Foxcroft blinked, clearly startled.“You do?”He shook his head as if to clear it.“When did you come to this decision?I didn’t think you’d even noticed her before this house party.”
Kingston winced at the truth of that.“I hadn’t, and that speaks poorly of me.But I see her now, and I can’t imagine not having her in my life.Selena’s fiery wit, her sharp mind, her refusal to pander to anyone—it’s all captivated me.Over these past days, I’ve come to know her, truly know her, and I’ve fallen in love.I want to spend my life with her.”
Foxcroft studied him for a long moment before a slow smile spread across his face.“Well, I can’t say I expected this, but if she agrees to marry you, you have my blessing.”
Kingston exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.“Thank you.”
Foxcroft stood, clapping him on the shoulder.“You’ll need all the luck you can find.Selena’s been talking about buying a cottage by the sea and living a solitary life.She’s convinced herself she doesn’t need marriage or a family to be happy.”
With those parting words, Foxcroft left the library, leaving Kingston to his own musings.What if she did say no?Could he live with only having pieces of her, rather than the lifetime he envisioned?Shaking off the doubt, he resolved to propose to her as soon as he could.Whatever her answer might be, he needed to know.He loved her too deeply to delay any longer.
Selena lingered in her bath,the warm water soothing her deliciously sore body—a testament to the passion she had shared with Kingston.When she had woken to find him gone, a pang of disappointment had coursed through her.She had wanted to roll over, wrap her arms around him, and lose herself in another one of his decadent kisses.But practicality soon overruled her longing.His departure had been for the best.Had he stayed, her reputation would have been irreparably tarnished.
When her maid, Mary, had come in hours later, Selena had ordered a bath and insisted on solitude.She needed no assistance, as the gown she intended to wear was simple enough to manage alone.Besides, she required time to sort through her tangled thoughts.Selena would just plait her hair into a simple knot.She needed this time to get her mind in the right frame for the upcoming day.After her night with Kingston she did not know how to proceed.What would he expect from her.Was that truly only one night that she would have with him?They had not spoken about feelings of what either of them wanted.
The events of the previous night had left her adrift.What had it meant to Kingston?Was it merely one night of passion, or did he feel as deeply as she did?They hadn’t spoken of emotions or expectations, but Selena knew her own heart.She wanted him.She craved more nights in his arms, more moments of unrestrained passion.But what if he didn’t want marriage?What if he envisioned her as nothing more than a mistress?Could she accept such a role, settling for fleeting moments instead of a life together?Would she agree to that and only accept the snippets he offered her?Would she cheapen herself in such a fashion?
The thought chilled her.She had fallen utterly, hopelessly in love with the Duke of Castlebury.Her heart, unbidden, belonged to him.When she had first received the invitation to the house party, she had been bitter.She had longed for a quiet Christmastide with her cousin and Victoria, free from the pressures of society.It had felt as if her dreams had been stolen from her.Instead, the pact she had made with Emma had bound her to attend.Yet now, she realized, her initial resentment had been misplaced.Without this party, she might never have discovered the depth of her feelings—or Kingston’s.
A sharp knock at the door jolted her from her musings.Frowning, Selena sat up in the bath.It could not be Mary; she had made it clear she wished to be left alone.“Who is it?”she called.
The door creaked open, and Kingston’s dark head peeked through the crack.His grin was wicked, sending a shiver through her body that had nothing to do with the cooling water.“Now isn’t this a lovely sight,” he drawled.
“You should not be here,” she gasped, clutching the edge of the tub for modesty.
“Oh, I disagree,” he said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him with a decisive click and then turned lock.His grin widened, and his eyes roved over her with unabashed appreciation.“This is exactly where I should be.”
“Kingston!”she hissed, though her voice lacked conviction.Heat coursed through her as he shrugged off his jacket and waistcoat.“What are you doing?You left to protect my reputation—if we are caught?—”
“If we are caught,” he interrupted, “it will be of little consequence.”He knelt beside the tub, his rolled-up sleeves revealing strong forearms.“No scandal can truly touch a duchess.And as soon as you agree to marry me, any lingering doubts will be laid to rest.”
Her heart stuttered.“Pardon me,” Selena said, lifting a brow.“I did not hear a question in there.”
Kingston’s grin turned roguish as his hand dipped into the bath.His fingers found her most sensitive spot, stroking lightly until her breath caught.“Selena, love,” he murmured, his voice like velvet.“Will you marry me and let me pleasure you for the rest of your life?”
“Kingston,” she moaned, his name a breathless plea.
“I do love hearing my name on your lips,” he said, his tone rough with desire.“But that is not the answer I was hoping for.”His fingers teased her, sending sparks of sensation through her body.“Do I need to ask again?”
Her body trembled, her mind a haze of need.“I…” she began, but he stopped his movements, leaving her on the precipice.
“Wrong answer, love,” he chided softly.
“Please,” she begged, her voice trembling with desperation.“I need…”
“Say yes,” he coaxed, his fingers hovering tantalizingly close.“Tell me you will be my wife, and I will give you everything you desire.Forever, Selena.That is what I need from you.”
Her heart swelled at his words, but she had to know.“Why?”she whispered.“Why do you want to marry me?Is it only because of the night we spent together?”
He leaned in, brushing a tender kiss against her lips.“My glorious minx,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.“I love you.I think I fell for you that morning in the breakfast room when you cut me down with your sharp wit.You are everything I never knew I needed.Please, Selena—be my duchess.”
Tears pricked her eyes as she cupped his face with trembling hands, water dripping from her fingers onto his shirt soaking it through.It was a glorious sight and she licked her lips in appreciation.Slowly she lifted her gaze to his.“I love you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.“Of course, I’ll marry you.”
Kingston’s grin was radiant as he kissed her, his hands resuming their skilled ministrations.Selena cried out his name, her body shattering with pleasure.As her climax ebbed, she smiled up at him, her heart full.Selena could not wait to marry him, and after he finished making love to her again she would tell him she wanted to have their wedding immediately.She suddenly had a brilliant idea on how she would get her final revenge against the ton, and she owed it all to the brilliant, passionate duke that had stolen her heart.
Epilogue
Three months later…
