistent demand until she finally parted, welcoming him into the sweetness of her mouth.

A soft, unintended moan escaped her throat the moment she felt the edge of the bed against her calves.

She sank backward, the mattress yielding with a soft bounce as she settled into the linens.

Damian followed her down, his movements unhurried as he hovered over her.

Throughout it all, his hand never strayed from her neck, his thumb tracing a slow, burning path along her cheekbone, anchoring her to the present.

Since that first moment their lips had met, Damian had found himself utterly captivated.

Eilika had done more than just ignite a quiet flame of love within him; she had set a fire to his restraint, awakening a deep passion and a hunger for her that he could no longer keep contained.

His tongue brushed against hers, a sudden, electric jolt racing through her entire body. She had not been prepared for this—a kiss far more profound and demanding than the one they shared the night before. Her mind, usually calm and orderly, was reduced to a chaos, racing with possibilities of what might happen next.

When the air in her lungs began to fail, she pressed her hand firmly against his chest, a silent plea for reprieve. Damian caught the signal instantly and pulled back, both of them breathing heavily.

They gazed at one another. Then, Damian leaned in, pressing a tender kiss directly over the mark on her neck. The gentleness of the gesture, contrasting with the intensity of the kiss that preceded it, sent another flutter straight to her heart.

"Damian, what is happening with you?" she gathered her courage to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I think my desire for you is growing. I do not want you to be just Roman’s mother anymore, or a wife in name only. I think I am falling in love with you." The words Damian had struggled to find for so many days were finally laid bare.

"Falling in love with me?" Eilika stopped blinking, her breath hitching in her throat. The word ’love’ was something she had longed to hear from him for so long; a radiant, genuine smile brightened her face. "Does the Duke remember what he told me the first day he saw me?"

"I remember it vividly," he whispered, his expression darkening with regret. "And no matter how many times I apologize, I know that pain will always remain."

"I forgave you a long time ago, the moment I discovered what true pain really was," she answered. Then, bringing her hands to his nape, Eilika continued, "It feels so good suddenly."

Her contagious smile made him smile too. He planted a kiss on her forehead before pulling her up with him. He caressed the long length of her hair, bringing a few strands to the front.

"You don’t need to be embarrassed for showing this," he asserted.

Eilika nodded with a smile. "Go and freshen up. Then, we will have lunch together."

Damian pulled back and turned around before unlocking the door. He glanced back at her one last time before stepping out. Smiling, he headed to his own wing. The valet on duty was visibly surprised to see the Duke in such a good mood. He hurried to take Damian’s official robes for dry cleaning while the Duke changed into more comfortable attire.

As he walked toward the dining room, his son suddenly approached from behind, slipping a small hand into his.

"Father, I want to go to a picnic," Roman announced.

"Alright. We will go this upcoming Saturday," Damian answered, his fingers wrapping firmly and affectionately around Roman’s hand. The boy hopped and skipped in excitement until they finally reached the dining hall.

"Grandma! Good afternoon!" Roman exclaimed, letting go of Damian’s hand to run toward Georgia, who was busy instructing the staff.

"My grandson looks so happy today," she said, smoothing his hair. "Your mother asked the cooks to prepare all your favorite dishes. Come, take your seat."

Meanwhile, Damian stood by the table, his gaze drifting toward the doorway as he waited for Eilika to appear.

Shortly, she appeared without any scarf around her neck, but her long open hair did the part to hide the lovebite.

Damian pulled out a chair for her, which Georgia noticed. A smile graced her lips, realizing her son wasn’t lying about his growing feelings.