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“I could have simply asked Wellington for the key to a room,” he complained.

“Then where is the fun if we do not sneak around?” Ava teased.

Her husband glanced at her, and even though she could not completely see his face, she knew he was amused.

Soon enough, they came upon a chamber. Ava tried the door and found it was not locked.

“Seems this is our lucky day,” she quipped as she slipped into the room, with her husband in tow.

Once they were safely inside, she took off her mask. Edwin, who had his back turned to her, also seemed to have done the same. Ava was excited to finally be able to see his face, only for her to see his half mask firmly in place when he turned around to face her.

“Oh!”

She was taken aback by the look on his face. His eyes were clouded by desire that stirred something within her.

“We are alone,” he whispered, walking slowly towards her.

Ava’s body came alive. The hairs on her arms stood on end as she watched him approach her, his eyes hungry.

He closed the distance between them in no time, and as he stood in front of her and reached his hand out to caress her face, she suddenly felt bold.

She was not quite certain if it was the fact that they were in an empty room, in another man’s home, or the fact that he had just shouted to the whole ton how much he cared for her. She just felt daring.

He tilted her face up to his, and the strain in his features was evident.

“Ava, you matter to me. And not only because your presence helps my business.”

Ava felt something unfurl in her chest.

“I want you foryou. Not for how you impress my business partners. But I must say that is an advantage.”

Ava chuckled. It was a marvel how he was able to make her laugh despite the circumstances.

“I truly, deeply care for you, Ava. And knowing that I have made you feel otherwise breaks my heart.”

Ava’s heart soared. Nothing else mattered at that moment, except for them.

She stood on her tiptoes and pulled his face down.

Edwin hesitated for a moment. “Are you certain about this, Ava?” he breathed, his voice strained.

“Yes, I do.”

The words barely left her mouth before he captured her lips with his.

Ava gasped.

He hungrily kissed her. She responded slowly at first, but soon enough, she was kissing him back with equal fervor.

The world around them had melted away. Only this moment mattered—her in his arms, their kiss deepening.

His hand rose to cradle her head, his fingers slipping in her hair. He groaned against her mouth, and she sighed.

It was thrilling, knowing that it was his desire for her that made him groan.

He broke the kiss suddenly, and she was rudely jolted back to the present, disappointed but wanting more.

His eyes searched hers, curious. She nodded, knowing that he only wanted confirmation that she needed him just as much as he needed her.