It had been almost a month since the fight. Nate had gone to great lengths to keep me separate from his family, but mostly from Toby. He’d even taken on a bigger role in the day-to-day running of their businesses so he could take a step back from the ‘jobs’ that took him away from me. For the first time in his life, he didn’t trust the members of his family, and I was the reason behind it. It made me feel like the Yoko Ono of the group.

“I don’t want you to fall out with them over me. Despite their faults, family is hard to come by. I should know.”

“You’re the one I’m devoted to, duchess.”

It didn’t matter what I said or did—he wanted to be upset with them. In a way, I was glad not to have to worry about him going out and risking his freedom to steal shit none of them needed. But there was this underlying disquiet about him, a restlessness that simmered just below the surface of his skin, causing him to pace the floors at night instead of coming to bed.

Above all else, he seemed angry. All the time.

He fucked me angry. He spoke to me in clipped tones more often than not. Every movement was aggressive, designed to keep me quiet and compliant. It was something I’d never been before, but it was how I was behaving now. His anger scared me. I’d hoped that if I gave him time to calm down, he’d return to that effervescent man I’d fallen head over heels for in the beginning, but as the days moved on, I could feel that man slipping further away from me.

I approached him one night while staying at the Bells Beach property as he sat at his desk going through a mountain of paperwork. His quiet anger had gotten too much for me, and I knew if we didn’t face what was happening, we were going to lose everything that had been good between us.

“I think we need to talk about what happened.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. Go read or something.”

“I don’t want to read. I want to talk to my husband. I want to spend time with him and laugh again. I don’t know who this angry man is in front of me.”

“I’m the same man. I’m just too busy for games right now.”

“You’ve been too busy ever since your fight with Toby. Why won’t you talk to me about it?”

“Because there’s nothing to say. He touched my wife, and he paid for it.”

“Are you angry with me too? Do you feel like I provoked him somehow?”

Finally, he stopped what he was doing and faced me. “Did you?”

I frowned, the fact that he felt the need to ask that question hurting more than I’d expected. “No. I did nothing.”

“Then what made him feel as though he had a right to touch you—kiss you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he did it because I insinuated he was weak.”

“Insinuated how?”

“I was angry with you for leaving me in his care instead of trusting me on my own. I tried to get him to hand over the keys to his car and give me some space. When he refused, I stole them and told him he’d never have what he wanted in life because he didn’t have the balls to go after it. That’s when he decided to kiss me. I guess he decided to take what he wanted instead. That’s the Cartwright way, right?”

He quietly regarded me before speaking. “Do you have feelings for him?”

“Of course not. I didn’t kiss him back. And I slapped him for his efforts. Don’t I get a little credit for that?”

He looked at me for a long moment, seeming to weigh words and actions against each other. Silence stretched out and caused static in the air. I could barely breathe through the tension in my chest. Then his eyes flashed and his expression softened, moments before he released his breath, took my hand and pulled me towards him. “I’ve been awful to you?” he whispered.

“Yes.”

“You think I’m being awful to him?”

“I think you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face. You’re punishing your whole family because you’re angry with Toby. You beat the crap out of him, so I think he got the message already.”

“Don’t be alone with him.”

“I won’t.”

“And tell me if you ever are.”

“I will.” He pulled me to him and kissed me softly. The tenderness behind it caused my heart to sigh and tears to fill my eyes. “There he is,” I whispered against his mouth. “There’s the gentle giant I love.”

His fingers speared into my hair as he pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry, duchess. I’m trying to figure all this shit out. I don’t want to lose you. And above all, I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t know who to trust anymore.”

“Trust me.”

His mouth sealed over mine as his hands slid down to my waist. Then he sat me on the desk and we made a slow, gentle love that was so sweet, I cried at the end.

“No tears, duchess.” He kissed my cheeks. “I’ll always take care of you. I’m sorry I’ve been such an arse. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Needing to finish some work, he assured me that he’d join me in bed shortly, but after reading for an hour, my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep alone.

The whirring sound of a machine woke me sometime later, his side of the bed still empty. Squinting at the time on my phone, it was after four in the morning. What the hell is he doing?

I shuffled out to the kitchen, half expecting to find him at the blender making a smoothie. But it was clear and still dark. The whir sounded again.

Confused, I followed the sound, noting the light streaming under the door in the library. When I pushed the door open, I found him standing there, holding on to the completed ladder while testing that it would slide along the tracks.

“Oh my God,” I gasped, my hand going to my mouth. “You finished it.”

A grin pulled up one side of his sexy mouth, and by the shine in his eyes, I could see I had my Nate back. Lord, I’d missed his happy gaze.

“Thought it was time I followed through on a promise.”

I rushed to him and threw my arms around his neck, kissing all over his face. “I love it. I love it. I love it! Thank you!” I said between kisses.

Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around my waist, then twisted until my arse was against the ladder rungs. “Want to give it a try?” he asked.

“Do I?” I slid my butt back and hooked my feet down lower, holding on while Nate slid the ladder from side to side.

“How’s that?”

“It’s perfect. I love it. I feel like a Disney princess.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a beast.”

I reached up and touched his face, running my nails over the scruff on his cheeks. “I wonder if Beast and Belle ever used the ladder in their library for something more fun than reading?”

He grinned but played along. “What could possibly be more fun than reading?”

I opened my legs wide, our hips perfectly aligned. “It’s just the right height, don’t you think?”

Sliding his hands over my smooth skin, his chest rumbled as his pants developed a noticeable bump. “I didn’t hear you beg.”

Undoing the top button of his pants, I slid my hand inside and held Goliath tightly. “Please.” He closed his eyes as my hand moved over his shaft, his cock hardening as I whispered in his ear. “Please, Nate. Fuck me like the beast you are.”

That was all it took.

His eyes flashed open and then his mouth was on mine, devouring me while his hands shot to my hips, tearing the seams of my underwear. At the same time, I pushed at his pants, freeing his cock and adjusting my position so I was ready to receive him. With a swift push, he was in. I gasped at the speed of his intrusion, clinging to his large arms as his hips thrust back and forth, bang, bang, bang. A beautiful violence that had me calling out, overwhelmed by the force but loving it at the same time.

“Holy fuck,” I yelled, lifting my arms above my head and gripping the shelf of the bookcase behind me. I held on for dear life, each thrust tormenting my body and my mind as we hurtled towards orgasm.

“I’m gonna come,” he growled, his mouth moving to my neck as I arched back, gasping for breath.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

“Nate!”

Bang. Bang.

“Oh God.”

Crack.

“Oh God!”

The moment we exploded, the ladder gave way too, sending us slamming into the bookshelf with a loud whack. Books tumbled down around us, and then the shelves dropped, sending us sliding to the floor where Nate braced himself above me, taking the brunt of debris against his back.

“Shit. Are you OK?” he asked when it seemed the avalanche of books had ceased. When one more fell and hit against the back of his head, I couldn’t help myself, bursting into a fit of giggles.

“I’m fine,” I forced through my laughter.

“You think this is funny?” He tried to sound stern, but I could hear the amusement in his tone coupled with that sparkle in his eyes.

Another book fell, hitting him in the back and I lost it, nodding because I couldn’t answer.

“Me getting hit by books is funny to you?”

By that point, I was rolling on the floor. “Yes!” Tears streamed from my eyes as I clutched my stomach, unable to stop.

“I spent all night building that ladder, you know.”

I pressed my lips together, trying my best to control the bouncing of my shoulders. “I know.” Giggle. “And it was wonderful.” Snort. “While it lasted.” Hic.

A smile took over his lips. “I guess home improvements aren’t really my forte.”

Holding my laughter in my throat, I shook my head. “No. But you’re amazing at so many other things. Like fucking, for example.”

Holding himself above me, he looked at the mess in the room and then down at me. He shook his head, a burst of laughter escaping. “Fuck, I love you, duchess. You make everything right, you know that?”

Smiling up at him, I placed my hand against his chest. “Thank you for protecting me from the books.”

Dropping a lingering kiss on my lips, he whispered, “All I want is to protect you.”

I didn’t doubt the truth of that for a second.