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He kissed his way back up her body and lay beside her, with one hand thrown over his face. She tried to come up with an explanation for why he could be quiet but came up short but instead chose to enjoy the reprieve silence gave her.

She wondered if that would be all between them. Not that she would complain because she was already sore tired and struggled to keep her eyes open but she had promised him she would complete her duty.

It felt weird lying next to him fully naked when he was fully clothed but her body felt too sore for her to lift a limb.

She let her eyes roam down his body and when she noticed the bulge in his breeches, she gasped and turned away from him, her eyes trailing back of their own accord.

He looked big and she wondered if she would really be capable of performing her duty to him. She could trust him to not hurt her bit she still feared the pain she had heard would come with their consummation.

"Your grace." She started.

"Yes?" He answered.

"Are you..." She started, her eyes trailing down to his member and then back to his face. "Am I not going to help you with anything?"

ChapterThirteen

"Are you...Am I not going to help you with anything?" Anthony heard her ask while he lay back trying to calm his heart.

He had never desired a woman as strongly as he desired the slight woman beside him. She had been so responsive, so trusting and she had not at all acted as though she would rather be anywhere else than in his arms.

He searched her eyes now even as she asked. He didn't see any repulsion in her eyes, only a desire to please him and he wondered for a moment if she actually desired him too.

He had heard her say she wanted him but he couldn't believe them. Not after he had seen the fear in Rose's eyes when she had first seen him and how other women had paled when they looked at him.

He couldn't trust her.

Not fully.

A woman capable of conniving to steal her sister's fiancé the way she had was not to be trusted.

She could only be playing the plot of a devoted wife until he set up her accounts and then her true nature would shine through.

He rose from the bed, not looking back at her.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked again. "I am sorry I don't know much of what to do but if you were to teach me I could do my duty."

Her words seemed so true that he was tempted to go back to her and sink himself into her sweet warmth but he couldn't trust her and as such he would keep away from her.

"You forget I warned you that you would pay for your deception." He said still not looking back at her. "I do not take kindly to people using such means to trap a husband."

"But Your grace..."

"Good night."

He stepped out of the room hurriedly so he would not see her expression even though he tried to tell himself he didn't care. He met his mother outside his study doors having a satisfied smile on her face.

"What is it, mother?" He asked with a frown. "I do not wish to be disturbed now."

"I just came to see if you would come here tonight and I wasn't wrong." She shrugged, opening the door and stepping in. "You ran away, didn't you?"

"Mother, I..."

"The staff reported they heard happy sounds coming from your chambers and I was headed there to see for myself but alas here you are."

He frowned, turning to her.

"Mother, why are the activities in my bedroom of any concern to the household staff?"