Page 65

“Of course,” he replied quickly. “I dress with the specific aim of pleasing my Duchess’s most discerning eyes.”

She laughed lightly. “In that aspect, you have succeeded.”

He chuckled and poured a cup of tea for her. “I certainly hope that you are not so free with your compliments, sweetheart.”

“Oh, there is no need to worry about that,” she quipped, smiling as she received the cup from him. “The others hardly merit any attention after you…”

And then, almost as if she had just realized the meaning of her words, her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink.

“I am glad to hear that, wife.” He grinned at her. “I would like to make sure that it stays that way.”

“This estate is hardly enough to accommodate your ego,” she mumbled. “One should knock you down a peg or two.”

“Indeed,” he replied with sham solemnity. “And you do an excellent job of it, my dear.”

The teaspoon she had been using to stir sugar and cream into her tea paused. “I do?”

“Oh, with great success, I assure you. After all, you have been the only woman alive to have resisted my advances not just once or twice, butseveral timesalready.” Ethan sighed dramatically. “One wonders if I have lost my touch as of late.”

Phoebe smiled and rolled her eyes at him. “Lost your touch? Heavens,no. Not even three days ago, I heard Lady Selvidge declare that she expects you to make an appearance at the opera five days hence.”

He shot her a sideways look and grinned lazily at her. “Of course, I will be there.”

Phoebe’s smile tightened, her demeanor turning a notch frosty at his confirmation.

“With my beloved Duchess in attendance, how could I be far behind?” He winked at her.

She shot him a glare over her cup, and he leaned back in his chair, taking his time to admire her figure, encased in that beautiful gown as it was. He committed it to memory, knowing that once teatime was over, he would be rushing back to his townhouse to mentally undress her and relieve himself as he had the past few days.

It was a torment, to be sure, but one that was necessary to earn her trust—or her heart, as she so claimed.

Beneath her prim and proper façade, his Duchess was a romantic, and if that book of hers was anything to go by, she was also possessed of some rather scandalous thoughts. He had even heard the Marchioness of Brandon exclaim that her daughter had run rampant within a month of marriage.

To which he had merely replied that as her husband, he was only too happy to indulge her.

Thus, he had once more set the ton abuzz with his unequivocal defense of Phoebe, drawing more attention to her book.

“You know,” she said softly. “They are also saying that you are enjoying this.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “This?”

“Playing the adoring husband,” she clarified. “Another Wolf tamed, they say.”

Ethan smiled wryly at that. One could hardly call him or either of his friendstame. If anything, marriage and impending fatherhood had only made Colin even more overbearing.

There was even no point in mentioning Daniel, who would ruthlessly kick anyone out of his estate for daring to intrude on his time with his wife.

And Ethan found himself quite as ravenous as he had always been—except this time, his appetites were focused on the beautiful woman before him, who blithely sipped at her tea and ate her favorite pastries, unaware of the dangers the man before her posed.

He pushed his chair back and stood up, and Phoebe looked at him in surprise.

“Come,” he told her softly, extending his hand to her. “The servants tell me that you spend all your time indoors on that book of yours. I doubt you have even seen much of the gardens in the estate. Except for the gazebo, of course.” He winked.

He caught sight of the delicate color on her cheeks and knew that his guess had been correct. For all that she worked hard to keep the estate running smoothly in his absence, she had not even stopped to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

She obligingly slipped her hand into his. “Where are you taking me?”

Here. There. Everywhere. And once I have my fill of you, I will have you in my bed…