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His father finally breaks the silence, his voice cold. "Very well. We shall see how this plays out. Be at the manor on time."He raises a finger. “But keep this news to yourself until after dinner. There are…protocols to observe.”

William gives a curt nod, while I keep holding my breath. Worried that if I let it out, I’ll make his father snap.

With that, he turns and leaves, the tension lingering in the air long after he's gone.

William turns to me, concern etching his features. "Emily, I'm so sorry. Are you hurt? I can’t believe I dropped you,” he says, gripping my arms and looking me over, presumably looking for injuries.

“I didn't expect my father to be here."

I manage a shaky smile, trying to brush off the discomfort. "It's okay. I guess this is just part of being married to you, right?"

I glance at the perfectly made bed, with white sheets stretched taut across it. The plush pillows look like marshmallows and had the father not ruined the moment, I’ll bet that right now, I’d have my face buried in one of them. Grinning like a fool.

But now, nothing can muster a smile out of me.

William’s heavy sigh draws me back to the present. “I’ll call a locksmith. We can’t have my father waltzing in on us whenever he pleases,” he mutters, while picking up his phone.

“That would be good,” I confess. Then my heart jolts. “Us? You want me to live here?”

William looks up from his phone to give me an incredulous smile. “That is usually what happens after one gets married. One moves in with one’s husband.”

His voice and tone are giving me major Mr. Darcy vibes now. It’s almost enough to make me forget about our awkward encounter and jump into his arms.

It’s in that moment, I realize I’ll never win an argument with this man. Or stay mad at him for long.

Not with that accent, or the dimple that creases on his left cheek when he grins.

“So, you want me to move in with you?” I whisper.

William sets his phone down and steps toward me, his body and presence are commanding and heat the air between us. “Move in with me? I want you to do more than that…”

He looks into my eye with so much intensity, I swear I’m going to turn into steam and cease to exist altogether.

Oh my heck. Somebody get me a towel. I’m sweating.

His huge hands reach for my hips, and he pulls me close until I bump into him. The connection sends a flash of heat and tingles through my body. Everything begins to vibrate in me.

I’ve completely forgotten all about his father. The lies. Sasha.

His eyes zoom, and his familiar scent washes over me. Then his lips touch mine, and I swear my soul leaves my body.

All of my thoughts scatter as I wrap my arms around his neck and succumb to his kiss.

He walks me back until my butt hits the bed.

He lifts me up and plops me down.

I bounce with a slight giggle and my heart is doing the Cha-Cha while I watch him shed his clothes until he’s standing in a pair of black silk boxers.

The blue tinge light from outside dances over William’s finely sculpted torso, and I inhale sharply as he leans in for another kiss.

My fingertips snake up the contours of his back, roaming over his muscular shoulders.

He is like a Greek statue of Alexander the great. Bulges in all of the right places.

I fly back with a gasp as he pushes me on my back. And he pauses to just look at me for a moment.

The way his gaze roams my body is a stark contrast to the judging way his father observed me just moments earlier.