The Duke was standing in the middle of the room, his hands in his pockets, his head tilted to one side. It was a relaxed, casual pose, and yet the way he looked at her was anything but casual. The deep midnight of his eyes burned and he radiated a subtle, sensual energy that made the air around him crackle. 

He looked like a man who’d never heard the word ‘no’ in all his life. Unluckily for him, ‘no’ was the only word she had.

“There's no reason why I should stay,” Anna clasped her shaking hands together in an effort to still them. “I’m not marrying you.”

His gaze flickered, his mouth curving slightly, and she had the disturbing thought that far from putting him off, her insistence was only inciting him further.
“But you haven’t heard my proposal yet,” he said mildly. “Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“I don’t need to hear it. I already know that my answer will be no.”

“Of course. But you can hardly tell your father that you heard me out when you haven’t, in fact, heard me out…. Anna.” 



A LADY FOR A DUKE

Oh, she’d wanted him so badly. His heat and his hands on her. Wanted the electricity that danced between them. Wanted his danger, his wicked edge. 


Wanted his hunger for her to consume him as much as she was consumed by her own. And it had. She’d loved him ripping her nightie from her and her lacy underwear too. Loved how he’d held her in his arms. Loved how he hadn’t even stopped to undress properly, before spreading her thighs, and thrusting deep inside her. 


It hadn’t hurt. It hadn’t even felt strange. It had felt right and perfect, as if he was supposed to be there. As if they were supposed to be joined in this way, a raw, elemental meeting, creating magic between them. 


Anna looked up at him, still dazed, meeting his eyes. And she opened her mouth to tell him how amazing he was and how wonderful he’d made her feel, when he pushed himself off her abruptly and stepped out through the door that led to the balcony before she could say a word. 


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