Page 35 of The Sculptor

And we will not bow to tyrants any longer.

The end is near for our fathers—for men like Langston.

It’s time for the good to reign.

No more shame.

No more scandals.

Only a promising future.

“Excuse me. You can’t be in here.” Lucinda’s voice snaps me to attention.

“Sure, I can. I’m here to make sure her tits are ceremony ready.”

I groan, leveling a look at the man who shouldn’t be here or occupying my thoughts just now.

Thanks a lot, Vance. Some help you were.

“Dr. Potter,” I say sweetly. “I thought my fiancé agreed to the augmentation after the honeymoon?”

I honestly have no idea if Langston and Duke have been talking. I try to avoid speaking to Langston as much as possible.

Duke flashes me a cocky smile and pushes through the door, his eyes raking over me like burning coals.

The words he spoke years ago echo in my head.“Then you’ll know how I feel when someone touches what’s mine.”

It drives himmad.

And that’s exactly how he looks when he drags a chair in front of the mirror and sits directly in front of me.

“You’re interrupting my fitting,” I lie, trying to look anywhere but directly at his furious eyes.

“Your future husband disagrees.” He levels Lucinda and me with a bored look. “You’ll have to take the schedule up with him.” He motions to the door. “I’ll wait.”

Dammit. He knows I won’t ask Langston.

Sighing, I let my shoulders shrug in defeat. “Lucinda, will you give us a few minutes?”

“Thirty,” Duke adds. “This won’t take afewminutes, Lucinda.” He lounges back in the chair, spreading his legs like he’s settling in for a long argument.

“My apologies, Dr. Potter,” I say through clenched teeth before turning to Lucinda, who looks more confused than agitated. “I’ll reschedule. My apologies for the disruption.”

With an audible huff, Lucinda grabs her bags and cuts Duke a glare that says if she were twenty years younger, she might whoop his ass.

But Duke doesn’t spare her a glance. He can’t take his eyes off me.

And that’s going to be a problem.

Duke’s attention never ends well for my resolve.

When Lucinda finally disappears, I pull in a breath and face the fury that is Dr. Duke Potter. “You look rested,” I lie.

He doesn’t. Dark circles frame his gorgeous eyes.

“Where’s my heart, Ray?” He doesn’t bother with small talk. “Show it to me.”

I don’t know what makes me brave, but I refuse to let this man keep his attitude. He should know by now that if he wants a fight, a fight he will get. “No.”

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