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She kissed him again, and wound up spread across his chest as he kissed her in return. She wriggled, so very satisfied at the sensation of lying completely naked—stripped of all pretense—with this man.

Her husband.

“Say my name?” she whispered.

Alistair’s lips curled up on one side. This close, she could kiss his nose without stretching.

“Liv,” he whispered in return.

Now that she had a moment to marvel at his voice, she realized it was raspy, little more than a whisper.

Her fingers caressed the scars at the base of his throat. “This is why you lost your voice? The same carriage accident which broke your legs?”

His hand came up to cover hers. “…wheels,” he croaked.

The wheels ran over his legs, then his chest? Or vice versa. It was a miracle he survived.

“And the wheels damaged your vocal cords?” she guessed. “Where they attach to your throat and chest?”

He nodded.

And she kissed him again. When she lifted her head, her hair cascaded around them, blocking out the world. “So you didn’t lose your voice, Mr. Refuses To Go Into Society.”

His frown was fierce, and made her giggle.

“Apologies, Your Grace.” She kissed his nose. “My Lord Refuses To Go Into Society.”

Alistair’s nod was arrogant, and she giggled again.

“You really can speak, Alistair,” she sighed, propping her chin up on her fists on his chest. “That’s…that’s incredible. Who knows?”

His shrug almost dislodged her, but he decided to answer her. “Ye.”

“Only me?”

At this angle, his head propped on the pillows, she imagined it was difficult to nod curtly, but he did. Her smile bloomed.

Only her. He’d shared this miracle only with her.

But her sense of wonder soon fizzled. “Your family deserves to know, Alistair. Your sisters were telling me how much they missed hearing your voice.”

His mouth tugged into an immediate frown.

“They love you,” she whispered.

And I’m beginning to think I love you too.

His tongue flicked over his lips before he rasped, “…They…dinnae ken.”

He sounded like the bird.

He had the same Scottish brogue as Hamish—as his father?

It was amazing to hear his voice, even if it sounded painful. He’d said it didn’t hurt him to speak, but she wasn’t sure that was the truth.

“Alistair, I don’t want you to force yourself to speak—for me—if it hurts you.”

One side of his lips curled ruefully as Alistair’s arm wrapped around her arse and pulled her up his body. “Some things…worth.”