London

I thought I would have more time with Crewe.

But the second I walked out of the bathroom and overheard him talking to Anna, I knew it was over.

I thought I had a year. Maybe more.

But I had just months, if that.

I wasn’t sure why I stood there and subjected myself to the torture. Not only was Anna beautiful, but she was cool. She didn’t remind me of the other stuffy noble people Crewe introduced me to. I could even see myself being her friend—if she weren’t going to take Crewe away.

I was smitten with her—so there was no way he wasn’t.

I could just break my promise to Ariel and not leave, but then she would walk away and Crewe would be miserable again. As tempting as that sounded, I knew it wouldn’t work anyway. Seeing him interact with Anna told me I was a terrible partner. With Anna, he would have everything he wanted—and he might even fall in love.

I wanted to cry—right there in the middle of the room.

Ariel swooped in out of the shadows, clinging to my sadness like she fed off it. “Crewe looks like he’s having a good time, huh?” She sipped her wine as she stood beside me, her shoulder touching mine.

I couldn’t speak.

“I’ve never met Anna before, but I’ve always heard good things. They have a great chemistry.”

I’d never hated someone so much in my life.

When I didn’t say anything, Ariel stared at me.

I ignored her look as best as I could.

“We have a deal. Remember?”

“Like you would ever let me forget…”

“I’ll find reasons to put them in the same room together. You work on your exit strategy.”

The idea of walking away made me want to hurl. “I just got him back…I thought I had more time.”

“I thought you did too. But she’s lovely. With exceptional business ties and a great title, she’s perfect for Crewe. Plus, she’s a few years younger than him so he doesn’t need to have kids right away.”

Now I really was going to throw up.

“Do we have a problem?”

“No…” I turned away, feeling the tears pool in my eyes. “If you had a heart, you would show some compassion.”

“I only show compassion to people who don’t get my business partner shot. If you need a moment, go outside. Don’t want Crewe to see you.”

I didn’t bother arguing with her. I just wanted to get away, get some fresh air under the blue sky. I pushed through the crowd before I made it out to the stone steps that led to the turnaround driveway. An enormous fountain spilled water into the pool, making a constant melodic sound. It was refreshing but only for an instant. I walked to the fountain and crossed my arms over my chest, grateful the sound would drown out my tears to anyone who walked by. Right now, everyone was inside enjoying the party, so no one would notice I was gone.

Crewe would eventually.

I didn’t have much time, fifteen minutes max. I had to pull myself together and accept the horrifying end to my relationship with Crewe. It was stupid of me to come here in the first place, to give up what I had in New York. He and I were from different worlds, and we should stay in different worlds.

I would never be a duchess.

I would never be anything.

He was meant for greater things. I was meant for an average life with an average husband. When I returned home, it would be painful. But one day, it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe I’d meet a nice guy and find love. Not the passionate love I had with Crewe, but something that resembled close companionship.

Maybe I would survive this.

I just had to be strong, swallow my tears, and accept the inevitable. Nothing lasted forever, and my relationship with Crewe was no different. I should be grateful we got to spend time together at all. We went from being enemies to passionate lovers. It was a story nobody would ever believe.

I closed my eyes and cleared my thoughts, meditating just as if I were in yoga. I thought of nothing at all, letting all the heartbreaking feelings inside my chest dissipate. When I went back into that hall, I would wear a smile and nothing else.

“Lovely?” Crewe’s concerned voice reached my ears from the bottom of the stone steps.

I had less time to recover than I hoped. I had to bounce back and pretend everything was perfectly fine. After a final deep breath, I turned to him. “It was a little warm in there. I need to cool off.” Now that I knew we’d reached the end of our relationship, he looked even more handsome. With strong shoulders and a cleanly shaven jaw, he looked more like a king than a duke. His exterior was dark, but if you looked beneath the skin, you would see a man who had a heart that was brilliant like gold. He was more complicated than he appeared, hiding his good nature like a bad secret. His entire life was fueled by revenge, but that anger was caused by fierce loyalty to his deceased family. He was a man perfect in every way.

And I couldn’t have him.

Crewe came to my side and moved his arm around my waist, surrounding me with his protective touch. His strong fingers dug into the thick fabric of my dress, and his cologne surrounded me with a heavenly smell. “You’ve been gone for a long time. I got worried.”

“I went to the bathroom, and there was a long line. Then all the perfume and the body heat…I just needed some fresh air.” Crewe could read me pretty well so I wasn’t sure if he would believe my lie, but I had to try.

He moved closer into me and pressed a kiss against my hairline. “It’s a beautiful night…even if we can’t see the stars.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Unfortunately, the duke and his daughter started talking to me right after you stepped away. We’ll hunt them down because I’d like them to meet you.”

There was nothing I wanted less. “We’ll see.”

He surveyed the enormous lawn in front of the manor, looking at the lawn ornaments and perfectly manicured bushes that resembled safari animals. It seemed like everything was calm, like he believed my lie, until he turned back to me. “Are you sure everything is alright?”

“Of course it is.” I looked past his shoulder and saw Ariel emerge from the entrance, a glass of wine in her hand. She watched me with her pointed expression, and even from this distance, I could see the disapproval in her eyes. After a haughty look, she walked back inside. “Just needed to cool off, that’s all. You’re used to these social events, but I’m not.”

“Give it some time. You’ll be a pro.”

But we didn’t have time.

“Come on, let’s head back inside.” He grabbed my hand and gently pulled him with him.

I didn’t want to speak to Anna, to smile and pretend she didn’t just change everything. But I had no other choice unless I pretended I was seriously sick. As tempting as that sounded, I couldn’t do that. “Okay.”

Luck was on my side, and I didn’t have to interact with Vasile or Anna. Five hundred guests attended his party, and we didn’t cross paths with him again in the throng of people. I couldn’t imagine having a party like this because I didn’t even know five hundred people.

Had I even met that many people in my lifetime?

At the end of the night, Dunbar drove us home. I propped my head against the window and closed my eyes, drowning out the painful truth as best as I could. I could think about it all day, but it didn’t change anything.

I needed to stay positive.

Crewe’s hand entered my hair as he ran his fingers down the strands. “Tired?”

“What gave me away?” I whispered.

He chuckled and continued to run his fingers through my hair. “Come here.” He guided me down until I rested across his lap, the safety belt tight against me in an uncomfortable position. I pushed it farther down to my waist and rested my head on his muscular thigh. His fingers moved through my hair again. “You look beautiful tonight. I meant to say that earlier, but it slipped my mind.”

I kept my eyes closed, but my lips pulled into a smile. “Thank you…”

“Did you have fun tonight?”

Not at all. “Yeah. The food was great.”

“I’m glad Ariel came—and brought Cassandra.”

“I really like Cassandra…” I wasn’t sure what she saw in Ariel, though. The woman was pure evil.

“I do too.” Crewe halted the conversation, probably wanting to let me sleep.

I kept my eyes closed and tried to think of nothing, to appreciate the quiet companionship we shared. It didn’t seem like Crewe was interested in Anna, but he wasn’t immune. He must know she was a great catch. He would be stupid not to.

It took forever to get home. By the time we arrived, I wasn’t tired. I hadn’t been tired to begin with because all I could think about was the heartbreak—and he hadn’t even left yet. I was anticipating the end before it even arrived. I prepared myself for the devastation even though there wasn’t a single thing I could do to soften the blow.

There was no cure for a broken heart.

We walked upstairs to the royal chambers where the bed was already turned down for the evening. Fresh washcloths were placed in the bathroom, and the drapes were shut over the windows so the morning light wouldn’t peek through and wake us up.

I didn’t bother removing my makeup because I didn’t care enough. I’d probably have a breakout because of it, but whatever. I unzipped the back of my dress and let it fall to my feet, my tits immediately exposed to the air.

Crewe’s hands moved to my shoulders, and he pressed a kiss against the back of my neck. His lips were soft but rugged at the same time, definitively masculine despite their elegance. He dragged his tongue across my skin, his warm breath drafting over the tiny hair I didn’t know I had. His hands automatically gave me a gentle squeeze as he inhaled a breath, smelling my perfume that had mostly faded by now.

I knew exactly what that touch meant—what that kiss meant. We did the same thing every night before we went to bed, sensual lovemaking that made up for the aggressive way he took me during the afternoon. When the sun disappeared and it was just the two of us in the bedroom, he softened in a way the rest of the world never got to see.

All I could think about were his hands. Soon, they would caress someone else. They would grip Anna and never let her go. They would hold his children when they were born. They would fill out paperwork with his elegant handwriting. They would touch and feel a world I would never know about.

But I had to block that out. Because his hands were still mine—for now.

His arm hooked over my chest, and he gripped my left tit, his thumb causing my nipples to pebble. His mouth moved to my neck, and he kissed me more aggressively, holding me tighter against him as his affection deepened.

I gripped his arm, using his stance for balance.

He kissed me everywhere, and when he brushed his mouth over my ear, he whispered something that I could barely make out. “I love you, Lovely…” A gust of warm air followed, and he tightened me against his chest, his hard cock pressed right against my back.

Tears formed in response, and I shut my eyes so they would stop. But it was too late because they fell and dripped down my cheeks. His affection never ceased, and he showered me with his love, his body moving with mine in the dance we performed.

He guided me to the bed and quickly undressed at the same time. Piles of clothes trailed like breadcrumbs to the bed, and soon he was behind me and naked. My heels were still on, but he didn’t bother sliding them away.

He bent me over the foot of the bed then moved to his knees.

I knew exactly what would come next, and I took a deep breath in anticipation. The only thing I loved more than his body was his gorgeous mouth. It could do incredible things to me, and it was about to do even greater things.

He kissed me on my sweet spot, sliding his tongue across my throbbing clit. He was just as aggressive as he was when he kissed me, his powerful hands gripping both of my ass cheeks.

My face was pressed against the comforter, and I released a moan that probably disturbed the rest of the castle. I dug my fingers into the sheets and writhed as he played me. When the scruff from his jaw rubbed against my soft thighs, I adored the coarse friction. Thoughts of Anna disappeared when we were together like this. No one else existed except the two of us.

He rose to his feet again and wrapped his fingers around my neck. He hadn’t grabbed me like this in a way, and when he did it now, it felt different. He wasn’t as aggressive as he used to be, just possessive. He lifted up my upper body, deepening the arch in my back as he kept my lower body in place. He pointed his cock at my slit and slid inside, moving through my soft flesh and the arousal that met him. He released a satisfied growl, pleased with my pussy’s reaction.

I gripped one of his hips and used my free hand to suspend myself up. The second he was inside me, my body was ready to explode. It didn’t take much for Crewe to make me come, and as time went by, it took even less time.

He thrust into me hard, giving me his entire length every time. “Tell me you love me.”

My nails dug into his flesh, and my nipples became so hard, they ached. When I swallowed, I felt my muscles shift underneath his grip as he continued to hold me. I turned my head slightly so I could see him in the corner of my eye, his powerful body working hard to hit me in the right spot with every thrust. “I love you…” I rolled my hips and took him over and over, feeling his thick cock stretch me. “You’re the love of my life.”

He stilled while he was inside me for a moment before he thrust again. A moan accompanied his movements, distinctly masculine and sexy. “Lovely…” He fucked me harder and tightened his grip around my throat, taking me so roughly that I was forced to combust, to explode around his dick with my come surrounding him. I gripped the sheet underneath me as I screamed loudly, my eyes rolling in the back of my head and stars appearing in my vision. “Crewe…”

He gave it to me hard until the orgasm finally passed through me, leaving a tender sensation behind.

Crewe let me go and turned me onto my back before he positioned himself inside me again. He dragged my ass to the very edge of the bed and widened my legs with his arms. Eyes locked on mine, he thrust into me, all the muscles of his body tightening as he moved. There was nothing but lines of muscular strength on his body, a strong physicality that only severe dedication to exercise would allow.

He leaned far over me so we were eye-to-eye, rocking together as his cock slid through my drenched pussy. His hair was slightly damp from the sweat, and the moisture glistened on his body. When we made love, his jaw was always sterner than it usually was, hard and defined through his arousal.

My hands snaked up his chest, and my right palm could feel his pounding heartbeat, the mutual passion we felt in that moment. His cock was thick inside me, ready to burst at any moment. He pressed his lips against mine just before release, his breathing deep and rugged. He came inside me with a loud moan, filling my cavity with everything he had.

My arms hooked around his shoulders, and I pulled him deeper into me, wanting all of him—as much as I could get.

He gave a few more pumps even though he was softening, and his eyes were still dark with sexual ferocity. When he looked at me like that, it didn’t seem like there was anyone else in the world besides the two of us. His look was hard, but it was also soft. It was a look he never showed to anyone else—only me.

“I know you’re tired so I should let you go to bed…but I don’t want to.”

Now that the clock was ticking, I didn’t have a moment to spare. I had to enjoy every second before the pendulum stopped swinging. Sleep was negligible. Even food was irrelevant—which was saying a lot. “I’m not tired…I want you.”