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

He stopped in front of her, his gaze holding hers. “It wasn’t you, Anna,” 


“Then…what?” She searched his face, looking for clues. 


“I had plans when it came to you. And those plans did not include tearing your clothes from you and taking you like a damn animal.” He lifted a hand and thrust it through his hair in an unfamiliar, agitated movement. “That was not how your first time was supposed to go.” He cursed again, his gaze narrowing. Then he stepped forward, reaching out to her and drawing her close, searching her face. “Are you alright? Did I hurt you?” 


He was so warm, his hands gentle on her hips. But she remembered his intensity, remembered the hunger of his kiss, the raw demand of it. The way he’d thrust inside her without hesitation, possessive and rough. It shook her with longing right down to her soul. 


“No,” she said thickly. “No, you didn’t hurt me.” 


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