Page 89 of Seven Nights with the Wicked Duke
He looked up at her, a question in his eyes.
"I want more," she said, without shame.
Theo smiled at her words, a slow and wicked one. "You're insatiable."
"I've been patient."
He ran his hands down her hips, grounding her carefully. "You've been magnificent."
She bent forward to kiss him again, taking her time, tasting him deeply. When she pulled away, she looked him in the eye. "Will it always be like this between us?"
His thumb brushed her cheek. "God, I hope not."
She blinked. "What?"
He laughed at her perfect reaction before catching her lips again. "Because if it gets any better, I'll never survive it." Then he responded, mouth pressed against hers.
She laughed, collapsing onto his chest, breathless with an unquenchable joy filling her spirits.
"I love you, Theo," she whispered, closing her eyes.
His arm circled around her again. "And I love you, Cecilia."
CHAPTER 31
Theo had never felt nervous to speak with Magnus before. Not when they were boys sparring in the yard, not when they exchanged stupid jokes in Parliament, and certainly not when they drank themselves into foolishness on hunting weekends.
But now, now he felt it. A tension in his ribs, tightening with each step he toon through the Blackmore estate.
Predictably, he found Magnus in the study. His childhood friend was nursing a glass of whisky and staring into the fire as if it held all the answers he needed and none of the ones he wanted.
Theo paused at the threshold, the silence stretching like a challenge standing in the distance between them.
Magnus didn't look up. "If you're here to tell me you've changed your mind, I'll have the brandy brought out instead."
Theo chuckled despite himself. "No." Then he moved closer into the room. He was not even a bit curious about how the other man had known about his arrival without a glance spared. There were three things to blame. His scent or shadow or Magnus's hidden sorcery.
Not wanting to beat around the bush further, he added, "I've come to ask you for Cecilia's hand."
At that, Magnus turned. Slowly. His face, always so composed, now wore a thunderous expression, tight around the jaw, dark around the eyes. "You're wasting your breath," he said. "You know what my answer is."
Theo remained steady, hands clasped behind his back. "She's already accepted me. We intend to marry."
"You presume too much," Magnus growled, standing from his chair with such force it creaked against the wood floor. "You think you can seduce my sister and then waltz in here with a smile and expect?—"
"I didn't seduce her," Theo said, his voice low but calm. "She came to me of her own will. She told me she loved me, Magnus. I didn't ask for that, but I damn well won't turn it away."
Magnus scoffed, his mouth curling like he'd tasted something sour. "You didn't ask for it? That may be the first honest thing you've said in months."
Theo's expression didn't change. "I suppose I deserve that."
"You suppose?" Magnus took a step forward, hands clenched at his sides. "You lied to me, Theo. All that time…sneaking around with her behind my back like some damned cad. I trusted you."
"I never betrayed your trust," Theo replied with a shrug, the words careful but firm. "I kept her confidence. There's a difference."
"Oh, spare me the semantics." Magnus's voice was rising now. "You could have come to me. Told me you were sniffing around my sister."
Theo's eyes flashed, though his voice stayed even. "She isn't a piece of land, Magnus. I wasn'tsniffing. I was falling in love."
