Chapter 81 Why Did It End Up Like This?
This village road was an absolute disaster. Somehow, the carriage wheel hit a massive pothole. My balance vanished instantly. Without anything to hold onto, my body flew forward, sliding freely from the wooden seat toward the wrong target.
Thud.
My face landed right on Claus's chest. Hard. It felt like hitting a stone wall wrapped in expensive fabric. A scent I'd never known before, crisp, cold, masculine, flooded my senses. I didn't have time to think, didn't have time to dodge. Everything happened too fast.
Before I could brace myself, two strong hands were wrapped tightly around my waist.
His grip was rough, a lightning-fast reflex.
He held me there so I wouldn't keep sliding down to the dirty carriage floor.
Our position right now is definitely not appropriate.
I was trapped between his broad chest and the arms that were locking me in place.
Our breaths collided. There was zero distance. I could feel his heartbeat, slow, calm, completely unaffected by the jolt earlier. Meanwhile, mine? Beating erratically, like someone who had just escaped death. Ugh, heart, calm down...
The atmosphere inside the carriage changed.
There was no sound other than the roar of the carriage wheels slowing down as the road leveled out.
This silence felt terrible. I wanted to pull back, wanted to get away, but my body felt stiff.
I looked up, trying to find a gap to free myself, but Claus's gaze was locked on my face.
He didn't speak. He didn't move his body away.
The carriage was stable. He should have let go of his hands by now. He should have pulled back and returned to his previous seat.
But he didn't.
Instead of loosening his grip, his fingers actually pressed a little deeper into my waist.
He held me there, intentionally letting this intimate position continue longer than it should have.
His eyes narrowed, observing every inch of my face, which was starting to turn red from a mix of shame and anger.
I tried to move, pushing his shoulder slightly. Useless. His strength was far superior to mine.
"Duke," I whispered, my voice raspy and drained.
He stayed quiet. His gaze dropped to my lips, then back to my eyes.
There was a challenge there, a silence more dangerous than the ranting I'd done earlier.
He didn't let go. He actually let his hands stay there, imprisoning me in an unwanted embrace, but somehow, it made all the nerves in my body tingle.
He didn't let go. He definitely wanted me to know who was in control here.