Page 87 of From Duke Till Dawn
“Shh,” he crooned. “It’s done now. It’s over. I have you.”
But that only made her cry harder, soft little sounds escaping her mouth that broke his heart.
She swallowed hard, gulping down air. “This can’t last forever.”
The thought was a hot knife in his chest. Yet he said, “Later, love. We’ll think of that later. Tonight, you are out of danger.”
“There’s more money added to what I owe you.”
“Not a concern right now.”
“Will you go after George Lacey?”
“Depend on it.” He felt his gaze go cold. “A titan in the underworld he might be. I’m also the goddamn Duke of Greyland. Wrong me or someone I care about, he’ll find life to be unkind, indeed.”
“I believe you,” she said solemnly. A quick, hard shiver ran through her.
“A hot bath will warm you right up,” he suggested.
But she shook her head. “Take me to bed. Warm me from the inside out.”
“I need no further convincing.” With delicacy and care, he stripped off her clothes, layer by layer. The threadbare condition of her underthings didn’t escape his attention, and he set these items aside carefully, vowing to himself to buy her all manner of silk and satins covered in ribbons and lace. But that would wait. Now he needed her bare.
When she was at last naked, he took her hand and led her to the bed. He pulled back the covers, and, at his silent urging, she slipped between the sheets. He quickly undressed, heedlessly tossing his garments aside.
He slid into bed beside her. In an instant, they were in each other’s arms. And though his body responded immediately at the feel of all her naked flesh against his own, he held himself back from ravishing her. Instead, he drank in the sensation of her closeness, cradling her tightly as she pressed into him, her breath soft on his chest.
Soclose,his mind reminded him.You were so close to losing her.
He might never lose that fear. It would become a part of him always, like a scar. But scars meant one had survived, so he would embrace this and acknowledge its presence.
They held each other like that for a great while. Sometime in the small hours, she finally dozed off, her trembling subsiding until it stopped. He kept himself awake for a bit longer, keeping vigilant, absorbing the sensations of her in his arms, in his bed. And then, finally, he slept.
Chapter 19
Morning broke through the curtains, and Cassandra felt something she hadn’t in a long, long while—perhaps for the first time in her life.Peace.
She lay in Alex’s arms, and all the dangers that threatened her from every side seemed to have ebbed.
But that peace was an illusion. Even if Lacey had been paid, there were still many other investors demanding their money. When they learned that he’d gotten his investment back, they’d want the same from her. Maybe they’d even resort to other kidnappings. Her life continued to hang in the balance.
“Shh,” Alex murmured against the crown of her head. “I’ve got you.”
For how long?
A tapping sounded at the door.
“Go away,” Alex called.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace,” came the butler’s apologetic voice. “I must speak with you immediately.”
Alex rose from the bed and threw on a robe as he strode toward the door. Fortunately, he used his body to block the view of her nude in his bed. The servants clearly knew that she and Alex had been sleeping together, but she didn’t fancy parading around naked in front of them. She hadsomemorals, after all.
“What is it?” Alex demanded of Bowmore.
“Again, my most humble apologies, Your Grace,” the butler murmured. She had to strain to hear his low voice. “I would not have awakened you, except I know that Your Grace has been waiting for a female visitor. One is downstairs now, urgently asking to see you.”
“Does she have red hair?” Alex pressed.
