Page 139 of A Troublesome Circumstance

Her eyes widened. “Are you certain that is wise?”

“Not in the slightest.” He leaned nearer, his breath warm against her lips. “But I find myself thinking about you constantly. In the morning, at night, in the middle of my day. It is you. It is always you.” His voice dipped. “Please help me end this agony.”

Her lips twitched in amusement. “I suppose a special license wouldn’t be so awful.”

Jude moved even closer, until only inches separated their mouths. The air around them tingled, alive with anticipation.

Josephine couldn’t bear to wait another second. Her heart was pounding far too wildly—her chest far too full—for restraint. Before doubt could steal her courage, she lifted onto her tiptoes and captured Jude’s mouth with her own.

For a heartbeat, everything inside her stilled.

If her boldness surprised him, he gave no indication. Instead, he slid an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He kissed her back with a fervor that stole her breath, deepening the embrace, showing her—proving to her—with every gentle stroke of his lips how deeply, fiercely, he loved her.

Her fingers curled in the fabric of his coat, anchoring herself to him, silently telling him she didn’t want this moment to ever end.

At last, after a long, wonderful, dizzying moment, Jude reluctantly drew back, though only just. He rested his forehead against hers, his breath unsteady, mingling with her own.

“That was… perfect.”

A soft smile tugged at her lips. “It was,” she whispered. It felt like everything she had ever wanted condensed into a single moment.

He swallowed. “I should go.”

“Yes,” she agreed, though her voice lacked conviction. “You should.”

But neither of them moved.

His hands remained lightly on her waist, as though he didn’t trust himself to let go. And she… she was certain her feet were rooted to the ground. The idea of him stepping away—even a pace—felt unthinkably empty.

He huffed a quiet, amused breath. “Josie… if you keep looking at me like that, I will never leave the gardens.”

Her lips curved. “Then perhaps I shall continue looking at you exactly like that.”

He groaned softly, a sound that sent a delightful shiver down her spine. “You are going to be the ruin of me.”

“Funny,” she whispered, “I was thinking the same of you.”

Still, they stood there—foreheads touching, breaths mingling, hearts pounding—neither quite willing to let the moment go.

And Josephine knew, with utter certainty, that she never wanted to spend another moment of her life without him.

With the special license tucked safely into the inner pocket of his jacket, Jude crossed the threshold of his townhouse with a smile tugging at his lips. The fact that he had secured it—that he would soon be Josephine’s husband—sent a thrill through him so fierce he nearly laughed aloud.

But first, there was something he needed to do.

He strode down the corridor towards the study, his boots whispering across the polished floorboards. Through the half-open door, he spotted his father sitting in his favorite armchair, spectacles perched low on his nose, a worn book resting open before him.

“Father,” Jude said as he stepped inside.

The duke looked up immediately, his brows lifting. “Jude. You have returned.”

“I have.” He patted his jacket pocket. “I was able to secure the special license.”

“That is wonderful news,” his father replied, setting the book aside with careful deliberation. “And when shall you marry?”

“Soon,” Jude said, unable to hide the excitement roughening his voice. “But… Josie had one condition.”

His father regarded him with a wary expression. “Which is?”