The duke was looking out the window, and while he replied, he kept his focus on the passing scenery. “I was rather disappointed, but I fear I have other things on my mind.”
She waited, but when he didn’t elaborate, she asked softly, “I have a good listening ear if you need one.”
Finally, he turned his head to look at her, but while there was a smile on his face there was a touch of melancholy behind it. “You have truly become a remarkable woman, Miss Welton. I regret that I wasn’t here to see you blossom. It would certainly have been preferable to chasing some reprehensible criminal all over the continent.”
Sephy didn’t know what to say to that, but as the carriage rolled to a stop and the duke climbed out, the moment passed.
As she stepped to the ground, the groom rushed over to her. “Miss Welton!” He was a boy of no more than sixteen, but Sephy had carried on many conversations with him over the past year since he’d been employed. He had a mop of unruly red hair that curled over his forehead and a face dotted with freckles. He paused, and glanced at the duke and bowed respectfully. “Your Grace.”
Sephy grinned, for she could tell his eagerness to relay some news was making it difficult for him to stand still. He practically vibrated with the energy he was trying to withhold.
“What is it, Henry?”
He rocked back on his heels and wore a rather smug expression. “Lady had her puppies.”
Sephy instantly clapped her hands together. “Finally!”
“Come on!” Henry could no longer contain his enthusiasm as he led the way to the stables where the white and rust colored Springer Spaniel was laying on her side in an empty horse stable surrounded by straw with a litter of about six various colored puppies rooting around her belly, hoping for sustenance. The groom’s youthful face was wreathed with brilliance. “I’ll go fetch some water.”
With that, he sprinted away, and Sephy’s throat worked with emotion as she knelt beside the mother who looked up at her with soulful brown eyes, if not tinged with a bit of exhausted pride. She smoothed her hand over the dog’s head as tears sprang to her eyes. “You did good, Lady. They are adorable.”
Lady replied by turning her head and licking the palm of her hand.
The duke, who had been leaning against the stable gate, moved forward and crouched down beside her. She started when he reached out and wiped away one of her tears with the pad of his thumb. She turned her head to face him and the breath left her lungs in a rush to find him so close.
“Have you never seen puppies before?” he asked softly.
She slowly shook her head. “No. I always wanted a dog when I was little, but my mother refused to have them at the brothel. She said it would distract the girls from their more important duties.”
“I see.” He seemed to mull this over. “In that case, once these are weaned, you may have your pick of the litter where it can follow you around wherever you go.”
She gasped. And while she didn’t want to think about how much longer she had to spend with Hunter, she couldn’t help her joyous reply, “Do you mean it?”
His lips twitched. “I do.”
“Oh, thank you!” With that, she threw her arms around him. However, since he was crouched, the surprise of her reaction set him off balance and he collapsed on the hay — with Sephy on top of him.
***
Hunter froze. He tried not to look at Persephone’s breasts, those creamy curves that were on lovely display directly in his line of sight. Nor did he dare think about the fact that every inch of the rest of her soft, supple body was nearly covering him from head to toe. And he most especially didn’t want to imagine both of them naked and wrapped in a torrid embrace, even if his cock was eager to do so, the appendage already hard as a rock and aching to plunge into the feminine heat he’d denied himself for so long.
He gritted his teeth and prayed for the will to make it through this terrible error that he’d made while the woman lying on him laughed and chipped away even further at his resolve. “Oh, dear. We seem to be in quite a pickle,” she said mirthfully, her blue eyes dancing with amusement. Then, as if noticing his sudden discomfort, she asked, “I hope I’m not hurting you?”
On the contrary, I’m dying. “Not at all, but I think it’s best if you move.”
The minx dared to wiggle her tempting bottom. “Like this?”
Hunter hissed and temporarily closed his eyes. Unfortunately, that did nothing but heighten his awareness. He attempted his best glare. “Get off, Miss Welton.”
She leaned down to whisper in his ear. “I would love to, Falcourt, but only with your help, of course.”
With that tawdry statement, she rolled off him and left the stables. Hunter clenched his fists at his sides and tried to control his raging body. He was still lying in the middle of the hay next to the new mother and her puppies when Henry returned with the water. With his bucket in hand, he stopped in his tracks when he spied Hunter.
“Your Grace?” he asked cautiously, no doubt wondering as to his sanity.
At the moment, Hunter was thinking the same thing. “I’m fine.” He stood up and brushed the hay off his clothes now that his body wasn’t raging with a noticeable erection. He gestured to the bucket. “Need some help with that?”
Henry opened his mouth, but no sound emerged, so Hunter walked forward and took the bucket from his grasp. “A simple thank you
