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She longed to fall asleep in his arms every night and find out if there was more to the marital bed. Find out what it was like performing the actina bed. She’d always craved her independence and feared the shackles of marriage but being with Luke gave her freedoms she did not know existed.
The freedom to love being one of them. Dear God, how she loved this man.
“You need not worry,” she murmured after eyeing the clock on the mantlepiece. “No one will be up for another couple of hours.”
“We could have been caught.” The words were uttered tersely.
“But we were not. And we shall be more careful next time.”
“Next time,” he muttered. “Good Lord, Cassie, there won’t be a next time.”
“I—” She stopped and frowned. “Why not?” She tried to swallow past the noose tightening her throat. “I thought that was good. I thought you lo—” She paused and took a deep breath. “I thought you enjoyed that. You wanted more after all.”
He gave a tight smile. “What man would not want more? You are a beautiful woman, Cassie.”
The flattery did nothing to ease the tension in her chest. He might as well have called her hideous for all the sincerity behind the words.
“Where are you going?”
“To end this.”
“Well, you must wait for me.” She glanced at her discarded gown and stockings, slung haplessly on an armchair. She could not very well wear her evening clothes and they were crumpled anyway after Luke’s...attentions.
“You are not going anywhere.” He paced around the room until he spotted his hat that had been knocked under a table. Evidence of their passion was everywhere yet he acted as cool as the early morning air.
“This man attacked me and might very well have been the one who beat Betty. This could be dangerous, Luke.”
He eyed her. “Believe it or not, Cass, I have been in dangerous situations before. I am quite capable of handling one man myself.”
“And if more than one man is involved?”
He shrugged. “I shall manage.”
“This is ridiculous. You cannot simply run off after...what happened last night, and straight into danger.” She folded her arms.
“I can do whatever I wish. I am a rake after all.” His smirk sent a dart of pain straight to her heart.
“A rake,” she repeated softly.
“Yes, Cassie, a rake.” He stepped toward her. “You know, a man who seeks pleasure in the arms of many?”
“I know what a rake is,” she snapped. “But I thought—”
“You thought wrong.” He tapped a finger on her chin, forcing her to meet his hardened gaze. “I tried to be better but what can I say? It’s hard to resist when it is offered so freely.”
“I offered it because...” She gulped. She could hardly confess to her love now, could she? Not when he treated her as though she were no more than one of thetonwidows who jumped from bed to bed. “You do not have to leave.”
She winced at her words. Since when had she become a pleading, helpless woman?
“I need to leave before we are discovered.” Luke glanced at the closed door and offered a brief smile. “Just be glad I woke in time or else you’d find yourself trapped with me.”
“I do not care about being caught!”
“You do not mean that,” he said softly.
She lifted her chin. “I do.”
He eyed her for a few moments then shook his head. “Sorry, Little Cassie Fallon, but you cannot change the nature of man. I do not do repeats, especially with inexperienced young women.”
