Her lips yielded beneath his, soft and pliant, a whimper escaped her throat causing her blood to surge in raw desire. He traced her bottom lip with his thumb, relishing the silky texture of her skin. He kissed her cheek and down her neck.
“What—what are you doing?” Lilli whispered against his mouth, her breath coming in shallow pants.
“Taking what belongs to me,” Oliver murmured, his voice a low rumble that he could feel vibrating in his chest. “Is that not what Daddies do with their Little ones?”
Lilli’s cheeks flushed a delicious shade of pink. Her hair was a wild tangle around her shoulders. The sight of her in bed, soft from sleep and sweetly vulnerable, stirred something primal in him.
Her hands slid up to cup his face, her fingers threading through his hair as she returned his kiss with unexpected fervor. Oliver’s lips were firm yet gentle against hers, commanding in a way that made her insides melt. When he finally pulled away, his eyes had darkened to stormy blue gray.
“See? Your body knows what it needs even when your mind fights against it,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Sleep. Me. Safety.”
Lilli felt her cheeks flush. “I didn’t realize how tired I was,” she admitted softly. “Or how much I missed you.”
“That is precisely why you need me, little one.” His thumb traced the curve of her cheek. “Someone who sees what you need before you recognize it yourself.”
She wanted to argue, to maintain the illusion of complete independence that she’d clung to so desperately, but the tenderness in his gaze took the heat from that argument. She wanted him with her whole being.
“But the letters, Oliver. What did you discover in the letters?” she asked, trying to redirect her thoughts away from the warmth pooling in her belly with little success.
“I’ve read Mr. Northgate’s letters,” Oliver said, his thumb brushing across her cheekbone. “And I don’t like what I’ve found.”
“What do you mean?”
“That Mr. Northgate is not who he claims to be.” Oliver’s expression hardened. “They confirm my suspicions. This Northgate character is no friend to you or your interests.”
A chill ran through Lilli’s body despite the warmth of the bed. “What do you mean? He said he had information about my father.”
Oliver stood, pacing beside her bed. His shoulders tensed beneath his impeccably tailored coat. “The letters contain subtle threats disguised as offers of assistance. He mentions details about Heatherfield’s finances that should not be common knowledge.”
Lilli’s stomach tightened. “How could he know such things?”
“That is precisely what concerns me.” Oliver turned to face her, his jaw set in a hard line. “He’s been watching you, gathering information. The puppy was a clever ploy to gain your trust, to establish himself as a benefactor.”
“Oh, Oliver. I’ve been a fool, and I know it sounds of little consequence, but I love Max. I don’t want to give him back to that horrid man.”
“Oh, no, you are keeping your puppy. But you are not seeing this man again. I intend to send him a message at the place he mentions and will have him come here. I know he is anxious to relieve you of a goodly sum of your funds but that won’t happen.”
“What will you do?”
“I will take care of him. What you must do is write what I dictate to you, and we will send a footman with it tomorrow.”
“Yes. I can do that, but Oliver, you can’t take over forever.”
“I do not want to take over forever. I want to run both estates together. Side by side. Mother is in my home, and I do not wish her to move out, but she is used to running her home her way. You want to live here, and I do not want to displace you either.”
“What can be the solution?”
“For you to accept my offer of marriage and for us to administer both estates as husband and wife.”
“Oliver, I am not duchess material. You must marry someone who comes from a more prestigious background.”
“No, I must marry whom I love. I love you. You are perfect as my duchess, and you will not deny me.”
Lilli’s heart skipped a beat. “Love? You love me? But you could have any woman in London, any daughter of a duke or earl who knows how to navigate the ton,” Lilli whispered, her heart hammering against her ribs. The possibility that he truly wanted her seemed too precious to believe.
Oliver took her hands in his, his thumbs tracing circles on her palms that sent shivers up her arms. “I don’t want any woman in London. I want the stubborn, beautiful, intelligent woman who challenges me at every turn. Who makes me laugh and drives me to distraction in equal measure.”
He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. The warmth of his breath against her skin made her pulse quicken.
