The Duke Identity (Game of Dukes #1)(97)
Was it a trick of the moonlight or did her face soften a little?
“You can go to blooming hell,” she said succinctly.
Trick of the light, then.
“I have news about your grandfather,” he said in a rush. “Before we left for Chudleigh Crest, I told Doolittle my true identity and asked him to contact Ambrose, to ask my brother to help your grandfather. But before Doolittle left Nightingale’s that night, he saw Black and Todd being taken by O’Toole. He followed them: O’Toole is holding your kin hostage at his flash house in Blue Gate Fields. Doolittle informed Ambrose, whose men have been monitoring the place for the past two days. We have a plan for rescuing your family.”
Emotions chased across Tessa’s face: hope and fear. Then she lifted her chin. “My thanks for the information, Kent. Now remove yourself from my path.”
There was nothing for it. He had to show her how he felt.
He got down on one knee. Took hold of her hand.
She tried to pull free. “What in blazes are you doing? Get up.”
“When it comes to feelings, I’m an idiot. I’m not good at expressing or even understanding them, but I know this: I love you, Tessa Todd,” he declared. “From the start, you’ve captivated me, and I’m overcome by you. By everything about you. Your spirit, beauty, courage, and…”
Swift Nick poked his head out from her hair and hissed.
“…and even your damned ferret,” Harry forged on. “I thought I was in love once, but that was a shadow of what I feel for you. You make me laugh, keep me on my toes, and drive me mad with desire—sometimes all at once. It’s as if I’ve been trapped in a tunnel this whole time, and you…you’re the light at the end of it. You give me direction, purpose, and I…I need you, Tessa.”
He sounded like a fool, wasn’t making any sense, but he didn’t know how else to convey the vastness of what he felt for her. She still said nothing. Just looked at him, wide-eyed.
He drew a breath. “And I realized something else too. I thought by not telling you the truth, I was protecting you, but really I was protecting myself. I was afraid to love you, to open myself to that kind of pain. It…it hurt like hell losing my mama. And the business with Celeste reinforced that exposing myself could only lead to disaster. But not exposing my heart led to the true disaster: I lost you. The woman I love, the only one I’ll ever love.”
When she remained silent, he said desperately, “Say something, sprite. Please.”
“What happened to your face?”
The slight curve to her lips made his throat swell with relief.
“I had a disagreement with Ransom’s men,” he said hoarsely. “They wanted to separate me from the woman I love. I wouldn’t go down without a fight.”
“Well, win next time, will you? That shiner looks terrible.” She huffed. “You can get up now.”
He surged to his feet, hardly daring to believe. “Am I…am I forgiven?”
“Yes.” She narrowed her eyes, jabbed a finger at him. “But you’re still on my List of Retribution.”
Joy, relief, and love—so much bloody love—poured through him.
“It would be my honor to be on your list. Just as long as I’m in your life,” he said tenderly.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with everything he felt.
And, Praise God, she kissed him back.
He felt a tap on the shoulder.
He released Tessa’s mouth but kept his arms around her when he turned.
“Much as I hate to interfere,” Ambrose said, “I suggest you postpone the reunion until we get out of here.” He paused, smiling faintly. “A pleasure to see you again, Miss Todd.”
“You as well, Mr. Kent,” she said with an adorable blush.
Harry shrugged off his jacket, placing it over her shoulders. “Let’s get going—”
“You’re not going anywhere,” the Duke of Ranelagh and Somerville said.
* * *
Oh, for heaven’s sake.
Seeing Harry face off with Ransom, the former backed up by his brother and brother-in-law, the latter by a team of footmen, Tessa lost her patience.
“You’re not really going to fight, are you?” she said.
“Damn right, I am,” Harry snarled. “I’m going to pummel this kidnapping bastard!”
“I didn’t kidnap her. She made me a bloody promise,” Ransom returned.
“I’ve changed my mind. Live with it.” She crossed her arms, glowered at the duke. “If you don’t, you’re bringing a world of trouble onto your head.”
“I’m no stranger to trouble,” Ransom scoffed.
“Not this kind of trouble. When I tell my grandfather that you forced me into marriage, what do you think he’ll do?”
Uncertainty flickered on the duke’s face before it hardened again. “He wants a title in the family. He’ll give me your dowry as agreed upon.”
“Not if I tell him you coerced me,” she said with deliberate emphasis.
Harry growled in the background.
“Devil take it, I didn’t touch you.” Ransom sounded less confident now.
“One time, a man looked at me with disrespect, and do you know what happened to him?”