“I suppose you were right to call me your queen,” she said lightly.
“I do know a queen when I see one.” He licked the shell of her ear, eliciting a pang of desire.
She smiled. “So modest, husband.”
“Modesty was never one of my virtues.” He kissed her temple, inhaling deeply. “Mmm. Have I told you that I adore your scent?”
“Perhaps a time or two,” she murmured, enjoying his praise, regardless of how many times she was the recipient of it.
Just as he was a very attentive lover, Rhys had proven to be a most devoted husband. Their marriage was so very different from the icy, miserable union she had escaped with Ammondale. She was grateful each day that she had found the husband of her heart, a man who loved her for herself, imperfect as she was.
He rolled his thumbs over the peaks of her breasts. Her nipples were hard, and his touch felt so wonderful that it took her a moment to recall she had been reading the article to him.
“The rest of the article, darling,” he reminded her, plucking at her nipples some more.
Clearing her throat, she continued. “Undoubtedly, the Duchess of W.’s coterie of loyal friends, the Duchesses of B. and C., in particular, and their insurmountable support has proven a boon, as has the more recent praise of her newly married sister.”
“I am glad that Daisy has broken with your family and spoke up on your behalf,” Rhys said, his hands slipping lower now, to where her full belly stretched beneath the transparent cotton and silk.
“I am as well,” she agreed.
Miranda had never blamed her sisters for the estrangement between them following her divorce. They had been under theaegis of their mother and father, with no ability to speak for themselves. With Daisy married, she had finally been free to pay a call upon Miranda, and the two of them had taken tea together for the first time in years, sharing girlhood reminiscences and forging their sisterly bond anew.
She hoped that when Elizabeth married, it would be the same between them, but Miranda was firm in her determination to keep the distance between herself, her parents, and her brother. Not all fences could be mended.
A thump on her stomach distracted Miranda momentarily from her thoughts, the miracle of the small life within her still a source of wonder.
“Did you feel that?” she asked Rhys.
“I do believe our child has just kicked me,” he said, and she could hear the grin in his voice. “The rest of the article, if you please, whilst I mend my shattered pride.”
Miranda smiled, filled with love so strong she had to blink, lest tears of happiness begin to fall. These days, she tended to turn into a watering pot at the slightest provocation.
“However,” she carried on reading, “the hundreds of testimonials from loyal pupils and the delicacies which the duchess has shared in her most recentBook of Cookery, which is on its third printing as of this writing, are ample proof that the Duchess of W. is indeed the reigning Queen of Cookery.”
“Brava, my love.” Gently, he turned her so that she faced him, his expression full of so much tenderness that she blinked again, clearing a fresh wave of tears. “You’re not weeping again, are you? What is wrong? Do you not like the article?”
“I love the article.”
“Then why tears?”
“Because I love you,” she sniffled. “And because I could not possibly be happier.”
“I love you too, kitten.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, and he caught it with his lips.
“I even love it when you call me kitten,” she said with another sniff, maudlin sentiment threatening to overwhelm her, along with the desire that was never far.
“That is because everything I say and do is irresistible,” he informed her.
“Outrageous man,” she said without heat. “How did I ever find you?”
“Well, my love,” he began in a teasing drawl, “this love affair of ours all began because I wanted to eat your ices. Now, I’m more than happy to eat your?—”
Laughing, Miranda devoured his last word, which would have undoubtedly been vulgar, sealing her mouth over his and kissing her wicked duke with all the love overflowing in her heart.
Thankyou so very much for readingDuke with a Secret! I adored Rhys and Miranda so much, and I hope you did too. To learn a bit about the inspiration behind Miranda, check out my Author’s Note. And do read on for a sneak peek of Duke with a Lie (Wicked Dukes Society Book 4), featuring the rebellious Lady Rhiannon Northwick and her brother’s best friend, the smoldering Duke of Richford. And don’t miss my next entry in the Christmas Dukes series, the stand-alone enemies-to-lovers HEA between a proper duke and a wild American heiress in The Duke Who Ruined Christmas.
