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Last, he put that gold and ruby ring back into the lockbox and shut it tight There’d be no theatricals or parties for him today He had work to do, and there was no way around it

He ho he was

As for whether Diana would have hiive hi, bloody hours later, Aaron rode through the village on his way back It was out of his way, but soo home until he passed by the cheerful façade of the Queen’s Ruby, with its begonia-stuffedboxes and green shutters

He stared up at thehe knew to be hers Dark, like all the others Ambervale was a few hours’ distance, and it would likely be aline what Diana would think of hi to appear He should have thought to send word at least, but there hadn’t been tiize toed his horse and turned down the lane that led ho frolected to extinguish his la up the horse,down Then Aaron had a glance at hirimaced The fresh new shirt he’d worn for the occasion was spattered with blood He gave a gri of how he’d been so careful not to ht there by the pump, he yanked the shirt loose of his waistband, pulled it over his head, and cast it into a bucket of water to soak No use bringing the thing inside Then he doused his own head, torso, and hands, washing away all the evidence of that evening’s miserable, bloody work Finally, he stood erect, pushed the water froe

She was there Sitting at his table, head rested on her stacked arms

"Diana?"

She ith a start, her eyes wide and unfocused until they settled on him "Aaron You’re here"

"I’m here And you’re here What about Ambervale?"

"I told everyone I had a ed Miss Bertrao"

"Why not?"

"We heard froirls about Mr Maidstone’s accident And I knew you’d be called to help How is he?"

Aaron sighed and rubbed his jaw "He’ll live His leg’s set as best I could e It was a bad break, and it will take ives it ti your face is a relief I worried what you’d think when I didn’t come"

"I wanted to come help you, but I decided I’d only be in the way But I knew you’d be fa soaze, and her eyelashes fluttered

It suddenly occurred to hi before her shirtless And that she’d noticed Her wide-eyed, sleepy gaze wandered over every damp contour of his arms and chest But she sat between hi Improper as it was for her to see hi i at all

Well, he did clear his throat

Her gaze snapped up to his face

She pushed to her feet "I brought over some dinner" As she indicated the covered dishes on the table, hersmile "Don’t worry, I didn’t cook it myself It’s just odds and ends from the Queen’s Ruby kitchen"

He didn’t knohat to say--the fact that she’d known, that she’d given up the evening’s ahtfulness wasn’t any sort of surprise, but stillHis heart insisted it meant so own or costume she’d been ain She wore one of her simplest, everyday frocks But her hair was still put up in careful coils and ringlets, like an artifact of the revelry she’d forfeited tonight

He drew close and caught a lock of that lovely golden hair, wrapping it around his finger "I’"

"I’m not sorry" She sed hard "I mean, it couldn’t be helped"

"Of course it could You needn’t have stayed ho your sister and your friends"

"I wasforward to you"

He skimine what he’d ever done to deserve those words To deserve this wory?" she asked

He nodded "Yes"

"Well, then Perhaps I should get sory, yes Hungry for her His soul was starved for just this

He’d been returning to this house, to this very rooht of his life But this was the first ti hoood

He cinched an arainst his bare chest Her fingertips explored, stroked, caressed And then slowly slid upward, until she wreathed her arht

They kissed and touched He put a hand to her breast, kneading and shaping She sighed, arching into his caress Begging for h between her legs She rewarded hiht They were alone, and no one was going to interrupt them In the other room, a bed beckoned He was already half undressed It didn’t take a fortune-teller to see where this was going

He murmured, "If you don’t want this"