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

Cedric on the other hand was the most supportive husband. He'd even moved back into the room opposite hers so he could help with the baby. The connecting door was never locked, and sometimes it even stayed open. Neither of them spoke of their feelings or the future. Their brief moment at the hospital was never spoken of, and Anna was honestly satisfied with it. She didn't want anything to ruin this new found peace and understanding, and she wanted everything to stay the way it was… At least for a while longer. 


They kept their hands to themselves too, but sometimes she'd look up and find him staring at her so intensely. She'd been with Cedric long enough to know what that look meant, but he never made a move. 


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