My Dangerous Duke (The Twisted Dukes #2)

Bonus Epilogue

Seven Years Later

“Linus, darling, do be careful with your baby sister,” Eleanor called out to her children.

Linus, their six-year-old son with his father’s eyes and her brown hair, turned from the swing he was pushing three-year-old Margaret on, and smiled wide.

“I will, Mama. Always!” He called back.

“Oh, do leave them play,” Penelope laughed, “they are having fun!”

On the swing, little Margaret, named after her great-grandmother, squirmed up turned to her older brother.

“Push, Linus, push!” Her haughty little voice commanded as her copper brows furrowed. “I want to go up!”

“Not too far,” Linus told her in his patient, protective older brother tone, only giving her a small push. “You shall have to wait a while longer before you go higher.”

“Just you wait,” Eleanor said with a knowing smile toward her friend. “You will know what I am feeling. Gerald will be trying to climb the stairs on his own and tumble off the bed before you know it.”

Penelope beamed at Eleanor, then looked down lovingly at her sleeping nine-month-old son.

“Is that true?” She cooed down at him. “Are you going to give your Mama stress?”

“It is a given,” Eleanor said, laughing, “But it is so worth it.”

“Rhysand should be returning to our home soon. So should yours be returning here,” Penelope said, standing up. “I believe Thomas and I shall head home so as to not give Rhysand an episode. He gets rather fretful about us at times.”

Eleanor rose to give her friend a warm hug goodbye, then leaned down to kiss Gerald’s little nose as his nanny picked him up. The two friends promised to visit again soon, and then as Penelope took her leave, Eleanor turned back to her children. Love radiated through her chest as she watched her little spitfire, Margaret, try to provoke her pillar of strength, Linus.

“You. Look. Delicious.” Xander purred, his hands gently resting on her shoulders.

A slow smile spread across Eleanor’s face as she felt her husband’s lips kiss her ear and neck, and she reached back a hand to lovingly caress his hair. He had been gone four days on business, and she had missed him terribly.

“Am I?” She asked coyly, tilting her neck to give him more access.”

“Mmm,” Xander murmured, tracing his thumb down the back of her neck as he pressed another kiss to her neck. “Most assuredly, Honey.”

Eleanor’s smile deepened as his hand then moved up to hair, and he tugged slightly so she would lean back. He kissed her lips, the tip of her nose, then her forehead, then gently released her before taking a seat in the chair beside her. Xander’s silver eyes met hers as she held out her hand to him, and he looked at her with pure love as he took it and kissed her knuckles.

“How was boxing with Rhysand?” She asked, knowing that was where he was returning from.

Xander mouth turned into an annoyed sneer, and he used his free hand to rub at spot on his shirt.

“The bastard got me with a cheap shot to the ribs,” he grumbled. “I really must find and train an ambassador to attend these meetings for me. ‘Seems that I grow soft when I am away.”

Eleanor raised an amused brow at him.

“Soft?” She laughed, her voice low so as the children could not hear them, “You were not so soft this morning, Your Grace. In fact, you were quite… feral. You always seem to be when you return to me.”

A hungry grin spread across Xander’s face as he turned Eleanor’s hand over in his and began stroking the delicate flesh of her wrist. Shivers traveled up her arm as she thought of the animalistic way they had torn out each other earlier. He had arrived home early, which meant he had driven through the night to get to her, and when she woke up to him naked and crawling into bed, they began to paw and kiss and bite at one another hungrily. She then blushed, thinking of the deep scratch marks she had left down his shoulders and back. No doubt Rhysand would have teased him mercilessly about them during their row.

“Perhaps that is my issue then,” he teased, “Perhaps next time I should take my frustrations to Rhsyand first then come to you.”

“Don’t. You. Dare.” Eleanor retorted quickly her eyes narrowing threateningly despite her smile. “I get you first. Always.”

“Indeed, you do, My Love,” he replied, sincerely, holding her gaze as he brought her hand to his lips. “Always.”

She leaned toward him for a kiss and he readily obliged, making her heart flutter with happiness.

“Papa! Papa!” Margaret squealed happily upon seeing Xander join them.

Her little feet kicked excitedly in the air, and then, when the swing did not stop fast enough, she let go of the ropes and jumped off. Linus and Xander both lunged for her, Xander nearly taking Eleanor with him as he still had her hand, but Margaret landed on her feet with a squeal of pride, and scurried quickly to her father.

“Do not jump like that, it is not safe!” Linus scolded, following quickly behind her.

His brows furrowed with disappointment as Margaret climbed into her father’s lap and then stuck her tongue out at him.

“I am fine, Linus,” Margaret shot back, scrunching her button nose and shaking her head at him.

She then turned to Xander, switching from a growl to an innocent grin so fast it made Eleanor stifle a giggle, and asked “I did good didn’t I, Papa? I did not hurt myself at all when I jumped off of the swing.”

Xander looked to Eleanor, his eyes pleading for help, and she could not keep her laughter contained anymore. While her husband had loosened his grip on many things, he was still a man who preferred control. With Margaret, that was impossible. He could not tell her no, could not disagree with her.

“Linus is right, Darling, you should not be jumping off of the swing,” Eleanor told Margaret as Linus crawled onto her lap. “Not until you are much older.”

“But I am big enough to do it now!” Margaret huffed, then turned back to Xander. “Aren’t I, Papa?”

Xander’s expression went hopeless as he looked at his little girl, and Linus looked back at Eleanor to roll his eyes.

“For as tiny as you are, you are a very big girl, my darling,” Xander said in resigned agreement.

A satisfied smile spread across Margaret’s face as Linus groaned and Eleanor shook her head at her hopeless husband.

“Xander, you are going to spoil that child rotten,” the eldest Margaret declared, letting her presence known.

Together the family turned, and smiled when they saw the family Matriarch being led down the patio stairs by a handmaid on one side and the children’s nannies on the other. Behind her, Jared slowly followed, an envelope perched in his extended hands. Curiosity rose in Eleanor as she eyed it, wondering what it could be so important to interrupt their day.

“She is already spoiled, I am afraid,” Xander sighed in resignation, not even bothering to deny the accusation. Then to Margaret he said “Come, Darling, let us see what Jared has for us.”

“How are you feeling today, Grandmama?” Linus asked Margaret was helped down into her seat.

The older woman smiled lovingly at the little boy and reached for his hand. The years had been kind to Margaret, but old age was bitter regardless. She was strong in many ways, especially in spirit; but she could no longer walk freely, or carry the children as she had when they were babies.

“I am well, my boy,” Margaret assured him heartily. “And you, my little Lord? How is it going with your sister?”

“Need you ask?” Linus sighed, sounding more man than child as he rolled his eyes and hiked his thumb toward his father and sister.

Margaret and Eleanor burst into laughter as Xander walked back to the table with baby Margaret. He was smiling from ear to ear as he looked at the letter in his free hand.

“What is it, darling?” Eleanor asked as he took his seat beside her once more.

“It is from Richard,” he replied, his voice full of contentment as his eyes roamed the letter. “He says he and Marcus have found a home in the Italian Countryside. He writes he is safe, secluded, and the happiest he has ever been in his life. There is even mention of us paying a visit, if we were inclined.”

“He is well? Truly?” Margaret asked excitedly, taking the letter.

“Perhaps we should plan a trip,” Eleanor suggested encouragingly. “It would be good for their children to meet their uncle.”

Xander nodded, a far off look in his eye, and Eleanor knew he was lost in thought. For the first two years after they successfully got Richard’s letters back from Victor, not a word was heard from Eleanor’s family. Then, shortly after Linus’s first birthday, Eleanor received notice that her father had died of a coronary. Xander had gone with her to the funeral, of course, but her mother and Edna did not speak a word to either of them.

It was only through Cordelia, Marina, and Penelope that she picked up occasional gossip about them. The last she had heard, her father’s money- what little he actually had left- withered away to nothing after the first year or so, and Laura had moved in with Edna and her husband. Eleanor was also made aware that her sister, like herself also had two children, both girls, and were of sour disposition like their mother and grandmother.

“Oh, this is such wonderful news!” Margaret crowed joyously, shaking the letter in the air, “Wonderful news!”

“Who is Uncle Richard, Papa?” Baby Margaret asked.

She placed a tiny hand on each of his cheeks and turned his head from her mother to her. Eleanor stifled a laugh as Xander’s smiled softly down at their daughter, and he thumbed her chin and booped her nose.

“He is a man we owe a great deal to,” Xander replied, his answer making Eleanor’s heart swell. “Another day, when you are older, I shall tell you his story.”

“For now, though, it is nap time!” Eleanor announced.

She could see her daughter rearing up to tell her Papa that she was plenty old enough, and decided to finally help her poor husband out. Linus slid out of her lap and went to kiss his Grandmama on the cheek while let out an obstinate “No!”

“Oh, my grumpy little dove,” Eleanor crooned, scooping her daughter out of Xander’s arms. “You will feel much better after a rest.”

“But I am not tired,” Margaret pouted, despite laying her little body over her mother’s shoulder and rested.

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” Eleanor cooed, rubbing her back.

By the time Eleanor walked her youngest child to her nanny she was no longer complaining about a nap, and made no protest as she was passed into another set of trusted arms. Linus appeared by Eleanor’s side a moment later, tugging her skirt so that she would lean down to kiss him, then walked dutifully by his own nanny’s side into the house.

“I am in need of a rest, too,” Margaret sighed, motioning for her handmaid and Jared to come to her side.

“So soon?” Eleanor asked, a trace of worry running through her.

Margaret laughed tiredly as she was helped up.

“These old bones tire so easily anymore,” she replied with a weary smirk, “But I am well. There is still quite a spark left in me.”

“That certainly is true,” Eleanor laughed, her worry dissolving.

She and Xander each placed a kiss on Margaret’s cheek, then Xander pulled Eleanor into his arms as they watched her go back inside.

“She is right, you know,” Xander said softly in her ear. “She may be growing frailer but her spirit is still quite strong. The children will likely have children of their own children before she passes on.”

Eleanor let out a soft laugh, and sent up a silent prayer for it to be so. She turned around in Xander’s arms, facing him, and a sensual smile tugged at his lips as he looked down at her. The love they had found for one another five years ago had seemed to double each year, and now they both seemed so full it of it they could simply bust.

“Walk with me,” Xander urged, nodding his head toward the path below the patio.

“Where are we walking to?” She asked him, falling in step at his side.

Heat simmered in Xander’s eyes as he led her down the small path canopied by wisteria, and Eleanor felt arousal flood her veins. She quickened her pace, making Xander chuckle. He soon took her left off of the path, into the woods, and then turned left once more at a warped and ominous Weeping Willow. The afternoon sun was mostly blocked out by the thick, green canopy of the trees, but every few footsteps or so, a shard of light seemed to break through.

Around them the forest hummed with sounds of life, creating another blanket of security of them in the woods. Finally, Xander took one more turn, this time to the right, and he led her to a large thicket. Eleanor gave him a stubborn look as he tugged her toward the small entrance he had revealed, but he only chuckled.

“You do not know what is in there,” she told him, shaking her head.

“Trust me, I do,” he replied sensually, pulling her back to him, “And you will love it. Will it make you feel better if I go in first?”

“I would feel better if we did not go in at all,” she replied with sass.

Xander shook his head as he tsked his tongue, and removed his jacket. He then threw it into the hole he had created in the thicket, and climbed inside. Eleanor waited breathlessly, awful visions of a bear or wolf or such was somehow already inside and shredding her husband to bits. But then, he popped his head back out, making her jump, and smiled at her ruthlessly as she jumped and let out a little yelp.

“Come on, Honey,” he chuckled, holding out his hand, “Do you not trust me by now?”

It was then Eleanor noticed that Xander had also taken off his shirt inside the thicket, and the naked flush of his muscular arm teased her. Surely if he was shirtless there would be no danger she decided, and took his hand. Xander beamed with satisfaction as he helped her inside, careful not to let any thorns scratch her anywhere. Inside, Xander helped her stand up, and she gasped in awe at what she saw.

“Do you like it?” Xander asked, pushing her dress away before working on her corset.

“I love it,” she replied, shoving his trousers down before going to his briefs. “Have you been planning this long?”

Xander’s smirk widened as he held eye contact with her, then pulled her corset and underdress away. Eleanor immediately wrapped her legs around his hips, tightening her sex to his rigid shaft.

“I found it the other week during a hunt,” he replied, walking them to the blanket he’d laid on the ground. The subtle movement made his cock rub against her clitoris each time, making her gasp. “I thought it would be a most intriguing little getaway for us when we need a break from the house.”

“I do love the way you think,” Eleanor murmured, tracing her nose playfully along his.

A rumble of approval rose from Xander’s chest before he captured her mouth with his, kissing her deeply. Her mind blanked as pleasure took over completely, and her need for him grew. Eleanor twisted one hand into his thick, dark hair as the other dragged down his back, and she bucked her hips into him pleadingly.

“Did you miss me, Honey?” He asked, his voice thick with need as he pulled away from their kiss. His liquid silver eyes looked deep into her soul. “Because I missed you.”

“Yes,” she breathed. God yes. She always missed him when he was away on business, no matter how short the trips, and though their reunion earlier had been incredible, neither of them were anywhere near satisfied yet.

“Tell me,” he commanded, a tinge of pleading in his tone as he kissed down her neck, her breasts, her waists.

“I missed you,” she gasped as his tongue dipped between her already dewy folds, “I missed you so much- oh!”

Pleasure roiled through her and her thighs trembled at Xander’s wicked kisses. She thrust her fingernails into the soft grass and clung to it desperately as he licked at her with abandon. His fingers, knowing exactly where to go, massaged her inner walls in a coaxing motion, making her swell and whimper with anticipation.

“I love you so much, Honey,” Xander moaned into her sex between his kisses and flicks.

“I love you,” she breathed, already feeling her body near its first release, “I love you so, so much.”

The End