Page 28 of A Duke for Hire

To her surprise, Seraphina felt tears prick at her eyes.

“I am tired of living with hostility. All my life my mother has been agitated over one thing or another. And my father, when he is around, barely acts cordial. I know what I am to him, even if he does not say it. I am the public reminder that he made a mistake.”

“Oh, Seraphina,” Theo sighed, drawing a kerchief out to dab her eyes.

“If I am going to take a husband, I want one that will give me a peaceful home. Even if that means ignoring me most of the time,” Seraphina went on as she leaned on her friends.

“Hug- I mean, the Duke. His temper is too hostile for me,” she went on.Even if I did feel something when he kissed me.“So, Theo, I meant what I said. My answer is no. Even if my mother did approve. Which she would never.”

Theo only nodded this time, she and Amelia both giving her an empathetic look.

“Apologies, my darlings,” Seraphina whispered, handing Theo back her kerchief, “For my behavior and my tears. I am embarrassed by both.”

As her friends cooed words of appeasement, Seraphina caught a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye, and saw her maid at the mouth of the alley, holding up a timepiece.

“I must go,” she sighed, “My mother has no doubt coordinated more callers. She shall be most upset with me if they arrive before I make it home.”

“Have done! I’m beaten,” Dominic huffed, holding up his hands in surrender. Chest heaving, still trying to catch his breath, he smirked at Hugo. “It has been too long since we sparred. I forgot how wild you could get.”

The inner storm of pent-up rage stilled in Hugo, and he dropped his wrapped hands immediately to his side. His nightmares had returned—a horrific combination of his father’s violence and the abuse he himself had inflicted onto someone else.

Prey. Predator. Prey. Predator.

In his sleep he shifted back and forth constantly until the stress of it woke him up. Sweat drenched and heart pounding in the dark, still emptiness of the night.

“Apologies, old friend,” he said, holding out a hand. “I got lost.”

Dominic gave him a regretful look, his smirk dropping, and he shook Hugo’s hand.

“Wild was the wrong word, I just meant-”

“It’s fine,” Hugo replied. He let go of Dominic’s hand and headed toward the cables surrounding the ring.

He knew how much of an animal he could be. A beast. If he lost control.

“Good match,” Tristan praised, tossing a towel at Hugo as he approached the table where Everett and he sat.

“Thanks,” Hugo muttered, wiping the sweat from his back, his chest.

Everett finished downing his drink and slammed his empty beer mug onto the table.

“Why are we boxing?” He asked loudly, well on his way to inebriation. “There’s another party tonight going on as we speak. We should be there. Not circling each other half naked and sweaty.”

They had all wanted to go, except for Hugo. He’d had fair time at the last time, but he had no interest in going again. To his own surprise, he’d had no interest in the very delights he’d come pursuing. Not after his last kiss with Seraphina. He craved carnal pleasure like the rest of them. Perhaps now more than ever. But it washerhe wanted.

He wanted to taste her lips again, feel her sink into his chest as she surrendered her anger and gave into him. And he wanted more.Somuch more.

In a way Seraphina had become his prey as someone else had. But he sought no vengeance from her. He did not want to break her. He wanted tomelther. Heat her rigid nature until she was nothing but a puddle in his hands. And then he wanted to devour her. Every drop.

“You should all go,” Hugo stated, reaching for his water. “I appreciate your willingness to shift your plans, but Everett is right. You don’t need to be here.”

Tristan narrowed his eyes at Everett and delivered a punch to his arm.

“We want to be here, old boy,” Tristan stated, ignoring the way Everett hissed at him and glared as he rubbed his arm.

“He’s right,” Dominic agreed, joining them at the table. “Lord knows you’ll disappear from London as soon as you are married, so we need to make the most of it.”

Hugo didn’t bother to disagree. Dominic was very much right. Even though he’d commanded the attention of the Londontonwith his business savvy, he knew how they truly felt about him. They were all watching him closely, terrified and waiting for him to claim his next victim.

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