Page 68 of The Duke's Bartered Mistress

His hands moved up toward the backs of her knees, causing them to buckle. Luckily, she braced them against the ladder rungs and pretended nothing was wrong.

“I think we have sufficiently cleaned up this ivy. It really had run rampant, Demon.” She leaned away from the wall to study her handiwork. “It is not the right time of year to do any of this, but since—” I will not be here much longer… She swallowed the thought, not wanting to make herself sad, and changed the subject. “You really ought to hire a gardener or groundskeeper, Demon.”

For after I’m gone.

Christmas was only days away, and the new year only a week later. Each dawn—each visit from Demon—brought her closer to the time she’d say her goodbyes.

She didn’t want to leave.

“Angus is fine enough,” Demon grumbled. “He’ll clean up all these cuttings, aye? Now come down. The clouds didnae look this bad when ye started this nonsense.”

She carefully dropped the shears into the pile of ivy below her on the snow and shifted her right foot down a rung. “I would like some of the ivy clippings, if you do not mind. I will add them to the pine boughs, along with the holly I trimmed earlier in the week.”

“Of course ye will. More Christmas decorations.”

In response, she took a deep breath and broke into song. “The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown—”

“No singing,” he commanded, his hands wrapping around her calves, startling her.

With a little shriek, she lurched, losing her grip on the ladder. Her arms windmilled for balance as she went over backward

Thank goodness he was standing behind her, because he guided her fall and caught her in his arms as she landed with a little oof.

Standing there, one arm under her leg, one behind her back, Demon scowled down at her. “I said ye would fall.”

In response, she burst into laughter. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Georgia kissed him on his cheek. “My hero.”

“That’s how ye kiss yer hero?” he growled.

And she giggled harder. “If I kiss you the way I want to kiss you, we would be stuck out here when it starts to snow.”

He opened his mouth—likely to throw back some rude quip which would make her smile—but a thoughtful look came into his lovely eyes and he slowly closed it again. Cocking his head to one side, he studied her.

She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but he certainly did make her smile, didn’t he?

So she brushed another kiss on his cheek, softer this time, and raked her fingernails through the hair on the back of his neck.

“I like your hair short like this.”

He didn’t respond, but continued to study her, the look in his eyes almost…confused?

She tugged at his hair. “But clearly you need to get used to having shorter hair, because you have forgotten your hat, silly man.”

He grunted. “Dinnae need one.”

“Are you not cold?”

Finally, he pulled her closer, until their noses were almost touching. “Shitenuggets! Holding ye like this, do ye think I’m anything but hot?”

It was so silly, so flattering, she had to laugh again.

“Och, look at ye, laughing like a loon at yer beastly captor. What would yer father say?”

Demon’s tone was slightly disgusted, and made her pause. Was he berating her, reminding her of Father’s disapproval of her actions? Or was he insulting himself, saying Father would disapprove of her association with him?

“Demon, I—”

But he wasn’t looking at her any longer. “Hush,” he commanded, lowering her feet to the ground. He held her around the shoulders, although she wasn’t certain if he was steadying her or just liked holding her.

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