Page 120 of A Night of Desire with a Duke

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Thunder rolled overhead, making them both jump.

"Still afraid of thunder?" James asked.

"I was never afraid of thunder."

"You jumped into my arms that first night."

"That was strategic."

"Strategic?"

"I needed an excuse to touch you."

James stared at her. "You planned it?"

"Not planned exactly. Opportunistic."

"You little minx. All these years I thought I'd seduced you."

"We seduced each other. I thought we'd established that."

"We established that retroactively. I'm now learning you were deliberately scheming from the beginning."

"Not scheming. Hoping."

"Hoping for what?"

"Exactly what happened."

"You wanted to be compromised?"

"I wanted to be free. For one night, I wanted to choose something for myself. And I chose you."

James rolled over, pinning her beneath him. "Say that again."

"I chose you?"

"Again."

"James..."

"I never get tired of hearing it. That of all the men you could have had, Pemberton, any of your suitors, you chose me."

"There was never really a choice. It was always you."

"From that first night?"

"From the first moment. When you stood there, dripping wet and furious about the room, I thought 'this man is going to change everything.'"

"Did I?"

"You know you did."

"For the better?"

Catherine pulled him down for a kiss. "What do you think?"

"I think we should make the most of being stranded here."

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