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Chapter 34 - Don’t forget to breathe through your nose (hot)

Alex, seized with terror, seemed only now to grasp that they were no longer in the corridor. He turned to Nathan with the wide-eyed look of a startled deer, but the Duke, as if unwilling to grant him even a second for shame, seized him once more — capturing his lips in a passionate kiss, driving him deeper into the room without breaking their embrace. Alex's knees struck the ottoman, and he sank upon it with a shudder.

In that instant, Nathan drew back, shrugging off his jacket with a hurried, almost desperate gesture. The air had grown unbearably hot and stifling.

Alex lifted his gaze. The Duke's brows were faintly furrowed, his mouth parted, his cheekbones flushed; and his eyes — ah, those eyes. Alex could not have said what shade they were, only that bathed in moonlight, they seemed to shimmer with an unearthly shade. As Nathan slid his jacket from his shoulders without averting that hungry lustful gaze, Alex felt there was not nearly enough space in his chest to hold the breath he needed to live.

As soon as Nathan tossed his jacket to the floor, he cupped Alex's face in his hands. He did not want to waste a single moment, and with even greater persistence, he kissed Alex, parting his lips and bursting in his tongue so deeply that the Young Lord instinctively pushed him away, gasping for air.

Nathan pulled back and froze. The moment he realized what had happened, a faint, almost shy smile tugged at his lips as he struggled to steady his own breathing. Leaning close to Alex's ear, he whispered in his gentle, buttery voice:

— "Alex, please… don't forget to breathe through your nose."

Alex felt a wave of shame and an unfamiliar heat pooling low in his abdomen, washing over him like a stream of hot water, yet Nathan's relentless devotion left him utterly helpless, as the Duke claimed his territory with ever-growing insistence. At some point, a daring impulse seized Nathan — he longed to hear that impatient, fervent moan once more. He kissed Alex's ear, then traced his lips down the exquisitely sensitive curve of his neck. 

—"Ahh, N-Nathaniel—"

God, he called me by name. I feel as if I might lose consciousness right now.

Alex seemed to have surrendered completely. Under the rich onslaught of sensations that seized both body and soul, every kiss, every touch, every brush of heated breath against his skin drew from the Young Lord desperate moans and trembling sighs — sounds that seemed to belong to someone else entirely. Alex thought of nothing; his body simply yielded to the scorching kisses, responding with sounds that delighted Nathan to the core.

The Duke traced his tongue along Alex's neck, gently nibbling his left ear. Alex moaned again, pressing Nathan closer with his hands. With his left hand, the Duke began undoing the buttons of Alex's waistcoat, then moved on to his shirt. He longed to tear away the cursed garments, yet fragments of reason lingered, cautioning him not to overwhelm the Young Lord with his wilderness.

Once Alex's body was freed from the shirt, the Duke lowered himself further, lavishing kisses along his collarbones and chest, while his tongue explored the tenderness of the Young Lord's skin. Suddenly, he felt the Young Lord clutching at the fabric of his shirt against his back, a reaction that only fueled his desire further. Overcome by this response, Nathan pressed his lips to the delicate peak, his tongue tracing a slow, deliberate circle. 

Suddenly, Alex inadvertently brushed against Nathan's knee positioned between his legs. A flush of embarrassment coursed through him; sliding slightly downward, his groin pressed even closer to the Duke' knee, awakening entirely new sensations within him.

Nathan noticed this and paused for a fraction, yet continued to cover Alex's neck with passionate kisses, unable to resist going further. He subtly shifted his knee, feeling Alex's body respond to the gentle motion with eager receptivity. 

The Young Lord experienced everything solely through the prism of his body's sensations, and it all felt surreal. He didn't understand what any of it meant, yet his body craved more and more. To endure the overwhelming flood of feeling, he forgot that anyone could hear him, breathing heavily, moaning, whispering Nathaniel's name as if it were a spell capable of prolonging this exquisite fantasy.

A knock.

Both of their hearts leapt into their throats. The soft sound yanked them back into reality — a reality they had completely forgotten. They remembered where they were, the day, the month, the year — and that a masquerade ball was still taking place just beyond the walls.

Nathan glanced at Alex. His face was etched with horror. Something had to be done.

— "Do not be afraid, please, do not be afraid. It's most likely Sebastian… The ball — I completely forgot about it. God…"

The Duke picked up his jacket from the floor and, while putting it on, continued in a voice trembling from emotions:

— "Everything will be fine, listen to me." He crouched slightly to meet Alex's eyes and cupped his face in his hands, giving him a brief moment to look directly at him.

— "I'll sort everything out as quickly as possible. I'll return, and we'll talk about everything. Straight ahead and to the right is the bathroom if you… need it. Stay here; no one will come in, I promise — you are safe. Please, wait for me a little longer."

He grabbed the nearby blanket, tucked it around Alex, ran his hand over his shoulder, and hurried toward the door. Before opening it, Nathan cast one last glance at Alex to make sure he was alright — and to reassure himself that this was still not a dream. The Young Lord remained seated in the same position, covered by the blanket. His gaze was dazed and… shocked.

Oh God.

Nathan stepped out of the room, his heart pounding as if it might leap from his chest.

***

— "Your Grace, forgive me for disturbing you. Lady Ophelia was looking for you."

— "Yes, Sebastian, thank you, you did everything correctly. Where is she?"

— "She is waiting for you near the entrance to the hall."

— "Very well, you may be dismissed."

The Duke's gaze fell on the masks, wig, and hat scattered across the floor.He picked up his mask and said:

 — "Sebastian, please gather these and place them on the windowsill."

— "At once, sir."

The Duke donned his mask and re-entered the brightly lit hall. He squinted, unused to the sudden brightness. It seemed as though an eternity had passed.

Ophelia rushed toward him:

— "Nathan, where have you been? Are you alright? Is everything fine with Young Lord Carlston? I was so worried."

No one else was nearby; friends stood under the large staircase leading to the balcony, which offered a splendid view of the ballroom. All the guests were absorbed in the dancing couples, paying no attention to Nathan and Ophelia.

— "Ophelia, I…" Nathan's voice trembled. It was as if the realization of what had just happened had only just struck him. Instinctively, he grasped Ophelia's hand, as though it could help him stay upright — but he did manage to steady himself.

— "Nathan!"

— "Ophelia, please, let's go," he said, leading her to one of the rooms in his estate.

As soon as the Duke closed the door behind them, he turned to Ophelia, swiftly threw his mask to the floor, and looked at her with tear-filled eyes. His hands trembled.

— "Nathan, I beg you, do not keep me in suspense! What happened?" Ophelia asked, her voice full of overwhelming concern as she rushed to him and embraced him.

— "Ophelia, I've ruined everything. I went mad. I lost all control. I am so sorry. I do not deserve any of this."

— "My dear, what are you talking about?"

— "I kissed him, Ophelia. I kissed him. I couldn't help it, you would have known by what he said… But that is no excuse. I shocked him so. He suffered so, and I felt so helpless — I didn't know what to do."

Ophelia's expression was full of worry. She guided Nathan to sit and said:

— "Please, sit and breathe. In. Out. Let's do it together."

The Duke calmed slightly.

 — "Now, tell me everything, Nathan. Please."

He exhaled and truly told Ophelia everything. He briefly recounted how and when his feelings began, how he had kept them buried all this time. He described what Alex had said to him twenty minutes ago and how it had split his life into a before and after.

— "As I tell you all this, he sits there alone, I'm sure in fright. I need to sort everything out immediately. I must reveal my identity, bid farewell to the guests, and… God, Ophelia, the wedding — I completely forgot… I feel so guilty toward you. I've put you and Emily at risk. Our plan — it was all for me. I am so guilty. I will understand if you choose not to go through with it. I need to—"

Ophelia listened silently, her expression sad.

— "Nathan, wait. Be quiet. Listen to me. Look at me." She took Nathan's hands in hers.

— "Emily and I are completely safe right now. You've done nothing wrong. I love you with all my heart, and I am not angry with you. Forget everything else and go to him, right now."

The Duke nodded, wiped his tears, and rushed from the room.

He wanted to burst into Alex's study but decided he should knock first.

No response.

He quietly opened the door. A blanket lay on the floor. Alex was nowhere to be seen. The Duke looked around and ran through the study. His mask and hat lay on the windowsill untouched.

The Duke ran to the bathroom and encountered Sebastian.

— "Sir, I saw the Young Lord take a carriage."

A tight knot formed in the Duke's chest. How could this be?!

He turned and headed back to Ophelia. Entering the room, he looked at her with a face full of despair and fear.

 — "He's gone?!" Ophelia asked.

— "He left. Sebastian said he got into a carriage and departed."

— "Alright, Nathan, calm down. Let me think…"

Nathan sank to the floor by the door and buried his face in his hands.

— "What have I done… I'm terrified of what he must think of me, Ophelia. I will never be able to fix this. I so badly want to rush to him right now, but it would only cause harm."

— "Yes, Nathan, let's think rationally. Listen to me. Right now, we close the ball and bid farewell to the guests. That is our task. Can you do that?"

Nathan nodded, barely standing, put on his mask, and they went to the hall.

When the last guest left, Nathan removed his false smile and quickly made his way to the study, with Ophelia following.

— "Nathan, your main concern now is sleep. There's nothing we can do tonight. But in the morning, you will go to him and… Nathan, what will you say to him?"

Nathan looked at Ophelia with helpless eyes.

— "I don't know, Ophelia, I don't know."

Ophelia took the Duke's face in her hands and said:

 — "Everything will be alright. In the end. Perhaps not tomorrow, but in the end, definitely. I am sure. I… I think perhaps he truly harbors some feelings for you. I don't know. It's all surely new to him. But what I do know for certain is that you need to sleep now."

Ophelia left the room and asked Sebastian to bring a sleeping draught to the Duke's chambers.

— "Come, I will take you to your bedroom."

She dropped a few drops into a glass of water and handed it to her friend.

Then she waited until Nathan fell asleep, wrote him a note, placed it on the bedside table, and left, returning home.

End of Part Two

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