“I’m delighted. Now for God’s sake, let me kiss you properly.”
Phoebe ran her fingers through his hair and gave him a teasingly apologetic look. “Yes, Duke.”
Will let out a growl as he pressed her back against the bookcase. Phoebe immediately curled her arms around his neck and heat surged below his waist. Neither of them would be leaving this room until she said that again in earnest.
Will began to drag his lips upward along the curve of her neck, enjoying the way she shivered beneath him.
“You weren’t hoping for a long engagement, were you?” he murmured by her ear.
“Hmm,” she began in mock consideration while her fingers dug into his hair just the way he liked. “I suppose it depends on how convincing you can be.”
Will pulled back to find the glint of friendly challenge in her eye. “Oh, I can beveryconvincing.”
She leaned in until their noses were touching. “Good. Let’s see.”
Will then took her mouth in a lush, demanding kiss, and set to work doing just that.
The bookshelf proved delightfully sturdier than expected. And even though a few volumes of poetry were sacrificed to the floor in the process, Will felt certain Byron would approve.
“All right, I’m convinced,” Phoebe said afterward rather breathlessly as he collapsed beside her. They had been forced to move to his bed, lest the entire house awaken from the rhythmic thudding of the bookshelf against the wall. Will was absurdly proud he had even managed such a position in the first place, but he wouldn’t attempt it again unless they were truly alone.
He pressed a kiss to Phoebe’s cheek. “Happy to hear it. Now we just need to tell your family.”
Phoebe groaned. “Must we? I’d much rather elope to Gretna Green and tell them afterwards.”
He turned on his side to face her. “Can’t. They make you wait a week now even there.”
Phoebe let out a surprised laugh. “How do you know that?”
“Cal’s been giving me his lurid novels to read while I’m here.”
Her eyes lit with excitement. “Oh! He has the mostmarveloustaste.”
“And to think they let you shape young minds,” he said with a teasing kiss.
Phoebe let out another laugh. “Those girls would probably never stop reading if I could teach them penny dreadfuls.”
Will stroked her hair. “Perhaps something to think about.”
“Along with everything else,” she added with a sigh.
“There really is no rush, Phoebe. We can find a way. I just want to be with you. Though we might need to be more careful, unless you’re ready to start a family.”
She gave him a shy smile. “Not yet. I’ll talk to Alex about precautions we can take.”
Will blinked. “Oh.”
“It’s one of her pet projects, funding free contraception to women—though Father doesn’t know. Eventhatmay be too eccentric for him,” she added quickly, then turned thoughtful. “I do think I’ve been too hard on her.”
“It seems to be the natural course for indulged younger siblings.”
She gave him a friendly pinch. “But you and Cal get on.”
“We do,” Will acknowledged before revealing their conversation last fall that had spurred his decision to bride hunt. “I suppose I can’t be too cross with him though,” he said as he pulled Phoebe into his arms once more, “since it led to this moment, however winding the path may have been.”
“Yes, let us be grateful for our meddlesome siblings, older and younger alike.”
Will chuckled and kissed her nose. “And let us never tell them so, lest they take all the credit.”
