Chapter 8

Eight

K ingston had held Selena against him for a long while after he had made love to her. He could have stayed there forever, wrapped in her warmth, her scent, and the feel of her against him. But he’d known he couldn’t risk her reputation by lingering—he couldn’t afford even the hint of impropriety. Though his intentions were honorable—he fully intended to marry her. He would not have taken her to bed if that had not been his intention; however, he still had to gain her consent to marry him. He would also have to talk to Foxcroft. His friendship with the earl was too important for him to take any chances.

While Kingston was confident in Selena’s feelings for him, he never took anything for granted. So, after leaving her bedchamber, he returned to his own, quickly changing out of his masquerade costume. Once dressed, he made his way downstairs. Most of the guests would still be abed for hours, many opting for breakfast trays delivered to their rooms. The servants would begin setting up the buffet in the breakfast room shortly, so he decided to pass the time in the library. A book would help distract him from the tumult of emotions swirling within him.

“You’re up early,” a familiar voice said from behind him.

Kingston turned, a grin tugging at his lips as he saw his friend, the Earl of Foxcroft. “I could say the same for you. What brings you to the library at this hour? Has your wife already exiled you?”

Foxcroft chuckled. “Not at all. Victoria sent me here to return this.” He held up a red leather-bound book. “She did not want to forget it. She spotted it on her table and insisted I bring it down before we finally retired for the night.”

Kingston raised an eyebrow. “You’re just now heading to bed? You look as though the ball ran you ragged.”

The earl was still dressed in black, much as Kingston had been. Though he must have left his black domino in his bedchamber. Other than the missing mask he still wore his masquerade costume. Foxcroft smirked. “Not quite, though it was a long evening. But you’ve already changed out of your costume. Did you retire early?”

Kingston hesitated. That was one way of putting it. “I couldn’t sleep,” he admitted. He had a lot on his mind and the very idea of sleeping seemed and impossibility. Should he ask Foxcroft now about Selena? Would his friend be upset with him? “I just changed. I cannot sleep so I thought to seek out a book.” The moment was as good as any to broach the subject of Selena. Kingston knew Foxcroft was protective of his cousin, and while he didn’t expect outright opposition, he valued his friend’s approval.

Foxcroft handed over the book with a shrug. “Take this one, if you like. Victoria enjoyed it, though I couldn’t tell you what it’s about.” He held up the leather bound book for him.

Kingston grinned. “Perhaps I will take it from you. That’s an excellent suggestion.” His lips twitched as he took the book from Foxcroft. “Since you are here do you have a moment before you return to your wife?” Kingston took the book, smiling faintly.

“I suppose I can spare some time for you. What is on your mind?” his friend asked.

“It’s about your cousin…”

“Selena?” Foxcroft frowned, his expression immediately turning serious. “What has she done now? I know she’s been… less than accommodating with some of the guests. She didn’t want to celebrate Christmastide surrounded by people she loathes, and, well, her displeasure has been… apparent.”

Kingston chuckled. “Yes, I noticed. Her honesty is refreshing, if a bit sharp. But that’s not why I wanted to speak with you.” He found her grumpy and blunt replies refreshing. It was what had made him pay attention to her since the start of the house party.

“Then what is it?” Foxcroft asked, his brow furrowed as he sank onto the settee. Kingston took the chair beside him, leaning forward with his hands clasped. “I worry about her. She hasn’t had a good time of it. The snobs in the ton have treated her terribly.” He blew out a breath. “While I rebuilt our fortune, she suffered through season after season of being a wallflower.”

Kingston listened to Foxcroft and kept wondering what to say. But when it came down to it, the response that was needed was simple. “I want to marry her,” he said plainly.

Foxcroft blinked, clearly startled. “You do?” He shook his head as if to clear it. “When did you come to this decision? I didn’t think you’d even noticed her before this house party.”

Kingston winced at the truth of that. “I hadn’t, and that speaks poorly of me. But I see her now, and I can’t imagine not having her in my life. Selena’s fiery wit, her sharp mind, her refusal to pander to anyone—it’s all captivated me. Over these past days, I’ve come to know her, truly know her, and I’ve fallen in love. I want to spend my life with her.”

Foxcroft studied him for a long moment before a slow smile spread across his face. “Well, I can’t say I expected this, but if she agrees to marry you, you have my blessing.”

Kingston exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Thank you.”

Foxcroft stood, clapping him on the shoulder. “You’ll need all the luck you can find. Selena’s been talking about buying a cottage by the sea and living a solitary life. She’s convinced herself she doesn’t need marriage or a family to be happy.”

With those parting words, Foxcroft left the library, leaving Kingston to his own musings. What if she did say no? Could he live with only having pieces of her, rather than the lifetime he envisioned? Shaking off the doubt, he resolved to propose to her as soon as he could. Whatever her answer might be, he needed to know. He loved her too deeply to delay any longer.

Selena lingered in her bath, the warm water soothing her deliciously sore body—a testament to the passion she had shared with Kingston. When she had woken to find him gone, a pang of disappointment had coursed through her. She had wanted to roll over, wrap her arms around him, and lose herself in another one of his decadent kisses. But practicality soon overruled her longing. His departure had been for the best. Had he stayed, her reputation would have been irreparably tarnished.

When her maid, Mary, had come in hours later, Selena had ordered a bath and insisted on solitude. She needed no assistance, as the gown she intended to wear was simple enough to manage alone. Besides, she required time to sort through her tangled thoughts. Selena would just plait her hair into a simple knot. She needed this time to get her mind in the right frame for the upcoming day. After her night with Kingston she did not know how to proceed. What would he expect from her. Was that truly only one night that she would have with him? They had not spoken about feelings of what either of them wanted.

The events of the previous night had left her adrift. What had it meant to Kingston? Was it merely one night of passion, or did he feel as deeply as she did? They hadn’t spoken of emotions or expectations, but Selena knew her own heart. She wanted him. She craved more nights in his arms, more moments of unrestrained passion. But what if he didn’t want marriage? What if he envisioned her as nothing more than a mistress? Could she accept such a role, settling for fleeting moments instead of a life together? Would she agree to that and only accept the snippets he offered her? Would she cheapen herself in such a fashion?

The thought chilled her. She had fallen utterly, hopelessly in love with the Duke of Castlebury. Her heart, unbidden, belonged to him. When she had first received the invitation to the house party, she had been bitter. She had longed for a quiet Christmastide with her cousin and Victoria, free from the pressures of society. It had felt as if her dreams had been stolen from her. Instead, the pact she had made with Emma had bound her to attend. Yet now, she realized, her initial resentment had been misplaced. Without this party, she might never have discovered the depth of her feelings—or Kingston’s.

A sharp knock at the door jolted her from her musings. Frowning, Selena sat up in the bath. It could not be Mary; she had made it clear she wished to be left alone. “Who is it?” she called.

The door creaked open, and Kingston’s dark head peeked through the crack. His grin was wicked, sending a shiver through her body that had nothing to do with the cooling water. “Now isn’t this a lovely sight,” he drawled.

“You should not be here,” she gasped, clutching the edge of the tub for modesty.

“Oh, I disagree,” he said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him with a decisive click and then turned lock. His grin widened, and his eyes roved over her with unabashed appreciation. “This is exactly where I should be.”

“Kingston!” she hissed, though her voice lacked conviction. Heat coursed through her as he shrugged off his jacket and waistcoat. “What are you doing? You left to protect my reputation—if we are caught?—”

“If we are caught,” he interrupted, “it will be of little consequence.” He knelt beside the tub, his rolled-up sleeves revealing strong forearms. “No scandal can truly touch a duchess. And as soon as you agree to marry me, any lingering doubts will be laid to rest.”

Her heart stuttered. “Pardon me,” Selena said, lifting a brow. “I did not hear a question in there.”

Kingston’s grin turned roguish as his hand dipped into the bath. His fingers found her most sensitive spot, stroking lightly until her breath caught. “Selena, love,” he murmured, his voice like velvet. “Will you marry me and let me pleasure you for the rest of your life?”

“Kingston,” she moaned, his name a breathless plea.

“I do love hearing my name on your lips,” he said, his tone rough with desire. “But that is not the answer I was hoping for.” His fingers teased her, sending sparks of sensation through her body. “Do I need to ask again?”

Her body trembled, her mind a haze of need. “I…” she began, but he stopped his movements, leaving her on the precipice.

“Wrong answer, love,” he chided softly.

“Please,” she begged, her voice trembling with desperation. “I need…”

“Say yes,” he coaxed, his fingers hovering tantalizingly close. “Tell me you will be my wife, and I will give you everything you desire. Forever, Selena. That is what I need from you.”

Her heart swelled at his words, but she had to know. “Why?” she whispered. “Why do you want to marry me? Is it only because of the night we spent together?”

He leaned in, brushing a tender kiss against her lips. “My glorious minx,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I love you. I think I fell for you that morning in the breakfast room when you cut me down with your sharp wit. You are everything I never knew I needed. Please, Selena—be my duchess.”

Tears pricked her eyes as she cupped his face with trembling hands, water dripping from her fingers onto his shirt soaking it through. It was a glorious sight and she licked her lips in appreciation. Slowly she lifted her gaze to his. “I love you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”

Kingston’s grin was radiant as he kissed her, his hands resuming their skilled ministrations. Selena cried out his name, her body shattering with pleasure. As her climax ebbed, she smiled up at him, her heart full. Selena could not wait to marry him, and after he finished making love to her again she would tell him she wanted to have their wedding immediately. She suddenly had a brilliant idea on how she would get her final revenge against the ton, and she owed it all to the brilliant, passionate duke that had stolen her heart.