Page 7 of Her Duke's Second Chance

It took all his self-control not to grab her by the waist and pull her flush against him; to demand his rights as her husband. What stopped him were her round blue eyes, filled with curiosity, bright with interest, but darkened slightly by fear.

His lips quirked into a smirk. “You are my wife, Georgiana. The rules of propriety are a bit different for us, do you not agree?”

“We have been married in name only,” she shot back, her cheeks pink. “You have made certain of that.”

He had taken her as his wife; someone who might one day bear him children, but nothing more than that. However, their accidental encounter on the edge of disaster had shown him how mistaken he had been in his notions and assumptions. Georgiana was a firebrand. He could not help but admire that about her.

He stepped closer. “And yet here you are, gallivanting through coaching inns on your own. Tell me, does this reckless streak of yours explain why you are so determined to get yourself into trouble?”

“Gallivanting?” She scoffed, though she took a step back. “I am here through no choice of my own, not that it is any of your business.”

“Oh, it is very much my business when my wife’s safety is at stake,” he retorted, closing the gap between them.

Her chin lifted defiantly, her voice sharp. “You have a peculiar way of showing that you care about my safety—ignoring me for an entire year!”

He chuckled low, “A tactical error, perhaps. You have suddenly become far more interesting than I ever expected.”

She blinked, caught off guard. “Interesting?”

“Fascinating, even,” he murmured, his gaze dropping briefly to her lips before snapping back to her eyes. “Bold, fiery, and thoroughly exasperating. Shall I go on?”

“You are insufferable,” she whispered, but the words lacked conviction.

“And you are trembling,” he noted, his voice softening. He reached out, brushing his fingers over one of her clenched hands. “Are you afraid of me, Georgiana?”

She shook her head quickly, though he could see her body betraying her hesitation. “I already told you. No.”

“Good.” He smiled, “Because I have no intention of harming you.”

She glared, pulling her hand away. “If you are finished making assumptions and sneaking into my room like some kind of rogue, you may leave.”

He did not move. “You want me to leave?”

“Yes,” she snapped, though her voice wavered.

His smirk returned as he stepped back toward the door. “Very well. But remember this, Georgiana. You are my wife. And I always keep what is mine.”

With that, he opened the door and disappeared behind it.

He had booked the room just across from her so that she could not leave without him hearing. He found himself whistling as he got ready for bed.

This little adventure has become much more fascinating than I had originally anticipated.

CHAPTER 3

“Good morning, Duchess,” Robert said as Georgiana opened the door.

Georgiana was in the process of washing her face when she heard a knock at the door. She had perked up, assuming that it was Caroline arriving with her breakfast.

She looked up in surprise at the duke, who was holding a tray laden with food. Her stomach growled with reactive hunger.

Her smile was as shaky as her knees were as she tried to step away from him. She did not understand why her body was reacting so strangely to his presence.

“Good morning,” she said unsteadily. “What are you doing?”

He walked into the room and put the tray on the table, before straightening to his full height and fixing her with a flat stare.

“I thought we might eat together.”

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