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 wondered where the conversation was going as he asked, “Are you happy here…With me, Anna?” 


She nodded after a few seconds, “I am, Cedric,” she replied. 


He seemed pleased with her response because he smiled, almost as he was relieved, but he continued to hold her hand in his, “I'm glad you are,” he continued, “Because all I want is for things to remain the way they are. It would kill me if anything changed between us, Anna. All I want is you. I want our child. Our family. That’s what I want. That’s what I always wanted.” 


Anna swallowed, her chest tight, her voice stuck in her throat. “Cedric…what are you saying?” 


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