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“Yes, I know, and you can bestow your favors on a more willing customer.”

She shrank back in anger. “How dare you?” She sneered. “Do you know how many men would die for a night with me?”

“You should go meet them, then.”

She gasped, trying to hit him, but he gripped her hand in his and glared at her.

“There are a number of stupid things you could do, but hitting me should never be one of them.”

He threw her hands back, and she stumbled back. “Have I made myself clear?”

She nodded, before running off as fast as she could.

When he turned back to his friend, he saw a look of shock on his face.

“You should close your mouth, or the flies will go in,” he said with a sarcastic curl of his lips.

“Was that really necessary?” James asked, although his tone lacked heat.

“Was what necessary?”

“You just humiliated Lady Fallon. I know you never wanted her, but you were usually more gracious while handling it. What happened?”

“I just made my position clear. Seems to me that was the only way she was going to stay away from me.”

“I still think you could have handled it better than you did.”

The look on Alexander’s face warned him to drop that line of discussion.

“I handled it the only way I thought she would finally understand,” Alexander explained unapologetically. “If you want her for yourself, you can have her.”

“Damn you,” James said, shivering in disgust.

“I just thought you wanted her, since you want to defend her so much.”

James shook his head, obviously disappointed, but Alexander didn’t care. He wasn’t one to dally with women who made a hobby of selling their bodies, especially one who would so readily try and trap him with a pregnancy.

“Anyway, what’s your plan to tame your spitfire bride?” James asked, crossing his hands.

“I look forward to seeing what tricks she comes up with.”

They shared a laugh.

“Is she really as beautiful as they say?”

Alexander thought back to how she had come on their outing with an odd-looking hairstyle and quite possibly the ugliest dress he had ever seen, and yet she still outshone every other woman present.

He recalled how beautiful she had looked standing in front of him, even when he had backed her up against the coach and how he had wanted to kiss her.

The sound of James clearing his throat pulled him out of his train of thought.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” James smiled, rising from his seat. “I have a feeling that things are going to be very interesting from here on out.”

“How do you mean?”

“I’ll let you know in due time.” He smiled. “Come, I’m in the mood to fence.”