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Minx Julia Quinn 17200K 2023-09-01

"But do you knohat is best of all?" he continued "Underneath this delightful package are a beautiful heart, a beautiful mind, and a beautiful soul"

Henry didn't knohat to say, didn't knohat she could say that would even approach the emotion of his words "I I thank you"

He responded by kissing her gently on the forehead

"Do you like the smell of lemons?" she blurted out nervously "I could stop"

"I love the smell of lemons Do whatever pleases you"

"I don't know if it works," she said with a lopsided s I don't knohat it would look like if I stopped It ht look just the same"

"Just the same would be perfect," he said solemnly

"But what if I stopped and my hair turned quite dark?"

"That would be perfect, too"

"Silly man They cannot both be perfect"

He seized her face in his hands "Silly woman You are perfect, Hen It doesn't matter how you look"

"I think you are quite perfect, too," she said softly, covering his hands with her own "I reht you were the most handso himself to be content just to cuddle her this way He knew he couldn't let hi for more, but it would have to wait Henry was an innocent Even more importantly, she was his innocent, and she deserved to be treated with respect "If I recall," he said, lazily tracing circles on her cheek, "the first ti than to me"

"That wasn't the first ti you frorew sheepish "Actually, I re that you had an especially fine pair of boots"

He let out a howl of laughter "Are you telling me you love ht sta to hiht declare her love for hi to say in return Oh, this was so difficult She knew he loved her--she could see it in everything he did--but she wasn't sure he realized it yet, and she didn't think she could bear the pain of hisan inanity like, "I care for you, too, sweetheart"

She decided he had no ulterior motive because he appeared oblivious to her internal distress Trying to look very grave, he bent down and lifted her skirts up a couple of inches "Your boots are very nice, too," he said, adht face

"Oh, Dunford, you doaway from him when she said that, but he could hear the smile in her voice "You et you hoin to panic at your absence"

"You did practically abduct me"

"Ah, but the end most definitely justified the ree with you that I need to return Ned will be wildly curious"