Page 41 of His Stolen Duchess (Stolen by the Duke #7)

FOUR MONTHS LATER

L ysander picked up Henry and tossed him into the lake. He screamed out in pleasure as his body flew through the air, followed by a large splash, and erupted from the water with a high-pitched laugh.

“Me next!” Colin shouted.

“No, I’m next. Please, Uncle Lysander!”

“Don’t worry, I plan on throwing you both into the lake,” he told them.

All of Georgina’s sisters were there with their husbands and children, along with Francis and Thomas, who were family to Lysander. He might have lost a brother when he was ten, but he had gained one in Thomas.

I should tell him that. He needs to know how much he means to me.

He and Georgina were hosting a house party, and it was a joy to share his private lake with everyone.

The gazebo was being put to good use by those who wished to shelter within it.

One of those people was Francis, who already had a belly full of whisky and looked out at his growing family with a deep sense of satisfaction.

Lysander caught Ambrose’s attention as he walked past to get more drinks for himself and Emily. “Don’t forget about the whist game later tonight. It’s our turn to destroy the other two.”

Ambrose diverted his walk to get closer to Lysander, and he patted him warmly on the shoulder. “I’ve been looking forward to it all week. Vincent paid me a visit on Monday, and he wouldn’t stop talking about how he and Oliver were going to destroy us. I can’t wait to wipe the smile from his face.”

“I do love these friendly games,” Lysander laughed.

Ambrose continued on his way, and Lysander turned back to the two boys.

“All right, which one of you is first?” He didn’t wait for them to argue about it and chased after them, grabbing the first nephew he could lay his hands on and tossing him into the lake before quickly grabbing the second and doing the same.

“I’m next! I’m next!”

Lysander laughed before turning around—he knew that voice. When he turned around, he laughed even more to see Thomas standing with a wide smile on his face and a glass of cognac in his hand.

“Don’t tempt me,” Lysander warned.

“Ah, maybe later.” Thomas took a step forward and hugged Lysander.

“It’s good to see you, old chap,” Lysander said. “This is a family affair, and you are family. I hope you know that.”

“You… um…” Thomas grinned tightly.

Thomas’s loss of words almost made Lysander tear up.

“I wanted to talk to you alone,” Thomas said.

“If anyone else approaches, I’ll toss them into the lake. What do you need to talk about?”

Thomas looked around to make sure no one could overhear them. “Lady Eastbeck. There have been some developments.”

“Has she returned?” Lysander asked.

“No, I don’t think she would dare after you spoke to her, and that goes doubly now after what’s happened. She will be talked about by the ton for a long time. I don’t believe she will be able to show her face around here again. Your threats worked to make her leave, and now, she’s gone for good.”

“And?” Lysander asked. “What has happened?”

“Apparently, her husband found out where she had gone, and he went over to France to confront her. Well, I say confront her—he went over there to divorce her after finding out she had shacked up with another man. From what I hear, she claimed for the past three months to be suffering from hysteria and had to stay in a sunnier climate to cure it. The poor sod was sending her money every week, and she was using that money to fund her lifestyle with Lord Abbington.”

“Her husband—or ex-husband—is the one I feel most sorry for,” Lysander admitted. “If I were ever caught in a situation like that, I would leave the country, too. Although with his ties to London, perhaps he can’t.”

“Who knows,” Thomas said. “Who knows?”

“Three’s a crowd. They should all be plucked!”

Lysander burst into a guffaw and looked up to see Mr. Squawksby perched on a branch above him.

“You certainly have a way with words and a daring that most of us lack!” Lysander called up. He reached into his pocket, fished out a piece of dried fruit, then tossed it up into the air.

They hadn’t practiced the maneuver more than twice in the last month, but the piece of fruit flew close enough for the parrot to grab it in mid-air.

“So, tossing children into lakes, tossing fruit to parrots, what other parlor tricks do you have up your sleeve, Lysander?” Thomas asked.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.” Lysander winked.

“Lysander!”

The Duke’s attention now centered on his wife, who sat on the edge of the lake, but on the opposite side where the children weren’t jumping and splashing. The lake had been divided—naturally—into two areas: One for children and one for adults.

“Excuse me.” Lysander left Thomas and went to see his wife.

The terror brought on by loving someone so deeply had disappeared quickly, but there was a new fear growing.

“I was thinking about going for a swim and thought you might like to join me,” Georgina said. “Everyone in the water looks like they are having so much fun.”

“Yes, of course, but don’t you think you should be resting. I mean… you know.”

“I’m sure it will be fine, my love. It won’t exhaust me.”

“I know, I know, but I worry about Dottie,” he pointed out.

“Yes, but she is doing fine. And that was all thanks to you.”

There had been some minor complications in Dottie’s pregnancy, but she had overcome them with lots of rest and was recovering in a private residence paid for by Lysander until she could return to work.

“What is all this about?” Ava asked from close by.

“Nothing, Ava,” Georgina replied. “I don’t eavesdrop on your conversations.”

“I didn’t know your public conversation in front of everyone spoken at a regular volume was top secret. Now, what is this about not exerting yourself? Are you…?”

Georgina looked at Lysander and smiled. “I think the cat is out of the bag.”

“Are you?” Ava squealed.

“What’s going on over here?” Emily asked as she ran over to be a part of the conversation.

“Georgie is… I don’t know if it’s my place to say,” Ava said.

“Go ahead.” Georgina shook her head and smiled.

“She’s pregnant!” Ava announced.

Emily squealed and jumped up and down. Juliana soon joined them, and the three sisters crowded around Georgina, embracing her and exclaiming their congratulations. There were only a few of them around Georgina, but it felt like she was surrounded by a crowd.

“I think you need some time with your sisters,” Lysander told her.

Before he left them to it, he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching how happy the four of them were. He was terrified that he was soon to be a father, but it was the happiest he had ever been in his life.

Georgina stroked her husband’s chest, running her fingers through his hair, twisting some of the tufts a little before letting them go. She ran her hand over the area, exploring his body as she’d done many times before, but never tiring of rediscovering the same things.

“Today was a good day,” she said.

“It was.” Lysander had one arm around her, his hand clasping her right buttock, and his other hand stroked her cheek and ran fingers through her hair.

“They were so happy for us,” Georgina continued. “I hadn’t planned anything special to tell everyone, but that felt perfect, didn’t it?”

“It was perfect because you are perfect.” He kissed her on the top of her head.

They were both covered in a thin sheen of sweat, their bodies entwined after they had made love to each other.

Lysander was still in command of her, but he had become much gentler and tender now that she was with child.

She enjoyed it, but she also looked forward to when the child was born and he could ravage her like before.

Lysander brought his hand down her naked body, drawing a path over one breast, lingering for a couple of seconds on her nipple, before resting on her growing belly. He stroked her stretched skin gently back and forth.

“You are so beautiful,” he said. “I couldn’t keep my hands off you before, but now that you are pregnant, you have a radiance. I need to feel you in my grasp, to be inside you again.”

“What about resting?” she replied coyly.

“This is why you must rest,” he said. “You need your energy for the bedroom. I have desires that can’t be satisfied by anything or anyone else.”

“Then you had better satisfy those desires while we’re here,” Georgina said.

Lysander growled and rolled her over onto her side, facing away from him. Her breast fell into his grip, and he tightened his hold. The other hand came to her shoulder, stroking gently up and down her arm. He pressed his body to her back.

Georgina moaned. “I need you, Lysander.”

“And you have me,” he said. His hand moved down to her rear, running over her cheeks, then between her thighs, opening her legs. He shifted his hips, and his sword thrust into her wetness.

“Oh,” Georgina moaned. “Yes!”

“Is this what you want?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s what I want,” she breathed. “I want you, Lysander.”

He was everything she ever wanted, and now she had him. He rocked gently within her, the pressure in her core building. She brought her hand to his on her breast, holding it tighter. She arched her back and moved one leg back against him to open herself more to him.

“I’m yours,” she whispered to him.

“Yes, you are.” He thrust deep into her. “You’re all mine, and I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Another thrust, and her moan became deep and animalistic.

I love you .

She could only form moans with her lips, but that was what each one meant.

I love you .

The End?