Page 15 of Good Duke Gone Hard

“You won’t.” He started to shrug his shoulders and caught himself. “If it makes you feel any better, give it your best shot.”

But she hadn’t been able to give it her best shot. Those were the last words he had spoken to her before he went missing.

And now he was here, amnesic, and the playing field was not even. He couldn’t remember anything that had happened between them. Her body recalled everything. Even the fiercest competitor would not exploit an opponent under such conditions. She wasn't cruel.

No, she wasn’t cruel. She wouldn’t act on vengeance at all. Never had.

But she didn’t have to be overly kind. Today she would just take Jonathan riding to see the folly. They wouldn’t even have to talk if they were riding fast enough.

JONATHAN HAD WAITED IN the breakfast room weighing the odds of Margaret showing up or not. He marshaled his thoughts to strategize how best to extract whatever secrets Margaret was keeping from. He wasn’t sure if today he would play the gentleman, the rake, or both.

He also wasn’t sure if he would have won or lost his own bet, since Margaret appeared just as he was about to leave in search of her.

“I was just coming to find you,” he noticed that her smile didn’t quite have the reach he thought it normally had, and there was a sparkle absent from her eyes.

“Oh? Did we have plans for this morning?”

“None explicitly established.”

He cocked an eyebrow.

“Just the expectations that I would show you around in hopes of triggering some memories.”

“Yes, I suppose that is the unspoken obligation you have been burdened to undertake.”

“‘Tis no burden.”

“Glad to hear it. What did you have planned for today?”

“Riding.”

“Riding?”

“Riding.”

“I went riding yesterday.”

“Not with me.”

“True…”

She huffed. Her eyes darkened and a cherry red flushed into her cheeks. Her rapid breath strained her breasts against her royal blue riding habit and urged his arousal to mirror the effect.

The breakfast room was the perfect place to resist such urges. “Lead on, Boadicea.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she swiftly turned around and led them outdoors.

Henry greeted them at the stables.

“Nice to see you have a riding partner this morning, Your Grace.” Jonathan noticed Henry wink at Margaret and wondered about its significance.

“Henry, please saddle Wildfire for me.”

“Certainly, my lady.” Henry sauntered off whistling a bawdy tune.

Margaret huffed again, but Jonathan wisely refrained from observing the physical aftermath. Gazing out to the estates, Jonathan asked, “Have you any destination in mind?”

“Perhaps.”

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