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His words were a caress, and she went liquid as he thrust inside her again. She was hardly able to think straight as he claimed her. This was what she’d wanted. To be so close to him, he would never again think of anyone else. She wanted to be owned by him, to take him inside so deep she could capture his heart.

‘Every night,’ she vowed.

He lifted her leg over his shoulder, and in doing so she felt him touching an even more sensitive place inside her. Her body was nearly convulsing against him as he rode her, quickening his pace. She was hurtling towards another peak, but she kept her gaze fixed upon him when she said, ‘I don’t want this to be a marriage in name only, Alaric. Not any more.’

He didn’t speak but continued making love to her until she dug her nails into his shoulders, meeting him fiercely, thrust for thrust.

‘Why do you say that?’ he demanded.

‘Because I want to love you.’

With that, he hurled her over the edge once more, her body quaking as he took her and made her his. He bit back a groan and pulled out as his own release claimed him. He rested atop her, panting, their bodies slick with perspiration against one another.

Time stretched out as she waited for him to answer her. But instead, he simply remained with his body covering hers, not speaking.

And his silence made her heart ache. For he’d given her an answer she didn’t want to hear.

Two days later

Alaric hadn’t shared his wife’s bed since that night. Her words—that she wanted to change their rules and love him—had caught him completely off-guard. He’d thought that he could separate the physical from the emotional, but now it seemed that his wife could not.

But how could he tell Charlotte that without hurting her feelings? She didn’t understand why he needed to put boundaries in place between them. He had already seen the ill-effects of love—it only brought misery and loss.

He would protect her and care for her—but he wasn’t capable of love.

Why was there any need to change their relationship? They had a pleasant marriage, based on rules they had agreed upon. He enjoyed spending time with her, but love would only complicate it. It was better to be honest with Charlotte, even if it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

The problem was that he craved his wife and wanted her in his bed. How could they go back to being only companions or friends? It probably meant not sharing her bed, the thought of which only darkened his mood.

She hadn’t joined him at breakfast this morning, and he decided they would speak at luncheon instead. Today, the first matter that required his attention was Thompson. His father’s secretary had sent word that he could come today with the answers Alaric wanted. He hoped they could finally unravel the remaining debts and put it all to rest. Starting with the loan his father had taken from Selwyn.

That one had to be paid back immediately.

He didn’t understand why Nathaniel would have borrowed any money from the earl. And Selwyn’s behaviour—though it had seemed innocuous on the surface—had also held undertones of secrecy he didn’t understand.

Alaric refused to dwell on it. Better to pay off the debt after he’d verified it and then have nothing more to do with the earl.

He thought again of Lenora’s sadness, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for her. It was the choice she’d made. And he had resolved to put her from his mind and not think of her again.

His footman, Braxton, cleared his throat and said, ‘Your Grace, you have a caller.’

‘Thompson, I presume?’

‘No, Your Grace.’ Braxton brought him the man’s card. ‘It is a gentleman named Mr Virdon. Shall I tell him you are not at home?’

Alaric remembered Charlotte had spoken about the man’s frequent letters demanding repayment. ‘No, I will see him.’

The footman inclined his head and returned with a tall gentleman who appeared to be in his forties. His beard was peppered with grey, and he wore all black.

‘Your Grace, thank you for agreeing to speak with me.’ He took a seat, and Alaric sat across from him.

He regarded Mr Virdon and said quietly, ‘I understand you sent several letters while I was away from Severn.’

‘I did, yes.’ The man cleared his throat and began, ‘I believe you are aware that His Grace, your late father, borrowed a significant amount of funds.’

While the gentleman spoke, Alaric watched him closely for signs of deception. Outwardly, he didn’t see anything, but he countered, ‘I saw no mention of your name in his ledgers. Have you evidence of these loans?’

‘The loans were given by Lord Selwyn,’ Mr Virdon clarified. ‘I have come to collect on his behalf.’ After a slight pause, he added, ‘I imagine you are already aware of the funds your father borrowed from him. Now that you have married an heiress, I presume you are able to repay your father’s debts.’