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Did I just hear that right? He does not want heirs?

“I shall have no heirs,” he reiterated as if to hammer his point in. “So I would advise you to be prudent in dealing with your lovers in the future. There shall be no one left to inherit the title of the Duke of Ashton.”

Her mind reeled as his words sank in. He wanted no heirs… and then, he advised her to be thoroughly discreet withher loversas if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I truly believe he has lost his mind!

It was the very purpose of the marriage mart for the finest families in England to be able to produce heirs to carry on their titles. For the wheel to keep turning in perpetuity.

And now, Daniel—a duke, no less—was declaring before her that he wanted no such thing! In fact, from what she could gather, he was intent on ending the Stanton line.

It was so preposterous that she would have laughed in his face and called him out on his bluff if he did not look deadly serious.

He truly means it.He truly means to end the Stanton line!

“You advise me to be careful with my… future lovers,” she muttered. “Does that mean you will entertain lovers yourself? No one can tame the Wolf, then?”

The disgust had barely rolled off her tongue when she felt him grab her by the waist, holding her flush against him. She struggled briefly in his grasp, but that only served to heighten her awareness of the hardness that was now pressed against her belly.

“You should be grateful that I am willing to be so considerate of my wife’s needs,” he told her in a low growl. “You would not want me to turn my appetites to you now, would you, my sweet?”

It was supposed to be such a menacing threat.

Why then did she feel thrilled?

CHAPTER 12

The battle has been won.

Despite the stubborn tilt of her chin, Daniel was observant enough to note the softening in her stormy blue-gray eyes. Her lips, luscious as freshly picked cherries, were slightly parted, beckoning him to have a taste.

A rather dangerous idea.

“You may tell your grandmother and the Dowager Duchess the news,” he told her gently. “I gather that they would be most pleased to hear this news, considering it has been their primary aim to see us wed.”

“Yes,” she choked out. “But I do not think they were thinking we were going to marryeach other.”

Daniel shrugged. “What does it matter?”

Those tempting lips of hers thinned into a line of displeasure, and he could not help but sigh inwardly. Most young ladies harbored fantasies of a great romance and ended up sorely disappointed. It was better for Evie to have no such expectations, so her hopes would not be dashed on the rocks in the end.

“I suppose it truly doesn’t,” she muttered.

He nodded. “You go see Lady Wellington and the Dowager Duchess. I shall go on to the Archbishop to secure a special license.”

“A special license?” Her frown returned in full force. “Whatever for?”

He smirked and tapped the tip of her nose, his smile deepening when she wrinkled it in response.

“There is no reason to delay it, is there?” he asked coolly. “I gather that your dear friend, the Earl of Sidmouth, shall not waste another breath to report everything to the scandal sheets. After all, his sister works there.”

“You do not say!” she gasped, her eyes wide. She peered closely at him, and he thoroughly wished she did not do that.

Did she not know how close he was to dragging her to the sofa and having his way with her?

They had hardly announced their betrothal, and he was already thinking of indulging in his husbandly rights—the very same ones he assured her he would not force upon her.

Unless she asked, of course.