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Frederick remained by the door, several feet away from her, too nervous to approach her because he feared what might happen if he came too close.

It had been two days now since they had last made love, and with the buoyant mood Hannah was in, the way she was looking at him, he could see exactly what was on her mind.

“Your aunt is a menace,” he said simply. “And as I said before, it was foolish to invite her over for dinner.”

Hannah grimaced. “You were right, I admit. But…” Her grimace turned into a smile, and her eyes twinkled. “I prefer to see the positive.”

“And what positive might that be?”

“She won’t do it again,” she stated. “What is more, now she knows the truth of the matter—about us, I mean. Why, I would not be surprised if in the next day or two, she sends us an apology letter.”

“I do not want her apology.”

“Nonetheless, my aunt is no longer a problem. Also…” She smiled to herself. “I admit, I am somewhat glad that my cousin is not angry with me. Can you believe what she did?” She chuckled. “Honestly, the fact that she conspired that way…” A shake of the head.

“It was surprising.”

Her eyes twinkled again. “And most welcome. No doubt she has spent the last two weeks fretting, believing her mother’s lies,thinking that she had ruined my life. When nothing could be further from the truth.”

Hannah, seeing Frederick still standing by the door, sauntered toward him, the look in her eyes sensual.

Frederick stayed where he was, even wishing that he might have been able to take a few steps back. Alone with his wife finally, the look she fixed him with, knowing that Amelia was in bed sound asleep, he felt that familiar pull deep in his belly. Eyes flicking over her gorgeous body, thoughts drifting to what he would do with it, he very nearly decided to leave their conversation for tomorrow… to have one final night of pleasure before everything would surely go to hell.

“Now…” She could read his mind, licking her lips as she came closer. “I should warn you, Frederick, I have had a few drinks. So my inhibitions are lowered. Try not to take advantage, if you can resist.” A soft giggle as she swept into him.

She reached for his hands and took them. She stepped closer, pressing her body against his. Her breath was warm on his neck as she leaned in, purring gently, her fingers stroking his hands and his body already shaking at just the thought of the pleasure he could coax from her body at any moment.

And Frederick, again, nearly gave in. Pulse rising. Temptation surging. Oh, how he wanted to…

“We need to talk,” he somehow managed, pulling his hands free and stepping around her. “Now.”

“Oh…” She blinked, looking hurt. “What… what do we need to talk about?”

He looked at her. “I think you know.”

She grimaced. “The dinner party. You… you know what I was doing, I take it?”

“Clever,” he said, forcing himself not to smile at the sheer cheek of it. “Flaunting your happy family in front of me while forcing me to be congenial for the sake of reputation.”

She tried for an innocent smile. “Is that what I was doing?”

“Hannah,” he warned.

Her face dropped. “Well, alright, if you must know—even though you have already guessed it. Yes, I was trying to force your hand. Happy?”

“Should I be?”

“Admit it,” she said. “You had fun tonight. Putting my aunt aside, everything else—you saw how happy my sisters are. And their husbands. You saw the joy that overtook them when they spoke about their children.”

“I am not the Duke of Hayward or the Duke of Walford.”

“I never said you were.”

“Their circumstances are?—”

“Not so different,” she pointed out. “When my sisters married them, neither of them wished it. Nor did their husbands, for that matter. But they took a chance, Frederick. They took that chance, and I know they don’t regret it for a moment!”

“That may be so, but as I said, I am not them.” He was looking right at her, forcing himself because she needed to see that he was not joking with her. This was as serious a moment as he could have imagined. “And while I understand the point you are trying to make…” He clicked his tongue. “I thought I made myself perfectly clear.”