Free The Unclaimed Duchess by Jenna Petersen

to these uncharacteristic actions. Perhaps I could help you.”
    All the anger she’d expressed upon her arrival was gone, though he suspected much of it lurked beneath the surface. Still, in the strength of her face and the flash in her eyes, her passion and the love he did not want remained. If she had once hidden her heart to protect herself or to make him more comfortable, those days were over.
    He shook his head. “I can’t tell you why I’m here, Anne. Or why I left.”
    She nodded slowly. “Then don’t. But allow me to stay. Let me be with you while you do whatever it is you came here to do. Perhaps you’ll change your mind about revealing the truth to me, but perhapsyou won’t. Either way, I want to be here for you.”
    He scrubbed a hand over his face, suddenly aware of how exhausted he was. Since his arrival, he had hardly slept, and now this war with Anne had sapped almost all his remaining energy. The idea of fighting with her for the next few days about staying or going wasn’t a pleasant one.
    And truth be told, the thought of having her here with him…well, it wasn’t as unpleasant as he might have thought. As long as he didn’t reveal his secret or make love to her and risk creating a child, perhaps there was little harm in her staying.
    â€œFine,” he said softly.
    Anne’s face lit up with a smile, and Rhys stared at the expression for a moment. When she looked at him like that, he could almost forget his own misery. He could almost see how making her smile could be a man’s life pursuit. Some other man. Not him.
    He shook his head. “But if I allow you to stay with me, you must obey me from here on out, Anne.”
    Her bright smile faded to a more controlled one and she nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, Rhys. That was one of my vows, after all, and I take my vows very seriously.”
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    Anne restlessly stirred the fire and looked around the cottage once more. She was alone, Rhys had goneto “take care of an errand.” Her initial response was to chase after him, but she resisted. He had only just agreed to let her stay; she had to remain calm if she wanted to slowly gain his trust…and perhaps, one day, his heart.
    Still, she couldn’t help but fear he would run away again, and this time perhaps to a place where no one could find him. But every time she stared out the window, she could see his horse moving about the paddock in the distance. Wherever Rhys had gone, he had walked, so there was little chance he could find means of escape tonight.
    She sighed as she picked up a wrinkled shirt and moved it to a hamper in the corner of the room. For a man who was usually so refined, Rhys had been a bit of a mess since his arrival here, and his cottage reflected that. She wasn’t certain if that was a symptom of his upset or just about the fact that he didn’t often tend to himself, just as she didn’t.
    She smoothed the bed’s cool coverlet. Despite its small size and current state of disarray, the cottage was a comfortable place. Cozy and homey.
    â€œStill, it’s odd that you loved it here,” she mused aloud as she sat down on the edge of the bed. “It’s so different from the life you live in London, from the man you have become there.”
    She heard a swift, certain step outside and scrambled to her feet with a blush. The door opened and Rhys stepped into the room. He had forgone his jacket, leaving him only in a linen shirt tucked lazily into black trousers. The first two buttons were open, leaving a glimpse of his chest and making her think of that moment earlier in the day when his naked body had pinned her down. He held a big basket under one arm as he swung the door shut behind him.
    â€œFood,” he said, and his voice was rough.
    She shook her thoughts away and stepped forward to take the basket he offered.
    â€œGoodness,” she murmured as she carried it to