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“What are you doing here? Is anything the matter?” Her wide brown eyes searched his.

Rhysand had prepared a script while he cleaned himself about how this was to go but found he could not so much as say a word as he took his wife in. She had on a cotton nightdress made with white lace that clung to her frame and left close to nothing to the imagination. Her thick brown hair hung in long graceful curves behind her, with a few tendrils over her shoulders.

Had her hair always been this long and bountiful?

The robe she covered with, hung loosely from her shoulders, and the soft ivory flesh, beckoned to him. Begging for him to sink his teeth into it and revel in the taste of her. The light fabric of her night dress suggested jutting breasts and a narrow waist he could not wait to wrap his fingers around. Heat rushed to his legs and he hardened almost instantly.

There she stood, with a beauty that could rival Venus herself, and she seemed to be oblivious to it, to the hold she had over him in that very moment.

A vaguely sensuous light passed between them and she reached an awareness. His eyes roaming around her frame must have given him away. Her eyes shot down toward her body and she let out a loud gasp when she saw how much of her skin had been exposed to him. She rushed to cover up immediately but his hands on hers halted her movement. A current zapped through his entire body at the touch. Her eyes widened even more and her lips hung slightly apart as though she felt it too.

“Do not hide yourself from me.”

“B-but this is highly inappropriate. I–”

“I am your husband, Sunshine. There is not a thing about this that is inappropriate. It is, in fact, appropriate on all accounts,” his voice broke with huskiness.

“What do you want, Rhysand? I am sure whatever it is can wait until daybreak.”

He shook his head. “You are yet to fulfill your end of the bargain. If I remember your words correctly, you said if I wanted to try for my heir, I know where to find you…”

Penny was shell-shocked. She was not prepared for this, for him.

“I suggest it would be best to speak about this at a more appropriate time and plan for it. Tis’ your heir, the next Duke of Huxton we speak of, we cannot decide rashly–”

“Are you withholding yourself from me?” Penny blinked. Once, twice.

“I am not. I am only suggesting we get to know ourselves better, before–”

The edges of his lips tugged up in a dangerous smirk.

“We do not need to know ourselves better for this, Sunshine.” He leaned against the door frame for a moment. “The process in itself does not agree for much talking.”

As expected, Penny turned the same shade as the bottom of a radish at the vulgarity of his words. He took a bold step toward her, connecting his hands to her body in one swift movement, shutting the door behind him with his legs. A gasp escaped her lips.

“Rhysand…”

“This was a bargain, Sunshine, I upheld my end of the bargain, it is time you do the same, don’t you think?”

Penny sighed. She supposed he was right. He did provide everything that was needed for Lydia to have a successful debut, and not only was her debut successful, but she was also the most sought-after maiden in town.

“I do, but–”

“You mentioned you would love to have children to love and care for. Might as well get started in the process.” That wicked smile never left his face. She had run out of excuses, and Rhysand got her right where he wanted her.

Penny said nothing more. She kept steady eyes on Rhysand even as he guided them back to her bed, where he laid her softly on the mattress. Then he stood over her, staring down at her as though she were an expensive piece of painting he went to various lengths to obtain.

“You are b–” he caught himself before the reckless words fell from his lips. They had not even started and he already had so much to say. He had to keep his heart from her.

“What were you about to say, Your Grace?” Penny teased after he fixed his expression.

“Stand up,” Penny noticed the maddening hint of arrogance about him that made her utterly powerless to resist him.

She obeyed, hiding her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Turn around,” the order was breathy and rough. A shudder ran through Penny’s back, but she obeyed.

The moment she turned her back to him, she felt his hot breath on her neck, and then his lips connected with the flesh there, burning her entire body. She felt a ripple of excitement accompany the heat and her heart thumped uncomfortably.