Chapter 2

I have to come up with a plan.

"Thank you for coming to my aid, Your Grace." Marie shivered slightly and ran her hands over her arms as she turned to leave.

Her body suddenly became engulfed in warmth as she stopped in her tracks. Looking up in shock, she noted the duke's crisp white shirt that had been covered by his jacket only moments before.

"Why did you give me your jacket?" she asked him in shock and shifted the large garment on her shoulders.

"You look cold," he answered gruffly, allowing his eyes to seep over her once again. The hatred that had been there before on all the occasions they had butted heads was now replaced by a look of concern that she hadn't been expecting.

They had met on many occasions since that fateful day in her shop when he had confronted her for conspiring with his grandmother to set up a match. Each meeting since then had ended in a heated, albeit passionate, shouting match. "Thank you," she uttered quietly and took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed by all that had happened to her in a short space of time.

"Did he hurt you badly?" he asked quietly before reaching for her wrist and examining the marks that were already beginning to fade.

The cool feel of his fingertips made her breath catch.

Why is he being so kind to me?

Her emotions tumbled over one another as she gently removed her wrist from his grip and began to pace back and forth. "What am I going to do? I can't find a new place for business on such short notice. Even if I fire Janey and take on double the work, I will never be able to pay double the rent!" She felt tears of frustration welling up in her eyes.

Why couldn't things have just stayed as they were? She was doing so well for herself, not just with the upper class of the ton but with all the people whom she helped. Five years had been a long time, and many couples had come across her path: dukes, earls, and barons to name but a few.

She had even been able to provide a suitable life for her grandmother. Gone were the days when she needed to count her pennies for food or ask for a loan. The world was far too unfair and cruel for her liking.

"We can't go back to the life we used to live. My grandmother has come too far, and her health…" Her voice trailed off as she stopped at the railing and shut her eyes against the painful thought of her grandmother's health worsening.

It had only been the two of them for so long since her parents died. Marie had used what little funds were left to rent the shop and support her grandmother. Her health would deteriorate quickly if they had to move back into a windy shack instead of the little house where they lived now. Even the rent there was just on the cusp of what she was able to afford.

She took in a sharp breath as the solution occurred to her. "I have to marry someone wealthy and powerful." She shook her head and spun around without seeing anything else around her at all. The solution seemed so simple yet so daunting.

A breeze picked up, causing her to pull the coat tighter around her shoulders. "It's the only way; even if I find another shop, James knows enough businessmen around the ton to make things very difficult for me. I need to find a man who is willing to marry me out of convenience. Preferably one with enough wealth and power to solve all my problems," she continued to think out loud, forgetting that she wasn't alone on the balcony.

"Marry me," Dominic spoke up, making her look up in shock.

* * *

He held her gaze as her mouth fell open in shock. He hadn't even considered what he was saying. She had been mumbling out loud, stressing about her life, and how things would change. The words had just come out almost as soon as she mentioned the possibility of marrying another man.

"I beg your pardon?" she finally broke the stunned silence and gawked at him.

"You just spent the better part of what seemed like an eternity complaining about how difficult things are for you. You need a marriage of convenience to protect you from that bastard, and the only way that I can put an end to these blasted onslaughts of failed matches is to find a wife." He folded his arms over his chest and lazily leaned against the balcony wall. "If you ask me, it's the perfect solution to both of our problems."

Marie seemed to regain her composure. "I can't possibly marry a man like you. The idea is utterly ridiculous." He saw the serious look in her eyes and instantly felt offended at her rejection.

"I don't see why not. I can give you enough money to buy another shop, you will never have to pay rent again, and you can even continue to play matchmaker if that is what you want." He narrowed his eyes at her, feeling his irritation growing again. Why couldn't they manage to be in each other's presence without one of them inciting a revolution?

Her face instantly stiffened at his comment. "I do not ‘play' matchmaker, Your Grace; I am a successful businesswoman who earns her own keep. I do not need any man to buy me a shop. All I need is some form of protection from my soon-to-be former landlord."

The corner of his mouth picked up as he smirked at her. There was something utterly irresistible about her stubbornness; she was attractive to him even when she was arguing. The sensual way that her mouth turned up at the edges inflamed his desires. "Are you implying that I am not capable of looking after you? I am not denying the fact that you have made a good living for yourself, but I can offer you so much more."

She glowered at him and tilted her head to the side, seething with rage as she folded her arms over her chest.

He growled internally at the tight fit of her emerald dress. The color suited her far more than he thought she even realized, making her eyes sparkle like a stormy sea. The large shape of his jacket over her shoulders made him want to peel off the fabric and reveal the secrets hidden beneath.

"I can offer you so much more, Marie. You can live the life of a lady of the ton while I get rid of all those insufferable mamas that flock to me like flies in a pigpen." He watched her eyes carefully as they flashed with anger.

Why does she look so alluring when she's angry?

He wanted to take her in his arms and press her against the balcony wall, feeling the warmth of her body beneath his.

"I can never marry a man as insufferable as you. You know nothing of love, passion, or any of those attributes that would make a good husband." The quiver in her voice let him know that there was a spark of doubt in her statement. Was she considering his offer?

He pushed himself off of the opposite wall and sauntered toward her, backing her up until she was pressed against the wall in the shadows.

Her breathing quickened when he placed an arm above her head and looked into her eyes, holding her gaze as her lips parted. "I have never been in love, but don't let that fool you. There are a few things that I can teach you about passion, Marie." He leaned in closer and whispered her name in her ear, taking delight in the fact that a thin layer of bumps spread over her skin.

The intoxicating scent of vanilla filled his senses again as he used his free hand to reach up and gently twirl a strand of hair around his finger. The color that flooded her cheeks urged him on as he traced the line of her jaw with his thumb and stopped to fondle her lips, pulling down gently until she gasped. "In fact, there are many passionate things that I would like to teach you. I'm sure the two of us would have a great deal of fun."

His lips drew closer to hers as he felt her hot breath caressing his skin with her labored breathing. His hand moved from her chin to her side, cupping the gentle curve of her hip as heat seeped into his palm. Even through the fabric of her dress, he could tell that her skin was smooth. He pictured the lovely curves and what it would feel like if he pressed hundreds of kisses on each spot.

Marie gasped audibly when he applied a slight amount of pressure, tracing the form of her hip through the layers of fabric.

God, she is beautiful.

He raised his eyes to hers and felt himself melting in the deepest depths of green. It almost seemed as if she were about to kiss him when she placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away, lingering for a moment before taking off his coat and handing it back to him.

"I can't marry you, Your Grace." She swallowed hard and pushed past him, making her way back to the ball that had ceased to exist in the back of his mind.

He watched her go as the noise and chatter of all the guests began to fill the air once again. Her hips swung so sensually as she walked that he ached to feel more of her, to feel the curves of the rest of her body and sample what he was sure was the sweetest taste. He had become so enthralled by her presence that he had almost forgotten where they were. He cleared his throat and strengthened, swinging his jacket back over his shoulders.

I can't allow her to marry anyone else.

He felt a strange sense of jealousy engulf him as she stopped to apologize to a man who had bumped into her. What would it be like if she married someone else? He would have to endure seeing her with another man every time he came to a ball. She wasn't certain if she could convince a man of the ton to marry her, he was sure of that. Yet he knew for a fact that fights would break out at the mere mention of her wanting a husband.

They all pretended not to notice her, but the glances she received in passing let him know that he wasn't the only one who had taken notice of her.

He would never be able to see her with another man, even if he had to make all the men in London disappear.

Marie Webster would be his wife even if he needed to travel to the ends of the earth.