Page 20 of The Intergalactic Duke's Inconvenient Engagement

“But you’d still be saved,” Rayna pointed out. She jerked her chin at Raz without looking at him. “He’dhavecome to rescue you eventually—”

“Yes, I would have,” he said dryly, although they all ignored him.

Rayna continued, “And then you’d go home without any troubles. And I could’ve dealt with this alone.”

Her agonized guilt trembled around them, and Raz wanted to pull her into his lap again, to take her away from that pain as he’d taken her away from Blackworm’s prison.

After a moment, Lishellesank back to the cushions on the other side of Rayna from Trixie with a gusting sigh. “Sure, cuz trouble never followed nobody home as long as they pretended to forget.”

Raz frowned at her. “Life is always trouble.”

“That’s what I just said,” she shot back. Wrapping her arm behind Rayna’s shoulders, she pulled the smaller woman to her and rested forehead to forehead. “Ray-ray, you did the rightthing.”

“Not always the good thing though, is it?”

Lishelle shook their heads together. “Naw. And I like good, wrong things.” She chuckled, though it sounded half like a sob. “But you’re not alone, and we’ll figure this out together, whatever sort of trouble it is.” She sidelonged a glance at him. “You got any other supposedly good news, Duke?”

Unaccountably, he was stung. “Everyone has troubles.”

She smirked at him. “Not dukes, I bet.”

Rayna tilted her head to meet his gaze.

If only she knew.