Status Updates From The Duke and I (Forever You...

“Do you have any idea how much I've wanted you?”
She shook her head, unable to speak lest she betrayed the need pumping in her blood, and beating between her legs for him.
“I’ve craved you, Emma. For years. Be honest with me, how much do you want me?”
The words slipped unbidden from her lips. “You threaten all the beliefs I hold about my expectations for my life. You make me burn to live.”

I AM DEAD 😭

He frowned, eyes searching her face. He cupped her face. His shoulder relaxed, and he closed his eyes with a sigh. “Emma?”
“Yes?”
“Marry me.”
Her entire body trembled.
He dipped his head and leaned in close, so their lips almost touched, their nose brushing. “Let me prove you are the only woman I want. Have ever needed. Marry me, my darling."

↪ the sheer power of this ANGST is tearing my heart apart 😭

The polite world had no use for broken things. Everything had to be pretty and perfect and estimable for them to find worth. All the unpretty things, the broken things, and the inestimable were discarded.