Tall, Duke, and Dangerous (Hazards of Dukes #2) - Megan Frampton Page 0,73

quips and reminiscences over whiskey.

This was power. This was—damn it, he couldn’t name it. Even though his mind whispered it: love.

And with that thought, he froze, incapable of not imagining what was inevitable afterward. Which was why he could not allow himself to acknowledge it, even though he knew it to be true.

How could his heart be broken when an orgasmic-spent woman was lying in his arms?

And yet here he was.

Goddamn it.

The carriage slowed to a stop at the worst possible time.

“Thank you for escorting me home. And—” Her cheeks were fiery red. Anybody looking at her had to know something had happened. But before he could react, the carriage door swung open, and one of Sebastian’s footmen was holding his hand out to assist Ana Maria out onto the sidewalk.

“Ana Maria!”

Thaddeus stepped out of the house, a bemused expression on his face as he saw all the bolts of fabric being unloaded from the coach.

“And Nash,” Thaddeus added, sounding less welcoming.

“Thad.”

“Thaddeus, Nash took me to the docks to see the Lees’ shipment, and I was fortunate enough to purchase all of these.”

Should he be irked that what had just happened in the carriage seemed to have entirely slipped her mind in her enthusiasm for fabric?

Not that he wanted her to possibly reveal any of what had happened—that would definitely raise some questions he did not want to answer—but he’d like it if she weren’t as excited about her fabric bolts as she was about her carriage orgasm. It seemed as though there should be a hierarchy of excitement, with the latter ahead of the former.

But he didn’t care about fabric, so what did he know?

“Took you to the docks?” Thaddeus repeated.

Sebastian stepped outside, too, his eyes narrowing as he saw Nash’s carriage and Ana Maria.

“So that is where you have been.” His sharp gaze seemed to peer inside Nash, making him want to shift in discomfort. Him. Nash. Shifting in discomfort?

That was not who he was.

She was changing him. Because of her he was changing himself.

“Would you excuse us, Ana Maria? I need to speak with Nash.”

“If you’re angry with him for taking me there, you shouldn’t be.” Ana Maria took Nash’s arm as she spoke. “I was going to go on my own, but he insisted so I would be safe. So you see, it is perfectly acceptable.”

“Why don’t you go sort your things out in one of the spare bedrooms upstairs?” Thaddeus said, making it sound less like a question and more like an order. “You can have a room for your projects, if you like.”

“I will, but promise not to rake Nash over the coals. He was there as protection,” Ana Maria said. She stooped to pick a yellow flower from one of the potted plants on either side of the steps, handing it to Nash.

“Thank you for a wonderful day,” she said in a low tone, one only he could hear. “Especially for—” And she met his gaze, her eyes warm and knowing.

“You are welcome,” he said, holding the flower. “Let me know when you can come over for more defense training.”

Her lips curled into a sly smile. “More defense training? Yes, I certainly will.”

She gave him one last look, then turned and ran up the stairs, already calling instructions for where to put her purchases.

“Inside, Nash,” Thaddeus said. This was definitely an order. And Nash knew whatever the two of them had to say would be said eventually, so he might as well get it over with now. He tucked Ana Maria’s flower into his pocket and strode up the stairs, knowing that whatever they were concerned about was nowhere near as scandalous as what had just happened.

“Well?”

Nash lounged on Thaddeus’s sofa, stretching his arms over its back. He’d hoped that Thad would order brandy, but apparently whatever needed to be said was best done without alcohol.

Which definitely meant Nash did not want to hear it.

Sebastian spoke first. “I’ve heard that you and Ana Maria are spending time together.”

“And we know that your grandmother is here to ensure you marry soon,” Thaddeus added.

Their suspicious expressions matched each other in intensity.

Nash narrowed his eyes. “And that is a problem?” He rose, feeling the sudden urge to pace. “Not that it is any of your business, but Ana Maria and I are friends. As we have always been.”

Friends who explore one another’s mouths with their tongues, but Nash would not share that.

“You have no intention of marrying her?” Sebastian said.

“Are you upset that I have no