Page 6 of The Duke and the Unwanted Bride

“Oh!” she squealed, dropping to her knees and scrambling to collect her dress, which she then pulled to her chest in an effort to cover herself. But she was flustered, struggling to pull the awkward garment over her body as she fell back into the wardrobe. “I did not see you!”

“Clearly.”

“What are you doing in here?” she demanded, still struggling with the dress. It fell around her, slipping from her fingers, falling beneath her waist, again hoisted up, only to fall around her in a way that still left her exposed. “Selina told me this room was empty!”

“Selina did?” The man frowned to himself. “Ah, you must be Lady Hannah.”

“And you have not answered my question!”

Her back was against the wall, her entire body flushed as she finally managed to get the dress to cover her… mostly.

The man stood up suddenly, kicking the chair back as he approached her. And as he did, he took her in, studying her as if he was trying to see through the dress.

He was a big man, seeming a giant in the small room. Broad shoulders. A powerful gait. Dark features and deep brown eyes that roamed over her. There was a hunger in them, as if he was marveling at her near-naked body, as if he could not force himself to look away.

As he came for her, she did not know if she should cry out in fear…

“I must warn you…” She pressed herself against the wall, shaking with what she told herself was fear, although it was not quite that. “My family is just downstairs.”

“Is that so?”

“I will scream.”

“And why would you do such a thing? You are the one who came to me.”

“I… I…”

He reached where she was standing, stopping so that he was but a foot away. Up this close, he towered over her, and Hannah froze. She tried to meet his eyes, but she could not, sensing the way they ran down her body. A strange thought, but nearly naked as she was, alone, totally vulnerable, she wondered what might happen if she was to drop her dress suddenly—by accident, of course—exposing her body to him and?—

“Here.” His hand shot out and snatched the spare dress from the wardrobe. “You really should cover yourself better.” And then he draped it over her shoulders like a shawl, helping to cover her exposed body.

Hannah blinked in surprise. “Ah… thank—thank you.”

She did not move. She could barely breathe. This man, whoever he was, still stood before her, still watched her, still seemed set on intimidating her, as surely that was his purpose. She could smell him now too, an intoxicating musk that had her legs trembling.

“Are you going to put it on?” he asked. “Surely, you do not intend to attend supper like that?”

“Oh!” Her eyes widened, and she very nearly dropped the dress that she was holding to her body. He saw her do such and smirked. “Are you in the habit of staring at half-naked women?” she snapped.

He scoffed. “This is as new to me as I hope it is to you.”

“Of course, it is!”

“And yet here you stand, not even bothering with the garment you claim to be trying to put on.”

“Please, turn around.” She raised both eyebrows at him.

“Or what? You will scream?”

“I just might anyway,” she growled in warning.

His eyes flashed as if from amusement, and then he turned his back to her. “I was told I could use this room before supper,” he explained. “I was told it would be empty.”

“As was I.”

Hannah eyed the man, his back now to her. She was still only partially covered, two dresses now over her, not entirely certain she could trust the man to keep his back to her while she changed.

“I would ask that you leave the room, thank you.”

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