Page 49 of The Rancher's Jilted Bride

Oh, be still, my heart...and lips!

It was Harry who had first spilled the beans about Heaven's dreams of a Regency wedding, and her huband who had then cunningly suggested that Hale make it up to his bride by playing his role to perfection.

Hale had agreed without hesitation at that time, but the thing was...

Absolutely no one had expected her dashing bridegroom to be soincrediblybad at dancing, and she had a feeling even Hale himself hadn't realized he would be this, er, challenged.

Tongues had already been set a-wagging and Foxtown Times' evening edition was sure to include a blind item about Hale not being perfect as he always seemed. Worst of all, it would soon be a truth universally acknowledged—-

As the next set of steps had Heaven spinning back into the arms of her duke, she found Hale smiling down at her as he muttered warningly under his breath,"Don't. Just don't."

—-that Lady Micah, his foster sister, wasnotlying when she described Heaven's husband as a natural-born sourpuss.

"Don't what?"

"I'm not kidding." A pause, and then he added stiffly, "My lady."

Heaven had to swallow back a laugh at this. How terribly sweet of him, to insist on properly addressing her even when expressing his annoyance.

Oh, Hale.

Rush had described him earlier as someone 'unstoppable' when he had put his mind to something, and her husband had proved this over and over today, with how he had fully embraced his role as the most aloof member of the Ton.

'This is my only way to make it up to you,'he had told her gruffly, 'so please let me do this...milady.'

Remembering this didn't just have Heaven's toes curling. When she saw her normally graceful husband trip over his own feet for thefifthtime as he missed another step in the quadrille, her heart simply couldn't take it, and Heaven was no longer able to contain herself.

Hale's gaze narrowed when the dance steps had them reunited for the last time. "Don't."

"B-But..."

"I'm serious, milady."

Heaven really, really tried to keep it all together. But when he missed another step, and they ended up on the floor like with their limbs all tangled together—-

"Fu—-I mean, I'm sorry, Your Grace," Hale said stiffly as he helped her back to her feet.

"Hale?"

His heart sank at the look on his wife's face."Don't."

But his Heaven was not to be denied this time.

"I love you," she blurted out.

His handsome face remained stoic. "I love you, too, but just don't—-"

"I love you, so, so much," his wife burst out, "that I just want you to know howadorableyou look—-"

And there it was,dammit.

"With how hard you're trying to dance—-"

It was only when everyone around them started choking and coughing in their attempt to stifle their laughter that Heaven realized she might have spoken atadtoo loudly.

Oops?

She smiled weakly at Hale, who was now looking at her like he wanted to strangle her.

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