Page 6 of Defending the Duke (The St. Clairs 4)

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Matthew rose. “I’ll see you next week with my new report.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Jeremy replied as he rose and the two men shook hands.

As Matthew left the large study, he was replaced by Jeremy’s favorite person in the world.

His duchess.

He’d wed Catherine four years ago but he’d been in love with her long before that. Circumstances beyond their control had separated them for several years. Jeremy had even married and had a daughter. After his wife passed, Catherine Crawford came back into his life—and everything from that moment on had been right. He loved her with a passion that could not be put into words. Catherine and their children were everything to him.

She crossed the room, as graceful as any duchess ever had been. His wife was beautiful and gifted.

Most of all, she was his. And he was hers.

His arms went about her. “Have I told you today that I love you, Duchess?”

It was a game they’d played since their marriage and he never tired of telling her those words.

Catherine’s eyes lit up. “I believe you did, Duke. Once when you woke me from a very deep sleep. Again, after you made love to me. Twice as we breakfasted. And when—”

He silenced her with a lingering kiss. He felt her melting into him and his arms tightened around her as he deepened the kiss. Her fingers kneaded his shoulders.

“Did you lock the door?” he murmured against her mouth.

“No. Because it’s almost time for tea.”

“Tea can wait,” he growled, kissing her again. He’d thought his hunger for her would end but it had only grown stronger over the years.

Catherine broke the kiss. “We have guests coming. Luke and Caroline.”

“They can wait.”

She laughed. “No, they can’t.”

“Then we can be late,” he suggested, kissing the tip of her beautiful nose.

“No, we can’t.”

“They’re newlyweds,” he protested. “They’re probably doing what we’re doing right now and will be late themselves.”

Her throaty chuckle made him want to gobble her up.

“A compromise,” he offered. “Shall we continue this after teatime, Duchess?”

She kissed him soundly. “Oh, I do like the idea of that, Duke.”

Jeremy released her but took her hand, entwining their fingers, the need to touch her too great. He led her upstairs to the drawing room.

“Can we at least kiss until they arrive?” he pleaded, bringing her hand to his lips and pressing a tender kiss upon her fingers.

“I thought you’d never ask.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and they lost themselves in one another.

After some minutes, he sensed the door opening and eased Catherine from him, turning his head and seeing his brother and sister-in-law had arrived. From the look of Caroline’s swollen lips, they’d done their share of kissing in the carriage on the way over.

“Good afternoon,” he said pleasantly and kissed Caroline’s cheek before giving his brother a bear hug.

“We’re the newlyweds,” Luke teased. “You’d think we’d have cornered the market regarding kissing.”

“Rachel and Evan have tried to keep up with us,” Jeremy said, referring to their sister and her husband. “You might be able to surpass them but my duchess and I are years of kisses ahead of you.”

---