The Other Duke Read Online Free PDF

with you it’s different.”
    “How so?” he asked, lazing back against the vehicle like he was lounging at his club.
    For a moment, his expression distracted her, for it made her realize what a position they were in. Although there were a few others in the park, they were actually very secluded where they were.
    And she knew very well how men could take advantage. In fact, Rafe’s reputation said he would very likely attempt just that. But somehow the old fear, the tension that always accompanied being alone with Cyril, did not dog her now.
    “Serafina,” he said softly.
    She jolted at the sound of him saying her name. “I’m sorry. You must know why it’s different—you have more money than King Midas.”
    Rafe tilted his head aback and let out a great bark of laughter that froze Serafina in her tracks. God, but he was attractive. His teeth were white and straight and there was a dimple in his right cheek that gave his grin a lopsided element. She didn’t think she had ever seen such a well-favored man before.
    Which made her hope even more that he might just agree to her terms.
    “Not quite,” he said when his laughter had faded.
    She shrugged. “You don’t need more.”
    “Some would say a man could never have enough, but I tend to agree with you,” he said.
    She swallowed hard. He was teasing her again, not cruelly, but as if they were friends . It was all very confusing.
    “It seems to me that we should negotiate for what we will each receive if this travesty of a marriage must continue,” she said in a quick burst of words.
    His smile fell and he stared at her, clearly surprised by her statement.
    “Negotiate?” he repeated.
    She nodded slowly.
    He examined her closely for a long moment before he leaned forward. Although the gig was open, it didn’t leave much room between them so suddenly he seemed to loom up everywhere, surrounding her. She could smell the sweet hint of sandalwood and lavender, and she felt the heat of his body.
    To her surprise, her body reacted very differently than it ever had to such a circumstance. Her breath came short, not out of fear, but something she couldn’t name. Her heart began to stutter in her chest. She felt hot and achy. It was nothing like she had ever experienced.
    “And just what do you intend to offer me, Serafina?” he asked, his deep voice as smooth and attractive as the rest of him.
    But his words broke the spell. Her mind conjured quick images of Cyril’s rough hands and cruelty. With a gasp, she turned her head.
    “Freedom,” she said, her voice cracking. “I will give you a marriage in name alone, with no expectations or connections. I will give you utter freedom .”
     

     
    Rafe leaned away from Serafina, taken aback not just by what she said, but by how adamant she was in saying it. Her pretty face was taut with strain and her knuckles were white from gripping her fists in her lap.
    He had been teasing and playful with her, hoping to relax her, but now he could see he might need to take a different tactic.
    “I understand your reticence,” he said softly. “You were to marry my cousin up until just a few days ago and your betrothal was one that spanned many Seasons. His sudden death must be a blow. That you could not transfer any kind of affection to another man is obvious.”
    He watched her as she digested what he’d said. Her face was again unreadable and he found himself wondering if she had somehow heard about the full details of Cyril’s demise. His cousin had died driving his rig too fast while a whore fellated him. But those were details discussed by men, not with women. She couldn’t know, nor should she ever, so that her illusions of her fiancé wouldn’t be shattered.
    “Yes, of course,” she finally said, her tone oddly flat and even more tense than her expression. “What you say is right. Transferring my affections would be difficult. So what do you think of my offer? Do not trouble me and I shall also leave you