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“I want you.”

His eyelids flutter at the admission, as though he wants to close his eyes and savor the words. “But?” he asks.

Nothing, I wish to say. My body yearns to make him mine.

I ignore what it wants. “But there are still too many secrets between us. I will not have you when I don’t fully know you. I want all of you. Not only the parts you think I can handle.” The words come to me so effortlessly, as though I’m not even consciously thinking them up.

“Then let’s fix that,” he suggests.

“What do you mean?”

“We lay it all out there in the open. All our secrets.”

“What, now?” I ask.

“No.” He chuckles. “I can’t think straight right now. I need to cool off first. But soon.”

“Tomorrow?” I ask, putting a tone of hopefulness into my voice.

“All right. Tomorrow. We’ll go somewhere. Just you and me.”

Victory surges throughout my limbs. “I’d like that.”

“Me too.”

I clasp my hands in front of me, not sure what to do with them now. Within me, hunger and triumph still fight to come out on top.

“Take the carriage back to the manor,” Eryx offers. “I need a moment to myself.”

“How will you get home?”

“I’ll manage.”

“All right.”

I turn around, but before I reach the door, there’s pressure at my wrist. Eryx spins me around and captures my lips in another kiss.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” he says.

“Me too.”

It’s not even a lie.

THE DUKE IS NOT AT BREAKFAST,but that’s not unusual for him. He promised we’d speak today, and there are many hours in a day. It doesn’t need tohappen first thing. So I eat what I can manage through my nerves and excitement.

I sit in the parlor afterward, thinking perhaps Eryx will materialize. He doesn’t.

After fidgeting in an armchair for fifteen minutes, I start walking. I think to perhaps go outside, but that will leave me alone with my thoughts. I think it would be far better to have a distraction.

So I go to the library, where I stumble upon Kyros and Nico.

Kyros sits on one of the lounge chairs, with little Nico in his lap, a book held open between the two of them. At the sight of me, Kyros stands and places Nico on the floor.

“No need for that,” I say. “So sorry to interrupt.”

“Duchess, I found a new frog in the creek today. Papa was helping me to iden-i-fy it.”

“Iden-ti-fy,” Kyros corrects.