Two hours later, the grand Hamilton Season’s Ball finally came to an end.

The loud orchestra played their final song and packed away their instruments. The hundreds of wealthy guests slowly left the warm ballroom, collecting their cloaks and stepping out into the cold London night. The long line of carriages slowly disappeared down the dark street.

Delaney was not staying at Hamilton House tonight. Because they were officially engaged, the strict rules of society demanded they sleep under completely separate roofs until the wedding day. Aunt Renee had rented a small, highly respectable townhouse in London for them to stay in for the remaining week till the wedding.

Delaney stood in the quiet, empty foyer of Hamilton House. She was wearing her evening cloak over her silver dress. Aunt Renee was standing nearby, talking quietly with Aunt Margery about the final wedding details.

Delaney was sulking.

She stood perfectly still, staring blankly at the marble floor. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest. The angry fire in her eyes had faded, replaced by a quiet, stubborn coldness.

She knew Rowan loved her. She knew the stumble was likely an accident. But seeing another beautiful woman pressing her body against his chest had hurt her deeply.

Rowan walked slowly into the foyer.

He had just finished saying goodbye to the very last guest. He looked tired, but his eyes were completely focused on Delaney. He saw her crossed arms and her downcast eyes. He knew he could not let her leave the house feeling this way.

Rowan walked over to Aunt Renee and Aunt Margery.

"Ladies," Rowan spoke politely, offering a gentle bow. "The carriage is waiting outside for you. If you would please excuse us for just one moment, I would like to say a private goodnight to my fiancée before she leaves."

Aunt Renee looked at Delaney’s sulking face. She understood the situation perfectly. She smiled kindly at the Duke.

"Of course, Your Grace," Aunt Renee agreed. She linked her arm through Aunt Margery’s. "Come, Margery. Let us wait outside in the carriage. The night air is quite refreshing."

The two older women walked out the grand front doors, leaving Rowan and Delaney completely alone in the large, quiet foyer. Mr. Simmons discreetly stepped away into the side hallway, giving them absolute privacy.

Rowan slowly approached Delaney. He stopped just two feet away from her.

"Delaney," Rowan said softly. His deep voice echoed gently in the empty marble room.

Delaney did not look up. She kept her eyes focused on the floor. She tightened her crossed arms against her chest.

"The carriage is waiting, Your Grace," Delaney replied quietly. "I should go home. We have a very busy week ahead to prepare for the wedding."

Rowan let out a soft, heavy sigh. He did not like the cold distance between them. He took a single step closer, entirely closing the space.

He reached out his large, warm hands. He gently, but very firmly, grasped her upper arms. His touch was incredibly gentle. He slowly rubbed his thumbs against the soft velvet of her warm cloak.

"Look at me," Rowan requested softly.

Delaney slowly raised her head. Her hazel eyes met his bright brown ones. She looked slightly sad, and incredibly stubborn.

Rowan looked down at her face. Despite the serious situation, a very small, deeply fond smile touched the corners of his mouth.

"You are sulking," Rowan noted quietly, his voice filled with deep affection.

"I am not sulking," Delaney lied quickly, her jaw tightening defensively. "I am simply tired. It has been a very long evening."

Rowan’s smile grew just a tiny bit wider. He found her jealous anger incredibly endearing. It showed him exactly how much she cared. But he also knew he had to address it completely, so she never felt a single moment of doubt.

"You are sulking," Rowan repeated softly, his tone highly gentle and completely sincere. "And you are entirely angry with me because of Lady Moore."

Delaney’s eyes flashed with a sudden return of her earlier fire.

"She was practically all over you in the middle of the ballroom, Rowan!" Delaney argued, her voice rising slightly in the quiet foyer. "She had her hands all over your coat! And you were holding her!"

Rowan did not argue. He did not raise his voice. He simply held her arms securely, grounding her in reality.

"She tripped, Del," Rowan explained calmly, his eyes holding nothing but complete honesty. "Or, rather, she deliberately threw herself at me, and I caught her purely by instinct so she would not fall and crack her head on the marble floor. I pushed her away the absolute second I realized what she was doing."

Delaney looked away, biting her lower lip. "She is very beautiful. I am sure you have seen more beauties than her."

The quiet, insecure words broke Rowan’s heart. He completely understood why she was jealous. It was hard for her to believe that she was truly enough. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Rowan moved his hands. He let go of her arms. He brought his hands up and gently, carefully framed her face. His warm palms rested against her cold cheeks. His fingers tangled slightly in her dark hair near her ears.

He forced her to look directly into his eyes again.

"Listen to me," Rowan commanded softly, his voice a low, rough rumble of absolute, undeniable truth. "I do not care about her. I do not care if she is the most beautiful woman in all of London."

Rowan leaned his face closer, his forehead almost touching hers.

"I completely ignored every single woman in that entire ballroom tonight," Rowan whispered intensely. "Because the only person I saw was you. When you walked down those stairs in your silver dress, my heart completely stopped beating. You are the only woman I have ever loved, Delaney."

Delaney looked into his eyes. She searched his face for any sign of a lie or hesitation. She found absolutely nothing but devotion.

"Truly?" Delaney whispered, her voice shaking just a little bit. The cold anger in her chest finally melted away completely.

"Truly," Rowan promised fiercely.

He did not waste another single second with words. He needed to show her his absolute sincerity.

Rowan leaned his head down. He completely closed the small distance between them. He captured her lips in a deep,passionate, desperate kiss.

His mouth moved firmly over hers, demanding her surrender. His hands held her face securely, keeping her exactly where he wanted her. He kissed her deeply, pouring every single ounce of his love, his truth, and his devotion directly into her.

Delaney let out a soft, helpless sigh. She melted completely into his strong embrace. The last remaining pieces of her jealousy and insecurity completely vanished into thin air.

She raised her hands from beneath her velvet cloak. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pulling him even closer. She kissed him back with equal, burning hunger, showing him that she belonged entirely to him.

They stood together in the quiet marble foyer, completely lost in each other, entirely forgetting about the waiting carriage.

Rowan finally broke the kiss, gasping slightly for air. He did not pull away. He rested his forehead firmly against hers. His chest heaved against hers as he tried to catch his breath.

He kept his hands gently on her face, his thumbs slowly stroking her cheekbones.

"Do you understand me now?" Rowan whispered roughly, his eyes completely dark with heavy desire. "There is absolutely nothing going on between me and Lady Moore. There will never be anyone else. You are the only Duchess I want. You are the only woman I will ever want for the rest of my life."

Delaney smiled. Her lips were slightly swollen from his kiss, and her hazel eyes were shining with joy.

"I understand," Delaney whispered softly, her voice filled with peace.

She reached up and gently kissed the corner of his mouth.

"I am sorry I was angry," Delaney apologized quietly. "I have never felt jealous before. It is a very strange, uncomfortable feeling. I don’t like it."

Rowan let out a soft, deep chuckle. He rested his hands carefully on her shoulders, smoothing the soft velvet of her evening cloak.

"Do not apologize," Rowan smiled warmly. "I must admit, seeing you looking so fierce and angry with your little fan was actually incredibly cute. You looked extremely dangerous, my lady."

Delaney laughed. She playfully slapped his arm with her gloved hand.

"Do not mock me, Your Grace," Delaney teased him happily. "If she had touched you again, I would have used that fan as a weapon and smacked both of your faces."

Rowan laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the empty foyer. He loved her fierce, protective spirit.

"I will be sure to warn all the other ladies to keep their distance from me," Rowan promised, his eyes twinkling brightly with amusement.

He took a slow step backward. He looked at her one last time, completely entirely captivated by her beauty and her strong heart.

"The carriage is waiting," Rowan said softly, though he clearly did not want her to leave. "You should go home and rest. We have exactly one week to prepare for the wedding. I want my bride to be perfectly rested."

Delaney nodded her head slowly. She did not want to leave his side, but she knew the strict rules of society had to be obeyed for just a few more days.

"Goodnight, Rowan," Delaney whispered softly.

"Goodnight, Del," Rowan replied. He took her hand and pressed a final, warm kiss to her gloved knuckles.

Delaney turned around and walked slowly toward the double front doors. The footman opened the door for her. The cold night air rushed inside, but Delaney felt completely warm.

She walked down the wide stone steps and climbed into the waiting carriage with Aunt Renee. The footman closed the door with a firm click. The carriage pulled away into the dark London streets.

Rowan stood in the open doorway, watching the carriage disappear into the night.

He smiled to himself, completely at peace.