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R as stretched out beside her, gathering her close. Sleep tugged at the edge of his awareness, but he fought against it. He did not want to miss a second of his time with this glorious woman.

He could hardly believe his luck. He was going to have pleasure in his marriage bed. So many of his peers did not, but her responsiveness filled him with joy. And desire as well, given how quickly his cock was already responding to having her pressed tight against him.

Her eyes were drifting closed, and he watched her face as she relaxed into sleep.

He couldn’t join her, of course. It would be too easy for him to drift off and then they would face unwanted consequences in the morning.

So he let her rest while he enjoyed the feel of her body against him, the rhythm of her breath matching with his own, and the wonder of a future he planned now with meticulous attention to detail.

She didn’t believe he could love her. In truth, he was a little startled by how quickly he had tumbled into it.

As a duke, he’d had the opportunity for lovers galore and in his younger days, he had indulged as much as a randy teenager could.

But he quickly learned the emptiness of such liaisons.

And the two times he was foolish enough to think he was in love, his mother had made things crystal clear.

She hadn’t forbidden him to marry. Instead, she had told him to spend all his time with the woman for a full month.

Every second of every day and night. If he still believed he was in love, she would give him her blessing.

It was a feasible arrangement because the ladies had climbed into his bed first, then convinced him they were in love second. And so he had thrown himself into their presence, demanding their company non-stop, certain that his love for them would grow.

The first woman had lasted two weeks before he was heartily sick of her.

The second made it almost a month before he began to question her.

There were little things remembered differently between them.

Stories she told that did not make logical sense.

Bit by bit, his rationality asserted itself and he quit the woman the next day.

That was ten years ago. He’d never believed in love again.

Until now.

Looking back, he didn’t know how he could have thought that was love.

What he felt for Kynthea in a few weeks was so much richer, deeper, and truer than anything he’d ever experienced before.

This was love. It had to be. Because he was about to defy a royal command in a rather spectacular fashion in order to bind her to him permanently.

And he wanted to do it in such a way that she would never question her worth to him again.

It took nearly an hour for him to decide on a path, one he would have to implement with care. He didn’t relish the deception that it required, nor did he want to be apart from Kynthea for the next two weeks, but there was no choice in the matter.

But first he had to wake her.

“Kynthea,” he whispered as he kissed her. “Kynthea.”

She came awake with a start, her eyes wide. “Is something the matter?”

“Nothing,” he soothed. “But we can’t sleep here. We’ll be discovered.”

“Oh.” She started to get up, but he held her back.

“We need to speak about a few things first,” he said. “Then I’ll escort you back to your room.”

“Escort me?” Her lips curved in a sleepy smile. “I’m a demirep now. I don’t think such women get courtesies.”

His expression hardened. He didn’t like her saying that word much less putting herself in that class. “If you are my mistress now, then I get to establish a few rules of my own.”

Some of the dreamy happiness in her eyes faded, and he cursed himself for what he was about to say. Especially when her gaze dropped as if she were surrendering to him.

“Of course, Your Grace. What do you require?”

He groaned at her formality. “First off, you’ll call me Ras when we’re in private.”

She nodded and bit her lip. Very impish of her. “Very well,” she said. “Ras.”

“Good.” He kissed her lips to show he wasn’t annoyed, and he indulged until he felt her relax against him. “I have the housing of you now, correct? And you’ll wear what I ask, yes?”

She swallowed. “Yes.”

“Then I’ll tell you now that I want you to stay at your aunt’s house through Zoe’s presentation at court. That’s in three weeks, yes?” Both the Regent and Zoe’s father had suggested he attend.

“I believe so, but I don’t think my aunt—”

“Leave that to me. I’ll speak with Zoe’s father as soon as I can. They’ll treat you with respect or I’ll know the reason why.”

She winced. “Even a duke can’t declare such a thing about another man’s house.”

“You’d be surprised what a duke can accomplish when he puts his mind to it.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he continued. “I’ll pay for your court gown, of course. Make sure it is worthy of your association with a duke.”

“A gown!” she gasped. She was so startled that she pulled out of his arms to look at him more directly. “You cannot think that I’ll be allowed to go.”

“On the contrary, you will go with Zoe as her cousin. You will be introduced to the Regent—”

“No!”

“Yes.” There was no leniency in his voice. “You will do as I say in this.”

She gaped at him. “I can’t. My aunt will refuse.”

He touched her face with a long, gentle stroke. “She will not. Leave that to me.”

“Because I am your mistress now?”

He shrugged. “If that’s what it takes to get you there.”

She shook her head. “You cannot manage it,” she stated flatly. “But if by some miracle you do, I will go.” Her lips curled. “And I will wear a dress fit for a princess.”

“I expect you to hold to your word.”

“I expect you will apologize for your failure in a most gracious manner.”

She had no idea what he could do. “You must learn to not be afraid of good things happening to you.”

Her expression softened. “And you will learn that sometimes a guarded heart is necessary and reasonable.”

He pulled himself upright and imitated his stuffiest relative. “I am not a reasonable man. I am a duke.”

She laughed and kissed his upturned chin. “You are both, Your Grace.” And when he shot her a hard look, she quickly amended her words. “Ras. And I couldn’t be more pleased to be your paramour.”

She was going to be a great deal more than that, but at the moment, he let the word pass. “I’m going to order the servants to set up a bath for you in the morning. It’ll be in here.”

“Here!”

“I do not want them to wake you before time. Filling a bath can be a lengthy process.”

“There’s no need—”

“There’s every need. You may feel good now…” He let himself caress her hip to emphasize how good she felt to him. “But in the morning, there may be soreness.”

“I will be fine.”

“You will listen to what I say. I will have them set up a bath for you. Take your time in it. I have some things to discuss with my steward. And Mr. Barnes. And…” He groaned as he dropped his head onto her shoulder.

“Damnation, if I allowed myself to think of all the people in line to speak with me, I shall go mad.”

“I can help you with that, you know,” she offered quietly. “I often helped organize things for my father. And when he grew ill, he left many things to me.”

He didn’t think she could be more perfect, and yet here she was proving him wrong. “I should like that very much.”

She grinned, kissed him deeply, then when he was about to press her into the sheets again, she scrambled backwards and grabbed her dress. “If I am to leave this chamber before dawn, it should be now.”

She was right. And yet, he was man enough to regret the necessity. Indeed, his cock was becoming increasingly manly by the second.

“We are agreed then?” he pressed. “You will stay with your aunt and uncle. And for now, no more talk of being my paramour.” He pushed up from the bedsheets. “It would embarrass them and do no good for me either.”

“A secret then,” she said, and he thought there was a note of relief in her voice.

“For now, yes. Eventually, everyone will know the truth.” Including her.

She finished pulling on her dress. He kept her ripped shift to dispose of properly later. Then she looked at the empty envelope that had once contained the French letter. “I’ll need to get some more.”

Good that she wanted to do that again. It reinforced that the experience had been good for her. “I’ll manage that.”

“You won’t forget?”

As if he could forget anything about her. “I swear it.”

She nodded, accepting his word. He pulled on his dressing gown before crossing to his bedroom door. Pulling it open, he saw the hallway was empty. Nodding he reached for her, but when she went to go through his door, he pulled her tight.

“Soon we will not worry about such things,” he whispered. Then he kissed her with all the desire building inside him again. And when they separated, he was gratified to see she was as flushed as he felt. “You dazzle me.”

“You overwhelm me,” she returned. “And I have never been so happy to drown.”

He didn’t like the image, but this was not the time to argue. Instead, he held out his arm as if he were escorting the queen. She set her fingers upon him in an equally formal manner, and together they walked as proper as royalty. Well, royalty who wore nothing more than the flimsiest of coverings.

“My mother has clothing here. I’ll get you one of her shifts,” he said as they made it to her bedroom door.

“Won’t she realize—”

“Hush,” he said pressing his lips to hers. “Trust me.”

“I do.”

Two very beautiful words. He intended to make her say them again very soon.

He was stepping away when she gasped. He looked up sharply only to find her holding something out to him—his ruby crest. How his heart stopped to see it in her hand. Damn it, he wanted his crest on her.

“Ras,” she said. “You need to take this back.”

“You should keep it,” he said. “So you know I am serious.”

She laughed, but the sound held a note of sadness. “I have made my choice, and I don’t regret it.” She took his hand and pressed it back into his palm. “I do not need this to have faith in you. Indeed, I have set all my hopes upon you.”

He curled his fingers around the jewelry. When it was time, she would wear his ring for all to see. But it wasn’t time yet.

“I will not fail you, Kynthea.”

“I believe you,” she said, and he knew she lied.

Kynthea believed only to a certain point and no further. It was up to him to show her that more was possible.