Marry Ash? Have him look at her like this always, with softness behind his strength? Kiss her as he had before, with passion and slow warmth? Curl up with her in his bed, as she’d longed to do when he lay with nothing but his nightshirt over his well-muscled body? Only the fact that he’d been quite unwell had prevented Helena from flinging herself on him and begging shamelessly for his embrace.
“Will you?” Ash asked her, sounding less certain. “If you do refuse me, please do not give me the pain of seeing you married to my closest friend. I could not bear that.”
“Ash.” Helena found her breath, and her voice, which rang louder than she meant. “Yes! You just try and stop me marrying you.”
Lewis whooped. The girls joined in his shouts of joy, then all three began running about, turning cartwheels, Lewis kicking his legs in a handstand.
Guy grinned, looking strangely elated. “Thank you, Mrs. Courtland. Whew. For a moment there, I thought you were going to accept.”
“Oh, did you?” Helena’s bewilderment fled in a wash of indignation. “You mean you had no intention of marrying me?”
Guy held up his hands. “I’m a lifelong bachelor, me. The offspring and I had to come up with some way to remove the stick from Ash’s backside and make him propose. Not that it would be a bad thing to share a harness for life with you, Mrs. Courtland,” he added quickly. “I did not lie when I said you were a beautiful and capable woman.”
“Lovell,” Ash said in a quiet voice. “Depart.”
Guy grinned. “Right you are. Lewis—girls. Come along now. The lovebirds want to be alone.”
Lewis righted himself and saluted. Evie and Lily rushed around the trellis to Helena, a scent of late roses wafting as they flung their arms around her knees.
“Thank you!” Evie cried, and Lily said a softer, “Thank you. Mama.”
Tears stung Helena’s eyes. She sank down and gathered them close. “Oh, my girls,” she whispered. “What a gift you are.”
They hugged for a long, tender moment, then the girls swung to their father and latched on to him. “Thank you, Papa!” they cried in overlapping voices.
Ash held Evie and Lily in turn, closing his eyes. Helena hadn’t been wrong when she’d told him she knew he loved his children.
There was a jostle, and Lewis flung himself into the pile, abandoning dignity to share the embraces.
At last all three untangled themselves and dashed for the house, Evie and Lily swinging their twined hands. Guy herded them along, his rumbling voice echoing back to them.
Helena and Ash were left alone ... awkwardly. They faced each other a few feet apart, both breathing hard. Ash’s cheekbones were flushed, but his eyes held determination.
“You won’t take it back?” Helena ventured once all was quiet. “You did not ask me simply to make Mr. Lovell go away?”
“No, I do not want to take it back.” Ash’s answer was fierce, and Helena’s heart turned over. Things would never be dull between her and Ash. “Damnation, I need you to marry me.”
“Good.” Helena tentatively reached out and took his hands, her body heating when he caught hers in a firm grip. “My dear, Ash—”
She broke off as Ash dragged her to him, cupped her head in his strong hand, and kissed her.
The kiss was slow but fervent, Ash taking his time. It promised things to come, nights of passion, his hard body over hers, the two of them holding each other in the dark, staving off the autumn chill.
Ash caressed her lips with his thumb as the kiss ended, his breath on her cheek. “Helena. Love.”
Helena melted toward him then she abruptly pulled back, remembering something. “Mr. Lovell said he thought you’d commanded me to return to London.” She frowned. “Not that I would have taken any notice.”
Ash shook his head, his expression softening. “I meant to. I couldn’t bear to see you. My thoughts whenever I was with you ... The way I wanted you ... I knew my family was right that you should be my wife.”
Helena gave him a puzzled look. “Then why didn’t you tell me to leave? You could have sent Edwards with a note.”
“Because you might have gone.” Ash looked at her with his heart in his eyes. “And that would have been worse.”
“Oh,” Helena whispered, every hesitation dissolving. She slid her arms around Ash once more, feeling something complete in her as they came together. She drew him down to her and lost herself in another kiss.
This one lasted longer, roses scenting it, the sounds of laughter and the guests a long way off.
When the kiss eased to its close, Ash held Helena in a warm embrace, her head on his shoulder. She could reach up and kiss his chin whenever she wanted, feeling the brush of dark whiskers his razor could never quite take away.
“A moment.” Helena raised her head. “If I marry you, that means a wedding, which means months of planning. Weeks at the very least. We’ll both have to keep to a timetable. I believe the idea of this marriage was to dispense with schedules.”
Ash chuckled. “That is easily solved. We’ll take my coach to Gretna in the morning.”
Helena blinked. “Goodness, Ash, are you certain? An elopement? How impetuous of you.”
His smile radiated heat. “You make me impetuous, Helena. And impatient. I do not want to wait weeks or months and wade through incessant plans before I can have you.”
Helena’s body thrummed pleasantly. “I do not want to wait either.”
“Then we will go?”
“I will have to pack, of course,” she said. “But I believe I can agree to that—impetuously.”
Ash pulled her close, his arms strong, his body powerful. His next kiss stole her breath, and Helena clung to him and enjoyed it.
“I love you, Your Grace,” she whispered.
“I love you, Mrs. Courtland,” Ash said in his low rumble. “Helena. My fine lady. Thank you.”
He did not say for what, but Helena understood. Her loneliness fled in a wash of joy, and she knew his shattered as well.
More yells pulled their attention toward the house. Lewis and his sisters were leaping into the air, waving, laughing. They’d seen the kissing. Guy looked on, arms folded, appearing very pleased with himself.
Ash laughed. Helena hadn’t heard such a jubilant sound in a long time. He waved at his family, then caught Helena around the waist as the two of them headed for the waiting children, and home.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Ashley has written more than 95 published novels and novellas in romance, fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction under the names Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley Gardner. Her books have been nominated for and won Romance Writers of America's RITA (given for the best romance novels and novellas of the year), several RT BookReviews Reviewers Choice awards (including Best Urban Fantasy, Best Historical Mystery, and Career Achievement in Historical Romance), and Prism awards for her paranormal romances. Jennifer's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have earned starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist.
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More about Jennifer’s books can be found at
https://www.jenniferashley.com
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DUKE IN SEARCH OF A DUCHESS
Copyright © 2020 by Jennifer Ashley
Cover Design: VMC Art & Design
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including, but not limited to, xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or
names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
Duke in Search of a Duchess: Sweet Regency Romance Page 7