Page 96 of The Duke's Virgin

The ache that had lived inside me ever since I all but ran from his room expanded, threatening to split me in two. “You’ve already humiliated me, threatened me. What in the hell was so important that you had to come across the damn ocean for?”

“I…” His lids drooped briefly, then he met my eyes once more. “To apologize.”

I jerked back. “No.”

I moved away so fast, I nearly tripped, would have if he hadn’t steadied me, but I’d have rather gone down on my ass, hard, than have him touch me. I wrenched away and kept backing up.

“Go away,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t want to hear this. Understand? I don’t want tohearit!”

“Stacia—”

“Shutup!” The word ripped out of me in a broken plea. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to humiliate me, throw me out of your bed minutes after you got done fucking me, accuse me oflyingto you, ofusing youfor money, trying to trick you into marrying me, then show up weeks later and think you can sayI’m sorryand all’s good and well.”

Luka stared at me from under his lashes for a long, tense moment.

“I didn’t come tosayI’m sorry, Stacia,” he finally said.

I stiffened, and once more, that familiar humiliation washed over me.

But I had no real chance to process it, or anything else because Luka went to his knees in front of me.

“I’m here tobegyour forgiveness.”

One of the cracks in my heart widened, and something seeped out. Pressing my lips together, I shifted my attention back to the lake and crossed my arms over my chest.

“I was wrong,” Luka said, apparently determined to continue this farce whether I looked at him or not. “I was so wrong. I reacted out of fear and instinct…and want. Want, misery, and frustration.”

My stunned gaze whipped around to meet his. He remained where he’d been, kneeling in front of me, head bowed, voice rough. But, as if sensing my gaze, he lifted his head, and the seductive amber of his eyes met mine. “Iwantedto believe you. Some part of me even did, but I crushed it, smothered it, and buried it. It was too risky, me falling in love with you. I…well…I’ve been groomed from childhood knowing I’d be looking for a bride with specific ties, connections to the aristocracy.” A dull red washed over his cheeks, and he looked away. “Freedom to marry whomever I wished was never encourage. I was expected to find a wife, one somehow connected to one of the royal families, or who at least had ties to the aristocracy. It’s just how things are done.”

“Yes, I heard you when you told me about the rules aboutmarrying well,” I said, the knot in my throat so big I could barely speak around it. “But I don’t recallaskingif we could get married. I certainly never told you I wanted that, so I don’t know where you’re going with this.”

“Iwanted it.” His gaze roamed over my face as I struggled not to react to what he’d just said. “Everything in my life was drifting by just fine. Then came you. Everything I never realized I wanted.”

“Stop.” Holding up a hand, I backed away.I wanted it. I wanted to clap my hands over my ears and block those words out. But it was too late.

He started to rise, and I spun away.

I reached the door, but not in time.

“Listen, Stacia…please.” He caught up with me before I could twist the knob and duck inside, his body crowding into mine, one hand gripping my hip while the other held the door closed. “Please…just hear me out.”

I don’t want to.

I kept the words clenched behind my teeth through sheer will. Pressing my forehead to the glass in front of me, I focused on the cool, smooth surface and how it felt against my skin.

Taking my silence as acquiescence, Luka started talking once more. “Even from the first night, things were different. I didn’t want to think about how different, but I felt it even then.” His thumb swept across my hip and the top I wore, not quite long enough to reach the waistband of my skirt, slid up so that the calloused surface brushed against skin.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

No, no, no…

“Every time I thought I wouldn’t see you again, you turned back up, making it that much harder to put you out of my head, but I kept telling myself it reallywouldbe the last time. You’d return to New York, and I’d stay in Luxembourg City, and that would be that. That’s how everything was supposed to turn out.”

His voice had dropped down, rough and low, making things inside me feel weak and needy, but I clenched my knees and jaw, refusing to give in.

“Thatishow it turned out.” Opening my eyes, I stared through the glass into the brightly lit, cheery kitchen where I’d shared breakfast with Emmett and his parents. “Go back to Luxembourg, Luka. Leave me alone. I won’t be going back there, and I promise never to botheryouagain.”

“Youbotherme every minute of every day. You have from the first time we spoke.” He gathered my hair into his fist and pulled it aside, bearing my neck. “I close my eyes, and I see your smile. I sleep, and you’re there with me. I wake up, and you’re gone…because of me.”

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