She backhanded his chest. “Oh, you weresopresumptuous, Your Grace.” She made disapproving tsks at him. “Naughty, naughty, Duke.”
His cock perked up.
She noticed.
Her gaze flew back to his, a smile that was pure dissolution spreading across her face.
“Oh, I am going to have so much fun with you,” she said, and he swore he could even hear her sinful smile in her words.
“Promise?”
She gave him a quick kiss again. “Promise.”
He ran a finger down her nose. “I will always thank my bloody stars that you decided to be daring with a duke.”
She winked at him and tackled him to the blankets. He barked out a laugh and wrapped his arms tight around her. But even though he laughed, his body sighed, lightened, the weight of chains he so long lived with finally, blessedly, gone. He bloody loved this woman. So. Damned. Much.
And he showed her.
All the way until dawn.
43
Epilogue – Ash
One year later…
London
FELICITY PULLED AWAY from Ash, rolling toward the edge of the bed, and Ash threw an arm around her middle, dragging her back to him. “Ash,” she protested. “We must start getting ready.”
He pressed his lips to the nape of her neck. “Just a little while longer.”
She melted against him, and he hugged her tighter to his chest. If he could, he’d hold her forever like this, cocooned into him, quiet, at ease, nothing but their soft synchronized breaths, the comforting feel of her heartbeat against his palm.
Felicity let out a contented sigh. “I wish we could stay like this, but tonight needs to go perfectly.”
She did a delicious wiggle of her bottom. His cock gave a valiant effort at showing how much it appreciated that sweet arse rubbed up against it. But it and its owner were spent.
“Plus, we both know you need some time to recover from your duchess wearing you out.” She extricated herself from his embrace and threw him a wink.
Ash reached for her, but she jumped out of the way, a smile lighting up her face. “You know there are plenty of ways your duke can solely entertain you, Duchess. Even if I may not be ready inotherways.”
Her smile split into a full grin, and she leaned forward and pecked him on the mouth. “Nice try, love.” She straightened and grabbed a lemon drop off the night table before heading to the door connecting their chambers in their London town house.
Ash had learned quite quickly of his wife’s obsession with any and everything lemon flavored. So, in addition to Cook always including a lemon dessert on the menu, Ash had lemon drops littered throughout their homes.
“We need to get ready for this ball. It’s important,” she called back to him, all amusement fleeing her tone, a heavy seriousness left in its wake.
He slumped against the bed with a groan. “Do we have to gooo?”
“Yes, we do. For two major reasons. One, you need to be there to support your best friend. The Jennings and Stuart families will be there tonight throwing the weight of their titles and standing behind him. And truly, we need to start being seen in society.”
She turned to him in the doorway, hands planted on her hips, her thin brows set in a firm line. Determined. His warrior duchess, ready to take on the ton. “The scandal of our marriage will only grow and fester if we leave mystery to it. If we face it head on and show the ton we’re some nauseatingly in love couple, it’ll die out like a candle run out of wick.”
She turned up her nose, lifting the back of her hand to her forehead with a dramatic huff. “How dreadfully boring we’ll be. A husband and wifein love. So bourgeois.” Felicity dropped her hand and waggled her eyebrows.
“We also need this to be over with before Pandora debuts in a few years.” She pointed at him, jaw setting mulishly. “I will stop at nothing to make sure she is a success. That she has every opportunity available to her. With opportunity comes the chance to find a husband deserving of her.”
