Provoking a Graceful Bloom Novel

---- Chapter 176 "In doing so, | will not only humiliate him but also sever the ties between us." The notion was rather satisfying. However, Nathaniel still had questions. "Who do you have that can form a team?" His long fingers twitched ever so slightly. Selena's dark hair, smooth as silk, brushed his hand where it fell. Just the slightest movement of his fingertips could catch it. He felt the urge to twine her hair around his fingers and play with it. "Your brother is competent in mounted archery, but Yuvan lacks the skill. Lady Aurora is a qualified teammate, provided she consents to it.

That leaves three more places unfilled. Who else do you have?" he asked. Selena opened her mouth to speak, but Nathaniel continued, " Your second aunt possesses tremendous strength, yet her skills in mounted archery leave much to be desired. As for your third uncle's betrothed, Lord Gideon didn't allow her to formally become part of your household. She can hardly be counted as 'one of your family members." Selena drew a sharp breath and turned her gaze on him. "You ---- have been prying into the affairs of my family?" "You're my future wife.

When | was at the Northern Frontier, | was unable to investigate. But now, how else could | be prepared for any sudden matters concerning the Duke of Blackmoor's household?" Selena frowned and shot him a sharp look, though she wasn't truly angry. "Your Highness, you're quite filthy. | have no intention of conversing with you." Nathaniel lowered his head and caught the scent upon himself. Indeed, there was quite a smell. When word reached him that Selena had nearly lost her life in the reckless rescue of Frederick, he had set out at once, without pausing to question the truth of it.

His business had already kept him in the wilds, and with the ceaseless ride back, how could he possibly have arrived clean? Dust clung even to his mask. The young lady before him was truly a troublesome person. She wouldn't speak to him simply because he was dirty Nathaniel gave a rueful sigh. "I have no change of clothes. Do you expect me to speak with you naked?" Selena's eyes widened in shock. What in heaven's name was this Demon Lord saying?

She tried to suggest, "Perhaps you should return to your ---- residence-" "Not until everything's been cleared up," Nathaniel interrupted, his tone firm. Furrowing her brow in genuine displeasure, Selena impulsively gave him a gentle push. She had no idea that her soft hands pressing against his chest felt like delicate claws to him, tracing his heart with a sensation entirely new to him. He had never in his life experienced such a touch. Moreover, it was only when her hands made contact that he realized how close their bodies were pressed together.

In an instant, his youthful vigor tensed sharply, and heat surged through him with a force he couldn't ignore. He lowered his gaze. A moment ago his eyes had been cold, almost clear, but now they carried a shadowed depth, tinged with smoldering heat. A restless stir rose within him, his blood running hot and unsteady. Selena quickly sensed the shift. The body she pressed against had been warm at first, but now seemed to burn beneath her palms. More alarming still, she could feel something shifting with startling swiftness. Her mind raced, and suddenly, her eyes widened as she glared at him.

"You're...!" ---- The audacity! That insolent rogue! "Don't move," Nathaniel murmured, caught entirely off guard by his own loss of control. In the black of night, the sensation of her softness and warmth was intoxicating. For a moment, his mind grew strangely clouded, leaving him unable to think clearly. He tried to move, but his body seemed bound to hers. His arms, usually powerful enough to raise a stone statue with ease, could now scarcely support his own weight. Worse still, he felt himself sinking further against her.