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Seth withdrew and let himself go, his own orgasm spilling through his bones and swelling his heart. When they finished, Seth relaxed, letting himself cover Prudence as he kissed her lips again, this time tenderly. They were both gasping for air, sticky with sweat.

“You are divine,” he told her, gazing into her eyes.

She pulled him down, holding him against her breast as she tried to still her breathing. Seth felt her heart pounding against his.

“I had no idea…” she said. “I did not know…”

“Did not know what?”

She drew in a breath and smiled softly. “That it could be like that. That I could take a lover. That you would be my lover.” She shook her head. “It is all utterly illogical.”

“Pru, you are an exquisitely desirable woman.”

She gave him a look that told him she didn’t believe him. Well, he liked a challenge. They still had time left together, and he was determined he’d show her exactly how desirable a woman she was.

Chapter Twelve

Prudence huffed out a breath. If Seth kept looking at her like that, they would never find an answer to his predicament. She shoved a book in front of him and flipped open the page. “Here, look at this.” She jabbed a finger at a paragraph.

His lips twitched but he said nothing, and she was aware of his gaze following her about the library. She swiveled away from the shelves, hands on hips, and eyed him with a raised brow.

“Seth, we have no time for this. Concentrate.” She motioned to the book on the desk.

“Can I help it if you are exceedingly distracting?”

She rolled her eyes. How she could distract anyone she did not know but, somehow, she believed him. Seth made her feel practically exquisite, as though no one else in the world existed. Of course, she imagined he made many women feel like that, but it was enjoyable to say the least.

That did not matter right now, however. She had promised to help him find a way out of this marriage clause and she’d damn well do it. Stacking several more books in her arm, she stomped over to the desk and set them down with a thud.

“I’m serious,” she told him. “We have a mere week. If we do not find something soon, you will either have to find a wife or give up your inheritance entirely.”

“I am aware of that,” he grumbled.

“You said the lawyer visited yesterday?”

He nodded. “To check on my progress. Of which there was nothing to report of course.”

“Any word on your siblings?”

He shrugged. “Mr. Barton would say little. Said he did not want to influence the outcome of this.” Seth thrust a hand through his hair. “Pru, I never want to doubt your marvelous brain but I have a suspicion we might not find anything.”

“We have to keep trying, Seth.” She placed her hands on either side of his head and directed his face toward the book in front of it. “And you have to concentrate.”

“Concentrate, she says,” he muttered. “Easier said than done.”

Hands to her hips, she shook her head at him. She couldn’t resist a smile, though. These past weeks of being together had been wonderful and ludicrous and had opened up a side of her that she did not realize existed. Perhaps once this was done, he would be on his way and she could not deny it would hurt, but she would have some wonderful memories to take with her.

“A kiss.”

She frowned. “Pardon?”

“One kiss and I promise I shall study hard.” He lifted a hand as though he was taking an oath.

“Very well, one kiss.” She bent over and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Seth rose from the chair. “Call that a kiss, woman?”

“Whatever do you mean?”