Page 2 of The One With the Duke's Curvy Bride

“Yes, I did.”

“I could have been out in the garden.”

“No, I don’t think so. I know you. I knew you would be here.”

Her dark onyx eyes narrowed in…an emotion he couldn’t quite identify.

“I have something to show you, Mina.”

Her eyes glittered as she held out her hand. “What’s special about this coin?”

“How do you know it’s a coin?”

“Henry, please. The chances of you bringing a new coin to show me are incredibly higher than the chances of you findingme in the library. And those chances are already high.” She bobbed her hand in the open air. “Show me the coin. And stop grinning like you just ate the last raspberry tart.”

“But I did.” He chuckled as he walked over to where she stood behind the desk. “No, I would have only eaten the last tart if it wasn’t the raspberry one. I would have saved that one for you.” He stood shoulder to shoulder with her and opened his palm.

“Look.”

“It looks Chinese.” Her eyes flew to his and a small smile crept over her face. “Is it?”

Henry took a moment to think. He couldn’t remember what he was doing. And what was the question she had just asked? She was smiling about something. He just couldn’t remember what it was. He was rarely—no, never—at a loss for words around Philomena. But there was something in her eyes. Like he was seeing her for the first time. He rubbed his chest, feeling ridiculous.

“You don’t have a coin from China, yet. This would be your first, right?” She held up the coin to her face. “Is the coin from China?”

China? Why were they talking about China instead of what had gone through her mind to turn her gaze into something he could feel on his skin?

His hand floated to her lower back. To steady her. Or himself. “Um…yes, the coin is from China. I believe—”

But he didn’t have time to expand on his beliefs. There were voices just outside the door.

Chapter 2

FOR ALL THE TIME that Philomena and Henry had spent together, they had somehow been lucky enough to never even be close to scandal. Although, come to think of it, they weren’t often really and trulyalone, alone. There was usually some friend or family member around. Edwin, Philomena’s brother and Henry’s good friend, was often at hand. If not Edwin, then Paulina. And if not family, then someone. Someone. Someone was usually around. Only…that someone was never a someone that was about to find them in a scandalous situation that would warrant a marriage proposal.

“Quick, duck.” Henry dragged her to the floor, coin in hand, to lie hidden behind the desk. Only, he didn’t have time or space to lie beside her. The chair was too close to the window and there was only room for one body to be supine on the floor. The other body—his, to be precise—was on all fours, straddlingher. Straddling her fine form which, just to reiterate, was lying delectably beneath his.

There was not enough air for Philomena to breathe. There was not enough blood for Philomena to pump. There were not enough words for Philomena to think.

Henry was inches from her face, his expression half panic, half natural grin, as if he were enjoying this position.

Well, she was not enjoying this position. It was too blazing torturous.

And then the voices that were once behind the door came into the room. And she could tell, without even looking at them, just hearing their giggles—yes, two adults giggling—that they were two besotted fools.

The man’s voice said, “We should be safe in here.” The lock on the door clicked.

“I know you’ll keep me safe anywhere we go.”

Henry peered at Philomena, two blinks closer to a chuckle.

Don’t laugh, she mouthed.

I can’t help it,he mouthed back.

Help it, she replied inaudibly. And she hoped she was giving him her most stern look. Though she didn’t feel stern. She felt…tight. And hot. Heat was starting to traipse across her thighs, where his legs burned into hers. And it wasn’t stopping at her thighs. It was going all the way to her center. To the places only she had ever explored.

There was significantly less talking—or rather, less interpretable talking—and a lot more…groaning. Philomena blinked. Long. Really, she had just closed her eyes. Groaning? What the blazes were they doing?

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