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After a year of the most perfect happiness, Att entered the dining room where Tam was fussing over table decorations, grimacing as she lined up the candles and the vases of Christmas roses. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her neck. “How is my doctor duchess?”

Tam looked up from her chore and laughed. “Still a doctor. Still your wife.” She leaned back into him and twisted to kiss him. “Still pregnant by my duke.”

He made a happy growling sound in the back of his throat, the sort he knew she loved to hear. Possessive and contented.

Since the law had changed, Tam had become one of the first women to become a licensed, practicing doctor in England. He was proud of his pioneering wildcat of a duchess. Couldn’t be more happy with everything she’d achieved.

And the one thing that they’d achieved, together.

Her dress and corset hid the beginnings of Tam’s rounded belly, but he’d seen it, kissed it, so many times in the last three months that he didn’t doubt. His duchess was pregnant with his child. He was looking forward to taking her from behind more often as the pregnancy developed. He could barely wait to feel her grow even more rounded, and see her glow with the knowledge she was carrying evidence of their love.

Being with Tam was everything he’d imagined. All the good times, and all the frustrations. The lazy mornings in bed when he made her boneless with pleasure as he licked her to completion then thrust inside her and the evenings when she arrived home exhausted and partially covered in unmentionable body fluids and needed a long bath.

“When is your family arriving?” he asked, turning her in his arms and pressing her against the table. It was late morning, and her family were due to come for lunch imminently.

“Far too soon for any of that,” she replied with mock severity, putting her fingers over his lips. “I don’t want to be treating any of them for angina pectoris.”

“Your father’s heart won’t give out.” He tugged at her skirts playfully, but he was serious. There was always time for—

The doorbell chimed.

“I don’t want to stitch up any family members on Christmas day either.” She batted his hands away even as she stood on tiptoes to kiss him. “Later. I promise. There will be time later.”

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