Drenched with a Duke by Emily Murdoch

Author:Emily Murdoch
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 2018-09-03T16:00:00+00:00

6

I t was the shout that did it. Without the shout, it was quite conceivable that Alexander would have slept for at least another hour, but the cry of “Fresh fish! Fresh fish for sale!” from the street broke through into his dreaming consciousness like a knife.

For a terrible moment, he had no idea where he was. Red silks glowed in the daylight, the softness of a pillow that he did not recognise, the warm of another body in bed with him –

Alexander started. His eyes drew open wide, and he stared at the naked woman asleep beside him. She was lying on her front and the curve of her back led his eyes to the swell of her bottom, and her blonde hair covered her face.

Teresa. He sagged with relief as the memories started to pour back: the Thames, the rescue, the return, the conversation, the lovemaking . . .

Something in him stirred, and he was almost embarrassed to find that, had she been awake, he would have been desperate to pleasure Teresa again.

He spent a minute watching her sleep, the steady rise and fall of a person in deep slumber, the patterns of light as a breeze shifted the silk hangings dancing over her skin, and then his brain caught up with him.

The light. It was daylight; it was morning, and he had spent all night there, in a courtesan’s bed.

The thought almost felt as though it had emanated from a different person. Teresa was no courtesan in his eyes; why, she was a victim, a woman who had had no choice but to turn to the oldest profession in the world to protect her family.

A rush of love and protection surged into Alexander’s heart, and it was so strong and overwhelming that he almost woke her, so desperate was he to tell her –

Tell her what?

Alexander stared at her. If he was honest with himself, he would have to admit that he had fallen completely in love with her. He could hardly believe it himself: how was it possible? How could he even consider falling in love with a person that quickly?

But his heart knew, even if his mind did not. The moment that he had seen her, that flailing hand desperate for a rescuer, his stomach had lurched and his instincts had taken over.

Teresa Metcalfe was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with: wake up every morning with, spend the long days with, and ravish every night.

It would be his honour to be her Duke, and she – she would be his Duchess.

She moved gently in her sleep, but did not awake.

Alexander smiled, and as slowly as he could, got out of the bed. Now that he saw it in daylight, he could see the sad dilapidation of the room: what appeared to be a magical room, exotic and unknown, was just a room. The silks were torn in a few places, the cushions stained with red wine, and the carpet

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