Sophie's heart nearly leaped out of her chest when she heard his knock. That was Duke Romanov wasn't it? She called out to him and invited him to enter her chambers. "Come in!"
Duke Romanov stepped in elegantly as he held onto the bottle of wine. He inclined his head and greeted her with a soft smile. "Good evening, Sophia. Thank you for inviting me tonight."
"Thank you for accepting my invitation, my lord," Sophie managed to say.
"It is my pleasure." Leland spoke.
"Ahh… as it is mine." Sophie smiled back at him as she then tried to say something. "Please take a seat, my lord. I will go get the glasses."
Duke Romanov looked around for a moment and then walked over towards one of the tables in the room. He placed the bottle down and glanced about the room, Sophie was going over to one of her tall cabinets.
The room that Sophie was in actually had a lot of glassware for her to use because it was a master's bedroom but she didn't seem to be able to reach the wine glasses at the top. She never had use for it before except for now.
Leland strode over towards her back and could see that she was on her tiptoes as she kept trying to reach for the glasses. He leaned closer to her head for a moment and whispered. "Allow me."
Sophie felt herself gulp as Duke Romanov's warm fingers brushed against her own as he took the glasses from the cupboard. He was not doing her any favor by making her feel more anxious.
Leland cleared his throat and stepped back to give her some space. He was also feeling like his heart was about to burst and yet he needed to maintain his appearance.
The two of them returned to the table and sat down, with the Alpha pulling out a chair for her. Sophie thanked him and sat down with a shy smile and knew for a fact that even without drinking, her face was red.
Every little thing that Duke Romanov was doing had an effect on her that left her a little breathless and speechless. She needed to find the perfect timing to tell him what lay on her heart.
"I will pour you some wine now. Would you like a quarter or half a glass?" Leland asked her, holding the wine bottle, ready to open it and pour wine for them.
"One glass, please." Sophie smiled at him. She needed a full drink to gather her bravado and courage. How else would she be able to speak without trying to hide or back out?
Leland's eyes widened as he opened the cork and looked at his wife. "Sophia, I have to warn you that this drink is actually quite strong. We are talking about lycan drinks…"
"I'll be fine." Sophie insisted.
Leland poured a small quarter on her wine glass and did the same for himself. He gave her a smile. "Let's start with just a little first. I would assume that this is social drinking, right? Let us talk."
Sophie nodded shyly and took her wine glass and started sipping. It tasted much stronger than anything she had ever tried. Leland was right. Her expression changed and she coughed after she took a sip.
"Are you okay?" Leland looked at her worriedly. "I can get us regular wine."
Sophie wiped her lips and shook her head. "No, my lord... I'm fine. I just... need to get used to the taste."
Leland asked again, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure." Sophie felt her body become warmer and soon she felt her nerves calmer. This was good stuff, she thought.
Leland looked at her as he sipped his wine, almost without blinking. It was as if he wanted to enjoy her beauty without missing even one second. His heart fluttered when he saw her blush and bit her lip, looking so alluring.
What was it that she wanted to say to him? He could sense her feeling anxious, nervous, and worried about... his reaction.
The Alpha didn't want Sophie to worry, so he decided to take the initiative. Leland put down his wine glass to the table and reached out a hand.
Sophie was surprised to see the duke did something he never did before.
He... wanted her to hold his hand? Was that it?
"M-my lord..." Sophie muttered.
"Sophia," Leland smiled. "You look so beautiful tonight."
He didn't know why his heart pounded so hard when he uttered those words. He was only telling her the truth. Now that he could feel her affection for him, he felt the courage to compliment her openly.
"Thank you," she could only reply with thanks. Secretly, she was happy he noticed her looks. She was worried she didn't look pretty after she looked at herself in the mirror earlier.
It had been two months after she gave birth to her children and her body shape had returned to normal. So, she was supposed to feel good about herself.
However, now that his compliment was uttered, Sophie realized, the duke's attitude was still the same. He always looked at her this way, with desire and longing, even when she was huge during her pregnancy with Luciel and Jan.
"You look flustered," Leland commented when Sophie lowered her face and hide her blushing cheeks.
She immediately looked up and shook her head. "No... I am just..."
She didn't know what to say. Why was it so difficult to express what she felt about this man before her? It was effortless with Nicholas.
She talked more around him and they could joke about things. She also felt so relaxed and could express her love for him by touching him, hugging him, and the words 'I love you' came out so easily.
Perhaps, it truly depended on who the person she interacted with.
Before she met Nicholas, she was generally quiet and kept things to herself. She didn't like most of the people she met on daily basis.
However, after she met Nicholas and spent so much time with him, his carefree attitude and his talkative personality seemed to rub off on her.
Duke Romanov was the opposite of Nicholas. He was quiet and cold. How could Sophie let him know that she...
That she was falling in love with him?
***
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