Page 65 of A Duchess to Reclaim

Dominic remained as still as a statue for a moment, but just as she was about to pull away, his one arm slid around her back while his other hand reached up to cradle the back of her head; pressing her even further into him.

“You are welcome,” he rasped, and placed a quick, gentle kiss on the side of her head.

He held her tightly a moment more, then released her, careful so as she would not lose her balance on the stairs. Without another word he continued down the steps and disappeared toward the foyer.

Sadness suddenly overwhelmed Amelia as she stood there and watched him go. The urge to tell him to wait, to plead for him not to leave her again was roaring inside of her like a beast. He had done it. He had gotten the girls. Forher.And it hadn’t taken weeks or months. It had taken mere days.

“Amelia?” Lydia’s voice called from the landing. “We found our rooms! Will you come see?”

Amelia drew in a shuddering breath, and wiped her eyes, realizing only then that she had shed more than a couple tears. She pushed her confusing feelings for Dominic aside, and turned with the brightest smile she could muster.

“Of course, my darlings,” she called, walking back up the stairs. “Oh, you have no idea how happy I am that you are here!”

* * *

Everett’s fist landed squarely on Dominic’s jaw, sending stars bursting in his eyes. He staggered back from the force of the hit, then toppled to the ground.

“Christ,old boy,” Everett cursed, going down to Dominic’s side to help him up. “I was coming right at you, I thought you were going to block it! You always block it!”

Pain surged through Dominic’s jaw, making him wince and growl. He pushed away Everett’s attempt to help and got to his feet on his own. He’d been so deep in thought about Amelia that he’d completely forgotten where he was and what he was doing. The boxing practice had been proposed to help him focus, but instead, all it did was remind him of her.

“I’m fine,” Dominic bit out, touching his fingers tentatively to his jaw.

“Lucky for me your hits are about as powerful as a bee sting.”

Everett made a face as if asking “really?” and rolled his eyes as he walked back to his corner.

“I’m done,” Dominic stated, walking toward the ropes.

“But we only made it two rounds!” Everett said, clearly exasperated.

“Tristan can take my place,” Dominic grumbled, and nodded to his friend as he approached the table set up outside the ring.

Tristan nodded back readily and immediately got up. He had his own reasons for wanting a spar and he looked eager to get the work in. As he climbed into the ring, Dominic took his chair and sat down heavily. He’d barely had time to work up a sweat before he’d called it quits but he felt weary and out of breath.

“You can ask me, you know,” Hugo said. He reached for the bottle of whiskey sitting atop the table and poured Dominic a glass. “Seraphina tells me everything.”

Dominic cast a narrowed glance up at his friend as he accepted the drink; his lips set in a grim line. It had been three days since he’d dropped Lydia and Sarah off at his London house. Three days since he’d seen Amelia or talked to her. And it was driving him mad.

Her words the night of her boxing lesson had cut right through him. The pleasure she’d brought him from her mouth only moments before had him even further confounded. He’d been withmanywomen; had been brought pleasuremanyways, but his release that night had been the most intense in his life. The combination of the two things had left him feeling uncomfortable and irritable; with barely enough sense to muddle through his work.

This evening he’d been so distracted that his friends had finally urged him to take a break and practice for the first time in weeks. Now here he was, not even able to make it two rounds in without being plagued by more memories of his estranged wife. He hated this. Every single part of it. Still-

“What does she tell you?” Dominic asked, then downed the contents of the glass.

“Amelia and the girls are just fine,” Hugo replied calmly. “The two have settled in quite well. Seraphina, Theo, Ophelia, and Rose have all come over several times to help with your wife’s new mothering responsibilities and all seem to be having a grand time.”

“And her other duties?” Dominic asked sharply.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want her take time to acclimate to being the girls’ guardian but they still had a ruse to put on; even if they were not doing so together.

“Seraphina has taken her to two separate married ladies gatherings and from what she says, Amelia is handling them very well,” Hugo replied. “Singing your praises as a dutiful husband, putting rumors to bed, and batting away inappropriate questions with ease.”

Dominic raised a brow.

“What do you mean inappropriate questions?” He asked.

Hugo shrugged.

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