Page 23 of Her Duke Next Door
“My lady…”
“Do not,” she whispered. “I have lived for the sake of men my whole life, Your Grace, and I am tired of it. If this is my final act of doing that before I accept a life of misery, then so be it but I know this time, it is for the sake of my daughter.”
“And when Eloise grows up and realizes her mother chose a life of unhappiness for her sake? It shall be unwanted guilt. Please listen to me. You want to protect Eloise, I understand that. It might not seem like it to you due to my own familial matters but I understand. You protect Eloise, yes, but who protectsyou?”
She went silent. The Duke was wrong; he did not understand. He could not even protect his own daughter from the pain he caused her. How did he think he could protect her?
“Answer me,” he urged, his voice dropping to that smooth, velvety command again. It made her shiver, despite her resilience to resist him. “Who protectsyou? That man certainly does not have your best interests at heart but I do not think you need me to tell you that, do you?”
Reluctantly, she shook her head.
Ahead of them, down by the oak tree, Eloise tossed the ball into the tree branches accidentally. Mary watched as Katie began to climb up the trunk. Dominique looked disinterestedly.
“I trust her,” he answered the question she did not get the chance to ask.Will you not stop her so she does not hurt herself? “I believe children learn best by mistakes. If she falls, she will know whether she wants to risk it again.”
Mary let out an incredulous laugh. “And yet you talk of protection. I am done trusting men, Your Grace, and that includes you. Sothank youbut I do not want your protection.”
Together, they watched as Katie retrieved her ball and the two of them played catch together all the way back up to the house, disappearing inside for their reward of cake.
“But you need the protection,” Dominique continued, once the girls were inside. “Are you so willing to give up the countryside? I see how much you enjoy it. You seem happy here.”
“Do not pretend to know me,” she snapped. “My whole misfortune has come down upon me because of my trusting men and their smooth words. At least Hugh Yore has been upfront about his dishonorable, tricky intentions.”
“I do not pretend to know you, my Lady. I amaskingto get to know you.” He met her eyes. “Please let me protect you.”
“No.” Mary stood up and made to leave. “Besides, if my brother hears about Hugh Yore’ mistreatment of me or my daughter, he shall challenge him to duel so I cannot have any fuss. I must go, and I must make it look willing.”
Dominique grabbed her wrist before she could walk past him to go inside. She stopped, her breath hitching. He pulled her closer. One more tug and she would be sprawled on his lap indecently.
“You stop at nothing for your daughter, so why not stop at nothing for yourself, too?”
She wanted to sob. Why was he pushing so much? What was her happiness to him?
“What do youwantfrom me, Your Grace?” She tugged away but he held her steady and tightly. Strangely enough, she did not feel trapped or pinned. If anything, the warmth of his hand was so pleasant, clasped around her wrist as his eyes gazed at her intently.
“I believe I have made myself clear,” he murmured. Idly, his thumb brushed the pulse in her wrist, sliding up as far as he could to reach her palm. She did not try to pull away this time.
“Our truce does not include us being friends, Your Grace,” Mary said, trying one more attempt to leave quietly. That was what she had been taught: please men, do not make a fuss, and take the safest option. Something told her that Dominique, although handsome, was not the safest. He was thrilling and made her heart skip, but that did not provide safety and security.
“It can do,” he replied coolly. “Who is to say our truce cannot make us friends?”
“We have completely different views on life and parenting,” she argued lightly.
“That does not mean I cannot protect you.”
“You are barely ever in your castle. What if you go traveling again and Lord Yore returns? What then?”
He only smiled at her, a demure thing, as if he held all the playing cards. He made that final tug on her arm until she had no choice but to brace herself against his shoulders so as not to collapse on him. Her face burned as she realized the sort of view he might have if he just slid his gaze further down.
“My lady,” he murmured, his eyes searching her face. He was so handsome, and she could not look away. A strand of hair fell over his forehead, between his brows, making him look quite boyish. “Will you ever stop being so defensive?”
She parted her lips to answer but before any words could come, Dominique surged upward, cupping her face. He gazed at her a moment before his mouth met hers. Mary let out a surprised sound that was muffled against his lips, resisting for a second, before she melted into his kiss with a soft, content moan.
How long had it been since she had been kissed?
This kiss was wreathed in passion and desire, and part of Mary wanted to protest that their children were not too far away but they would look away, she hoped. She found that her mind began to pleasantly empty, and she went limp against the Duke.
She sank toward him, half sprawled across his lap, as she had prevented herself from doing moments before.
