“Has my candor shocked you, my lord?” Miss Garrity bit her lip.
“The opposite is true,” he hastened to say. “We are of one mind. The last thing I want is a complicated relationship. If possible, I would prefer to avoid emotional outbursts, unnecessary sentiments, and messy attachments altogether. I am not a romantic, by nature or inclination.”
“Neither am I.”
Her dimple peeped out, torturing him with hot, uncivil impulses.
Yet he had to make sure she understood. “As a widower and older man, I am unlike your dashing young suitors. I am not promising you the moon and the stars. To be a storybook prince or everything you need. What I offer, and what I seek, is a peaceful and easy partnership. To be frank, I do not have the capacity for more.”
Caroline’s weeping filled his head. His failed attempts to comfort her, to soothe away her pain. He saw her empty space at the supper table and the closed door between their chambers.
“You need not worry on my account, my lord.” Miss Garrity’s sunny confidence dispelled the shadows of his past. “As I’ve said, I value my independence above all. The last thingIwant is a prince telling me what to do. I am a self-possessed creature who can take care of herself.”
“So I am beginning to gather,” he said with dawning hope.
“Our expectations are well aligned.” Her optimism was infectious. “And we share a lot in common. As a polymath, you have many interests that keep you occupied. From your work with hieroglyphics to analytic machines—”
He felt a pleasant jolt of surprise. “You know about my work?”
“Your genius is well-known, my lord,” she said smoothly. “My point is that we both have driving passions. My charity work is of the utmost importance to me. In fact, it is the reason why I would like to wed without delay. By special license, if possible.”
“Why does your charity work necessitate haste?”
He asked out of curiosity. While he’d count himself lucky to skip the rigamarole of a wedding, he thought ladies lived for this sort of thing.
She set her jaw. “My parents believe that my involvement with the Society of Angels is unsuitable for an unwed lady. Yet participating in the charity means the world to me: it gives me a sense of purpose and satisfaction to know that I am helping others. And I will not give it up, even temporarily, for anyone.”
Hawk understood her fervor; he felt the same way about the Quorum.
“I will not interfere with your work,” he said. “You have my word.”
“Thank you.” Her smile was brighter than the sunrise. “In return, you have my promise to be a good wife. To make you and our families proud. At the risk of sounding immodest, I can claim a few accomplishments, all of which will be at your disposal. You may rest assured that I will fulfill my duties as your countess with the utmost diligence…”
As she listed her contributions, he tried to pay attention. But he was too aware of her nearness. Her peachy, mouth-watering scent. Caroline had been his first lover; in retrospect, he knew that their relations had not been particularly inspired. With the mistresses he’d had since, he had discovered more about his own sexual appetites and wanted a wife who enjoyed coupling as much as he did. Who wanted more than a perfunctory, once-a-month bedding. Who would be open to exploring their mutual carnal desires.
He tipped up Miss Garrity’s chin with a gloved fingertip. Testing her and himself.
“Will you be a good wife to me?” he asked huskily. “In bed?”
Her lips parted, yet no words came out.
Good. It was nice to know that he could have the upper hand occasionally.
“My lord.” Her voice was breathy. “That is wicked of you.”
“It is best for you to know the kind of husband you will be getting.”
Awareness deepened the blue of her eyes, the pulse at her throat fluttering. With other females, he would fear that he’d offended their sensibilities. But not with this bold little chit, praise God.
“I already know, my lord.” She peered at him through her lashes. “I had a sampling last night.”
His groin heating, he asked in a low voice, “What happened last night? Tell me the exact details.”
“Ladies do not discuss such matters. If you want to know, you’ll have to try to remember.”
“Believe me, Iamtrying.”
Her throaty laugh pulled on his cock.
