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everything else, powerfully and without apology. He pressed herback against the door with the weight of his body, his hand still cupping her head as he devastated her defenses with his mouth. His other hand rested along the curve of her hip, and she brought her own hands up around his waist to find balance in her tilting world. His lips were appealingly soft for such a large, strong man, and she willingly opened her mouth to him, surrendering to the desire between them.
    Their kiss went on and on, and with every stroke of his tongue, every nibble of his teeth, her passion overrode her common sense. Finally, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, his breath coming in fast pants. Sandwiched between him and the door, she could easily feel his arousal through their layers of clothing. For one wild instant, she was tempted to open the door behind her and take Garrett into the intimacy of her chamber.
    A footstep down the hall and the voice of one of the maids jerked her back to reality with a violent jolt. What had she been thinking? She had been about to jeopardize her entire future for a few moments of passion!
    She attempted to push Garrett away, but he was heavy and not inclined to move. “Someone’s coming,” she hissed.
    He took a reluctant step back, his fingers lingering to stroke her cheek. “I will come to you tonight.”
    “ No .” She shoved at him, and his surprise at her answer made him fall back a step.
    “What do you mean, no?” he demanded. “What about—”
    “No,” she said again, shoving open the door to her room. She darted behind it, peering at him from behind the sturdy wooden shield. “I want no lover, Captain Lynch. What I need is a husband.”
    “Husband!”
    “Yes, a husband. Now please take yourself off before someone sees you and starts gossip.”
    He slapped his hand on the door, holding it open. “You may want a husband, Mrs. Devering,” he growled, “but what you need is a lover. And I am just the man to accommodate you.”
    “I am not some tavern maid for you to tumble at your whim,” Lucinda snapped. “I am a woman of good family, and here in England, a man marries such a woman if he wants her.”
    “I have no intention of getting married.”
    “And I have no intention of being your lover,” she shot back.
    He gave her a scorching look that was a combination of lust and anger. “We’ll see about that.”
    “Indeed we will.”
    She slammed the door in his face, then leaned against it, her heart pounding and body singing with unbridled passion, until she heard him storm down the hall.
    She had won this battle, but he would be back. And she needed a husband to survive, no matter how tempting a lover might be to her now. In the end, a lover would probably be disappointed in her anyway. Besides, the duke planned to see Garrett wed to Lady Penelope. She shuddered to think what His Grace might do if she interfered with those plans.
    Everything depended on her keeping a level head. She must resist Garrett’s seduction. No matter what.
     
    A husband!
    He should have known, Garrett thought darkly, as he made his way to the drawing room where everyone gathered before dinner. Was there not one woman on earth who could honestly enjoy a man’s attentions without attempting to trap him?
    He had presented Lucinda with a simple proposition. She had been a widow for over a year now, and he had been at sea for almost as long. It seemed a neat and enjoyable solution to him.
    Leave it to her to complicate the situation by mentioning marriage!
    Garrett strode into the drawing room and stopped just inside the doorway when he saw that the only occupant was his grandfather. Blastit all! The last thing he needed now was a battle with the duke. Garrett’s black coat and trousers, which he reserved for business dinners, were not as formal as British evening wear, but it was all he had with him.
    The duke also wore plain black, but there the similarity ended. The stark color,