A Duke By Any Other Name

Chapter Three

O wen stilled. His blood, his veins, even the very hairs on his head—everything halted at the sight of Thalia’s smile. It had first appeared back at the hut, and now it reemerged as they paused before the river. He recognized that smile all too well, and it didn’t bode well for him. Damn it. This entire ordeal, she , had nearly stripped his soul away!

What truly had his blood stirring wasn’t just her disappearance or the dismal location; it was that if she hadn’t run away, if she had married as her uncle wished... By Jove! He couldn’t even contemplate such a thing. The mere possibility cut deeper than he cared to admit.

He cast a wary glance at the river and shivered.

This is going to be cold.

“All I have to do is enter the river naked?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Well, that and forage for your half of the living if you plan to stay,” she replied, amusement dancing in her eyes.

He shot her a sidelong glance. “Aren’t you enjoying this a bit too much?”

Her lips curved into a sly smile. “I have the right.”

What had she said earlier? Nothing to worry about? But Owen was worried—so worried that he trembled, not from the cold, but from the sheer presence of her after all this time. And the feeling that she might soon be gone from his life forever.

Christ, it bothered him.

Shaking off the lingering unease, Owen shrugged out of his coat and tossed it aside before peeling off his jacket. Next came his cravat, which he flung carelessly onto the grass, followed by his shirt. He glanced over his shoulder, brow raised. “Are you just going to stand there and watch while I undress?”

She chuckled, turning her back to him with a teasing sway of her hips. “I wouldn’t dream of stealing your modesty.”

His trousers and boots were next.

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

With a resigned sigh, he dipped his toe into the water. An icy jolt shot through him, and he couldn’t suppress a shudder. “Bloody hell, that’s cold!” he exclaimed, lifting his foot as if it had been scalded rather than frozen.

“Such a brave duke!” Thalia teased. She remained with her back to him, but he could tell she was barely containing her laughter. “Is it too much for you?”

“Just you wait,” he warned, bracing himself. “I’ll show you brave.” He’d just take it as he would a cold bath, just a means for clearing his head.

You fool.

He took a deep breath and slowly stepped into the river, the cold water rising to his ankles, then his calves, each inch sending new shivers racing up his spine. “This is absolutely ridiculous,” he muttered, his teeth chattering.

“Yet here you are,” she called out, clearly relishing his suffering.

“I should be glad Leeds isn’t here to witness this,” he grumbled, chill seeping into his bones. Sharp stones poked at his feet, and he flinched as something squishy squelched between his toes.

“Who knows, he might be peeping through the woods at you.”

Owen gritted his teeth, shaking his head. “The things I do...” He stepped deeper into the frigid water.

The things I do for you.

With a deep breath, he took the dive, submerging himself completely before reemerging a few feet away where the water reached above his waist. He shook his head, drawing his hair back with both hands, droplets flying in every direction.

Bloody hell! His bones would freeze like icicles!

His eyes locked eyes with hers. “Satisfied?” He blinked. Wait, shouldn’t she be standing with her back to him?

She stared at him without saying anything, then cleared her throat. “No.”

Owen snorted, but grinned. No matter what he had to endure, now that he knew where she was, there was no chance in hell he was letting her go.

*

Thalia barely managed to keep from gaping as Calstone emerged from the water, his upper body gleaming with droplets that traced down his chest and arms. Heat had already crept up the tips of her ears after her stolen glance right before he plunged into the water, with the solid, muscled lines of his back on full display—broad shoulders tapering to a sculpted waist and very fine buttocks, every sinew perfectly defined in the late afternoon light.

After she’d discovered what her uncle had arranged and run off, she’d vowed to leave her life—and Calstone—behind. There was only so much pining a lady could do, after all. She’d known he might search for her but never dreamed he’d actually find her. And now he threatened to stir her heart once more, the very thing she’d tried to forget.

She’d thought she could get a bit of satisfaction by sending him into the river unclothed, yet here she was, utterly thunderstruck by the sight.

This damn duke.

Wasn’t he the one who always preached that love was folly? That to love was to become a slave or something? He might’ve had a point, loath as she was to admit it. And she refused to be a fool again. Refused to let her heart entertain any hope, least of all for him.

Arms crossed, she arched an eyebrow. “Chilly, is it?”

He rubbed his chest as if to warm it. “Exceedingly. I’ve no notion how you manage to bathe in this river.”

“Oh, I don’t,” she said lightly.

His brow furrowed, and he started to wade forward. “I beg your pardon?”

She bit back a grin. “I lied. I’ve never actually bathed in the river. The villagers say there are leeches.”

He froze mid-step, and she let out a laugh.

“You’re lying again, aren’t you?”

She shrugged, feigning innocence. “Perhaps you bring out a certain honesty in me.”

“I suppose I’m honored to bring something out of you.”

“Don’t feel too flattered—it’s not a compliment,” Thalia retorted.

“Oh, I’d beg to differ,” he drawled, wading toward the shore, each step revealing more of him. “Every word from that pretty mouth of yours feels like a compliment.”

Pretty mouth? Had he struck his head since she last saw him? She’d best ignore his charms. But he kept coming closer, the contours of his torso becoming more visible, all that bare skin on display. Her heart raced. “What exactly are you doing?”

“Well,” he said with a wolfish grin, “you didn’t expect me to stay in the river indefinitely, did you? Unless you plan to drag my freezing corpse ashore?”

She supposed he had a point. She’d never meant for him to really bathe. “Perhaps I’d let one of the villagers fetch you out.”

“Ah yes, one of those men who ought to be terrified of your advances.”

“Precisely,” she replied, lifting her chin.

“You know what I think, Thalia?”

“Not particularly.”

He stopped, looking her dead in the eye. “I think you want to see me naked.”

She nearly choked on her response. “I absolutely do not!”

“Oh, but I think the lady doth protest too much.”

He took another slow step, water rippling around him as he came almost fully into view. Her resolve wavered. Had he truly called her bluff? Her gaze dipped momentarily, but she snapped it back just as she whirled around, her cheeks burning.

This! Man! Of course, he’d called her bluff—and it had worked.

She risked a quick glance over her shoulder, catching a full view of him. Her breath hitched, and she jerked her head back, her heart racing.

I shouldn’t have looked.

Laughter trailed after her. “Do you like what you see?”

Thalia gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes.

Just you wait, Owen Severington!