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“But Your Grace?—”

“I would advise you to keep your hands off my wife, Dexford—that is if you want to keep those appendagesattachedto you.”

Phoebe looked over the Viscount’s shoulder to find Ethan standing a short distance away, and from the looks of it, he wasfurious.

Oh dear.

After his unexpected encounter with Miss Delaney, Ethan had rushed to return to Phoebe with every intention of apologizing to her, only to find her missing.

He had searched the entire ballroom and even the adjacent hallways and the balcony to see if she had wandered off to no avail.

It was only when he returned to the ballroom that he saw her being helped onto a sofa by none other than the Viscount Dexford.

The man simply refuses to stay away from her!

Even now, with Ethan standing before them, the bastard kept eyeing him warily as ifhewere a threat to Phoebe.

“You may leave us, My Lord,” he heard his wife say in a strangely tired voice. “I will be fine with His Grace.”

Ethan shot the man a smug look, but the Viscount seemed to hesitate before he sketched a slight bow in Phoebe’s direction.

“As you wish, Your Grace.”

The Viscount walked away stiffly, and if he had even cast a single longing look back at Phoebe, Ethan would not have been able to help himself and would probably have punched him in the face.

“He is gone now. Are you happy?”

He turned to find Phoebe reclining on the sofa, her eyes closed.

“It seems that you have not really understood what it is like being with a Wolf, sweetheart,” he told her in an ominous voice.

Phoebe opened one eye and regarded him with an expression akin to annoyance. “That will not work on me anymore, Ethan. I am no longer the naive fool who is scared of Wolves and her own shadow,” she replied. “And if you do not like my former betrothed speaking to me, perhapsyoushould spend more time with me.”

“Oh, but have I not been doing that very thing you are asking of me, Duchess?” he growled. “I am practically at your beck and call. I have been looking all over for you, and instead, I find you with Dexford. So, please forgive me if I do not like seeingmy wifebeing on intimate terms with another man.”

She regarded him with narrowed eyes. “Oh, so you do notlikeseeing me talking to other men,” she hissed. “But the same thing does not apply to you?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You know whatthe hellI am talking about!” she flung back at him, wincing as she massaged her temples.

“No, in fact, I do not,” he bit out. “Ever since you came into my life, nothing has ever made sense.”

“Well, I am sorry for disrupting your perfectly ordered life,” she retorted. “I never asked to marry you!”

Ethan was stunned as he beheld the irate beauty before him. Her face was flushed, her deep green eyes blazing with animosity.

Not even an hour ago, she had been stifling her moans into his shoulder as his hand brought her to a climax.

“What did that fool tell you, Phoebe?” he asked her dangerously. “What did Dexford tell you?”

“Nothing,” she sneered.Sneered!

“I hardly doubt it isnothingwhen you are acting like this!”

She stood up and wobbled dangerously on her feet. When he reached out to catch her, she pushed him away.

But not before he caught the scent of alcohol on her breath.