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

Anna turned in his arms, curling her hands into fists, hitting him on his damp, bare chest, wanting to hurt him for what he’d done to her and to their child. 


“I hate you,” she said thickly. “I hate you so much.” 


He only caught her fists in his and gathered them together, bringing them to his mouth and kissing her knuckles. His eyes were very dark, almost black. 


“I’m sorry, Anna,” he said in a low, rough voice. “I’m so very sorry for hurting you. And you have every right to be angry. Take it out on me. You can hurt me; I deserve it.” 


 His heat took all the strength from her. All she could do was look up into his face. “Why?” Her voice was hoarse and broken. “What are you doing here? What did you come back for? To hurt me some more?” 


“I hoped my swimming would bring you to me.” He cupped her face between his palms. “Because I’ve come back to claim what is mine. You. You and our child.” 


“I don’t understand. You didn’t want me. You told me—” 


52