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"Marcus," she called in the soft, throaty voice that never failed to arouse hier and tor I want you to hold me"

Traitorously, his feet moved toward her By the time he reached her, he had ree of the bed "Hoas your day?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral

She stretched, thedown the sheet so that her torso was exposed through the thin shift she’d worn to sleep He grew hard, and hated hihts drifted to the secrets she kept Nothing could teled to forgive her

Wrinkling her nose, she said, "Truthfully? It was one of the most horrid days of e that"

"What happened?"

She shook her head "I don’t want to talk about it Tell me about your day instead It was certainly better thanback the covers, she silently invited hiht? I don’t feel like getting dressed again"

Of course not How many times would she want to dress and undress in one day? Maybe she hadn’t undressed at all Maybe St John had merely pushed her skirts up and …

Marcus clenched his jaw and willed the i on the bed, he yanked off his shoes Then he turned to her "Did you enjoy your trip into town?" he asked casually, but it didn’t fool her

Elizabeth knew hi up in the bed and fluffing the pillows into a comfortable pile "Why don’t you simply say what you mean?"

He tore his shirt over his head, then stood to reasm, love? Are you anxious for me to finish what he started?" He slid into bed next to her, but found himself alone She had slipped out the other side and stood at the foot of the bed

With hands on her hips, she glared at hiainst the pillows she had so recently arranged "I was told you spent soe with the curtains closed He gave you a touching kiss goodbye and an open welcoht need"

The violet eyes sparked dangerously As always, she was ht of her

"Ah so," she ht "Of course Despite your insatiable appetite for me, which often leaves me sore and exhausted, I find I still require further sexual congress Perhaps you should co on her bare heel, she left

Marcus stared after her, agape He waited to see if she would return and when she did not, he pulled on his robe and followed her to her roo aup dinner andthe servant away, she slipped into her bed without looking at hirowled

"I see no need You are decided"

He stalked over to her, caught her by the shoulders, and shook her roughly "Tell me what happened! Tell me it’s false"

"But it’s not," she said with arched brow, so damn collected and unruffled he wanted to scream "Your men related the events exactly"

He stared at her in shock, his hands on her shoulders beginning to shake Afraid to do violence, Marcus released her and clasped his hands behind his back "You have beenwith St John and yet you won’t tellhi him to kiss you?"

Elizabeth didn’t answer his questions Instead, she asked one of her own "Will you forgive ive you for what?" he yelled "Tell me what you’ve done! Have you taken a fancy to hi him?"

"And if he has?" she asked softly "If I’ve strayed, but want you back, would you have ht of her in the arht he would be violently sick Turning away, his fists clenched convulsively at his sides "What are you asking?" he bit out

"You know very hat I’ Now that you are aware of my duplicity, will you discard er wantyou Every da" He spun about "And you want , her lovely face a mask of indifference

He could send her to the country with his faht of her absence made him crazy His ache for her was a physical pain His pride crumbled beneath the demands of his heart

"You will stay with me"

"Why? To warm your bed? Any woman can do that for you"

She was only an arm’s reach away and yet her icy demeanor had her miles from him

"You are my wife You will serveto "

To his amazement, her lovely face crumpled before his eyes She slipped from the bed and sank to the floor "Marcus," she sobbed, her head bowing low

He stood frozen

She wrapped her ar on his feet, her tears slipping between his toes "I ith St John today, but I didn’t stray from you I could never"

Near dizzy with confusion, he lowered himself slowly to the floor and took her in his arms "Christ … Elizabeth …"

"I need you I need you to breathe, to think, to be" Her eyes, overfloith tears, never left his face Her hand moved to cup his cheek and he nuzzled into her touch, breathing in her scent

"What is happening?" he asked, his voice hoarse from his clenched throat "I don’t understand"

She pressed her fingertips to hisand faltering When she fell silent, Marcus sat stunned

"Why didn’t you confide in me before?"

"I didn’t know the whole of the story until this afternoon And when I did know it, I couldn’t be certain how you would react I was afraid"

"You and I, we are bound" He caught her hand and held it to his heart "Whether ill it or no, we are in this together--our life, our e You may not have wanted me, but you have me all the same"