An Improper Proposal (Improper Agreements #4)

by Audra Wells

“Well,” she said, her honey gold eyes glinting in the soft candlelight, “is there anything I might say that you would find entertaining? I do find it difficult to remain silent.”

“No.” Wood’s fingers turned white at the tips as he pressed them against the desk. “I want you to actually care for her. Notice her moods. Ask if she is doing well. See she is comfortable here. My sister hides things and I would hate for her to be living in misery and no one even knows . . . or cares.”

“I suppose I wish to make one thing clear.” He nodded, encouraging her along. “This is a marriage of convenience. Not a marriage based upon affection.” Louisa watched for his reaction, but there was none. Not even a flinch of his eyes or a twitch of his finger. “Do we agree upon that point?” “Yes.” “Then I propose we strike a bargain of sorts.”

The vicar’s instructions filtered through his ears, and he obediently repeated them back. He forced himself to keep Miss Morgan’s gaze, but did she have to be so lovely? Perfectly at ease, smiling at him as if they meant the words they were saying. It felt like a farce.

As everyone dipped their heads, Robert had a sudden desire to pull Miss Morgan’s delicate hand to his lips. It was as if his body reacted without thought, gently pressing his lips against the ring he had placed on her finger. The small gesture felt like so much more. For it wasn’t small. It was his way of sealing those promises to her in front of God. And while everyone else’s heads were bowed and the vicar continued to pray, their eyes met. A single moment that snapped between them, as if they simultaneously realized that their futures were now intertwined, for better or for worse.

And he was left with no words—only a gaze that filled him with a faint sense of dread, for he knew what the feeling was. Longing. He—Robert, the Duke of Boroux—liked his wife.

He needed some thread of connection to life. Something to ground him to reality. Her eyes brightened at his touch. “Why did you marry me?” Seeming to notice his fragile state, her face softened into a smile. “Because you were thoughtful enough to ask.”

She stopped, her mouth falling open as she gazed up at his face. One eye was clearly visible from behind his hand, and it was staring down at her. Was he . . . flirting with her?

“I remember telling you I would not stop saying those things, actually. I only promised not to kiss you.”

“You changed the rules, and I am not interested in the game you want to play.” Robert’s face softened with a wince, and he looked at the floor. “I don’t know what happened when we married, but I know I would go to hell and back for you, Duchess.”

“No. You don’t have to chase me. I don’t require your love.” “You may not require it, but you already have it.” That was the last straw. Her eyes fluttered closed, but not in time to stop a single tear from slipping past her barrier, gliding down her cheek. A hot streak of betrayal was left in its wake, revealing feelings she desperately wished to bury.

“And was it worth the wait?” Her hair tumbled across her shoulders as she leaned slightly closer. His eyes trailed up her arms and shoulders until they met her gaze. “You were always worth it, Louisa.” She leaned down until their lips met again, assuring herself that he was indeed there and real and it was not some dream she had conjured in her mind. Robert pulled her head back so their lips barely touched, cradling her cheek. “My Duchess.”