Page 36 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction

“But you will expect me in your bed eventually,” she pressed.

“I have no interest in a reluctant lover,” he said, his voice dropping to a silken purr. “I prefer women who beg.”

Marina blushed crimson, but her gaze never wavered. “Then you’d better lower your expectations. I am not going to beg you for anything.”

Leo couldn’t help but smirk again. “Oh, darling, you very much will.”

“Forget it?—”

“Relax, I was jesting. I told you, I have no expectations from you, but I believe you are a woman who enjoys her passions far too much to pretend otherwise.”

She shook her head. “I’ve already had one terrible relationship. How can I trust that this won’t end just as badly?”

“Because I am not your late husband,” Leo said, his voice gentle now. “If you only need protection from this marriage, that’s all you’ll get. We can establish separate households if you prefer. At least once the ton’s attention has shifted elsewhere.”

Marina still looked doubtful. “I’ve already been through one failed marriage. I won’t survive another.”

“As I said, I am not Lord Asquith,” Leo repeated firmly. “I hadn’t planned to marry, but the circumstances have changed.”

“What about heirs?” she asked suddenly. “Won’t you need a son?”

Leo’s expression darkened momentarily. “My brother can produce heirs. Once I find him.”

Marina fell silent. Her fingers twisted the fabric of her gown. It felt like forever, but finally she looked up, her blue eyes meeting his.

“I accept your proposal,” she said quietly. “But I want your word that I can leave if this ends up being a terrible mistake. That I can live separately from you.”

Relief flooded through Leo, surprising in its intensity. “You have my word.”

“And you won’t force me to?—”

“I have already said that I won’t,” he said, a hint of impatience in his tone. “I am a man of many faults, but I am not that kind of monster.”

She nodded, apparently satisfied. “Then I will marry you.”

“Good.” Leo straightened, already mentally calculating what needed to be done. “I shall acquire a special license. We can be married within days.”

“So quickly?” Marina seemed startled.

“Giles gave you a week, did he not? Best to have it settled before his deadline.”

She nodded again. Her expression was a little dazed, as if she couldn’t quite believe that she had accepted his proposal.

Leo moved toward the door then paused. “Pack what you need for now. I will send servants tomorrow to help with the rest of your belongings.”

“Is that an order, Your Grace?” A hint of her usual spirit flickered in her eyes.

“Consider it a suggestion, Duchess.” He offered a slight bow before adding, “And Marina? Try to get some sleep. You look exhausted.”

With that, he departed, his mind already racing with plans.

A special license could be obtained through his connections. Noah would stand as his witness though he’d undoubtedly have questions about this sudden decision. The Clarkshires would likely support Marina.

It wouldn’t be the typical society wedding expected of a duke, but it would serve its purpose. Marina would be safe from Giles’s threats, and he would be free from the literary exploitation of his personal life.

If he felt a flicker of unease at the decisiveness with which he’d bound himself to a woman he barely knew, Leo quickly suppressed it.

This solved a mutual problem, nothing more.