My arms hooked around his shoulders, and I pulled him deeper into me, wanting all of him—as much as I could get.
He gave a few more pumps even though he was softening, and his eyes were still dark with sexual ferocity. When he looked at me like that, it didn’t seem like there was anyone else in the world besides the two of us. His look was hard, but it was also soft. It was a look he never showed to anyone else—only me.
“I know you’re tired so I should let you go to bed…but I don’t want to.”
Now that the clock was ticking, I didn’t have a moment to spare. I had to enjoy every second before the pendulum stopped swinging. Sleep was negligible. Even food was irrelevant—which was saying a lot. “I’m not tired…I want you.”
17
Crewe
Ariel was waiting in my office when I walked inside.
“I’m glad you showed up.”
“To work?” she asked with a smile.
I chuckled. “To Duke Vasile’s party.”
She shrugged. “Cassandra wanted to go. She’s obsessed with all that royalty bullshit. I wanted to impress her so I would get laid.”
“You’d probably get laid anyway.”
“True. But I like it when she goes the extra mile.”
I sat at my desk and looked through the messages Ariel piled on my desk. My inbox was relatively empty, but that would change as the day passed. We had a new client interested in a bulk deal, and we were currently breaking into Canadian businesses.
“Did you have a good time?”
“I did.” When London slipped from my arms, I wasn’t pleased. But I eventually tracked her down again, and everything felt right. It seemed like something was wrong, but she assured me everything was fine. The only reason why I believed her was because there was no reason to lie. If something was on her mind, she usually told me.
“Duke Vasile was very generous. Thanks for putting me on the spot, by the way.”
“Stop hiding who you are. I’m just giving you a nudge.”
“I don’t hide who I am.” She made a note in her notebook. “In my personal time, I do exactly what I want. But when I’m at work or a work function, that’s totally different. Wouldn’t want to offend anyone.”
“If they’re offended, that’s their problem.” I looked out the window and saw the heavy fog roll in. In waves, it blanketed the countryside and blocked out the sight of the hills in the distance. Winter was approaching fast.
“I enjoyed Lady Anna’s company.”
“Yeah, she was nice.” She had a personality, unlike most members of the nobility. Spending four years in America suited her well. “Her father is nice too, so that’s probably where she gets it from.”
“That kind of loveliness comes from a whole new place.”
My eyes moved to her face. “Have a thing for her?”
“No,” she said quickly. “It’s very obvious she’s straight.”
Honestly, I couldn’t tell. I didn’t know Ariel was gay, and I’d known her for ten years. I grabbed my phone and called Dunbar, asking him to bring us coffee. Then I hung up and tossed the phone back on the desk.
“What did you think of her?”
“Think of whom?”
“Ana.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I said she was nice.” I’d talked to her for ten minutes. It’s not like I knew her well enough to know her life story. “Why?”
“I think she’s smart, refined, and more important, fun. She’d make a great partner.”
Like a business partner? “What do you mean, Ariel?”
“I mean in marriage. She’s the daughter of a duke, and you are a duke.” She spoke with simplicity, like everything she said was perfectly normal.
I didn’t let my anger get to me because I didn’t want to make assumptions. “You think I should marry her?”
She shrugged. “We’ve always talked about finding you a good partner. She clearly fits the bill.”
“She’s not my type.” I thought she was beautiful, but my thoughts didn’t exceed that quality. When she walked away from me, I didn’t think about her again. I hadn’t put a lot of thought into marriage, but I knew Anna wasn’t the one for me. There was only one woman I could picture myself with.
“Not your type?” she asked incredulously. “She’s perfect. And I think she was smitten with you.”
“Didn’t notice.”
“I thought it was obvious. I could always contact her and see if she’d like to have dinner with you.”
Now she was pushing it too far. “Ariel, I’m not interested. You can stop playing cupid.”
“I thought we established you wanted someone with her exact qualities?”
When the time came for me to do it, I couldn’t go through with it. I was certain Anna was capable of being everything I wanted in a partner, but when I spoke to her, I didn’t feel anything. All I could think about was the woman who left my side. I could barely participate in the conversation with Anna because I was distracted about London’s well-being. In my heart, I knew I would never be happy with anyone else but the woman currently sharing my bed.