Chapter 64
Chapter Sixty-Four
Back at the manor, Haven lay alone in Logan’s bed. A new maid, one that had been vetted by Millie and Mrs. Roomer, had helped her dress in comfortable, serviceable night clothes, and tucked her up tight.
Breathing deeply, she closed her eyes and tried not to replay her day again.
It didn’t work.
After Harry and Millie arrived at the dilapidated cottage cellar, she’d been spirited back to the manor as if the ghost of Angelous Kroger were hot on her heels.
She’d been a little out of it after her ordeal, but she remembered enough of her companions’ conversation to know that Harry and Millie, who’re left with Divinia Kroger at the Manor after Logan’s mad dash into the storm, grew suspicious at Miss Kroger’s sly and insidious manner.
She’d acted as though she didn’t know what was going on, but Millie didn’t trust her—not that Haven could blame her.
When Millie had demanded Divinia drop the act and tell her the truth, she’d merely sneered, and said, “Once my brother is done with her, Miss Edwards will finally be worth something.”
Shocked and disgusted by what the she-devil had said, Millie and Harry had joined forces, promising Divinia if she didn’t tell them what they needed to know, they would tell the whole of the Ton, eligible, wealthy bachelors and all, that Divinia was a power hungry, destitute, barren social climber who’d recently been cast aside by her merchant-class lover.
When Divinia had paled at the prospect of losing her chance at a life of power and prestige, she’d easily told them where to find her brother.
It seemed that though they were twins and bound together by their greed for perfection, she was easily swayed by selfish ambition.
Evil would always beget evil, and Haven knew that firsthand. She also knew evil could never defeat love. She’d been dead, but was now alive, and it was all because Logan loved her.
She knew, somehow, his confession had triggered the completion of Perez’s first task.
Perez had inflamed true, love-borne passion between two opposing spirits.
There weren’t two more opposing spirits than she and Logan.
Hell, the man was a duke, and she was a foul-mouthed, barbeque-loving, time-traveling diva.
Ha! The diva and the duke. What a pair they made.
A perfectly imperfect pair. Tilting her head back against the cushioned headboard, she thought about her new life.
She’d have to learn new customs, new social cues, and dos and don’ts.
She’d have to learn to like flabby boiled meats and two-day-old bread, and she’d have to learn to live without the many things she’d taken for granted.
She didn’t need deodorant or spa treatments or—she thought of her now dead Bluetooth speakers and cellphone—her music collection.
All she needed to live and thrive in 1817 was Logan.
A soft knock and a click announced his arrival. She smiled. He always seemed to know when she was thinking of him, which wasn’t difficult because she was always thinking about him.
After closing the door, he made his way to the bed and sat beside her, cupping her face.
“You don’t look too worse for wear.” His grin energized her.
She grinned back, placing her hand over his. The warmth of his body sent shocks of awareness to her belly.
She teased, “Well, you look terrible.”
Terribly goddamned sexy.
They laughed together, and he kissed the tip of her nose.
“How are you feeling, my love?” His deep voice sent warmth shooting to her core, and her skin heated with a blush.
My love. She shuddered in bliss. “I’ll never get used to you calling me that.”
His smile grew wicked, his eyes darkening to a now familiar desire-infused onyx.
“Then I will never cease to say it. My love.” He kissed her, gently, deeply, taking every moment to imbue every nanometer of contact with his soul-deep love.
Their kiss promised to lead them from clothed to naked, but she pulled back. Shaking her head, she placed her hand on his chest.
She wanted to make love with him, she really did, but there were a few things she needed to say before the evil of their pasts was laid to rest.
“Logan, I need to tell you something.”
Sliding his thumb over her kiss-softened lips, he replied in a husky tone, “What is it, love?”
Nope, never going to get tired of hearing that.
“What you did back in the cellar, when I was dead and Perez was finally given his full power....”
He tensed. His breath halted, and his heartbeat pounded beneath her hand.
“No, no, don’t get upset, I wanted to tell you that you made the right choice.” She slid her fingers over his chest, and up the cords of his neck, before dragging them across his lips. “I want to be with you.”
His expression lightened, and a mischievous twinkle glimmered from his eyes.
“I am heartily relieved that you aren’t upset at my choice.
But....” He leaned in and slowly began to undo the buttons on her serviceable cotton armor.
“Just to be sure, I should confirm your approval of my choice with a thorough and skillful inquisition.”
She wanted to laugh, but before the sound could leave her throat, it was replaced with a deep moan.
So, good....
“Mmmm, wait,” she interrupted.
He paused and looked down at her expectantly. “I’ve already undergone a thorough and skillful inquisition at your hands. It’s your turn.” She sat forward and slid her hand from his perfectly formed chest, down the rock-hardness of his abs, to the hard and attentive erection in his trousers.
She smiled a wicked and tantalizing smile.
His voice deepened, and he groaned as she grasped his growing thickness. “A thorough and skillful inquisition indeed.”