His words moved her, even as she tried to wrap her mind around his revelation. “But I’m not a lady.”

“Bosh. You most certainly are a lady. Perhaps not in the narrow-minded opinions of some, but I’m finding that I care less and less for convention.”

Reaching out to clasp her hand, he led her to a long pier glass mounted on the wall beside the door to her dressing room. She went unresisting, still in a state of stunned confusion. He placed her in front of him, nestling her back against his chest while his arms held her in a snug embrace.

His breath stirring the delicate skin at the nape of her neck, he murmured, “You’re a woman of character and warmth and charm, not to mention great beauty. There isn’t a lady in society who is your match. You’ve only to look in the mirror to know that.”

She studied her shadowy reflection. The stylish gown of saffron sarcenet lent distinction to her figure in a way that would please even the most critical eye. But more than that, Natalie was deeply aware of the attractive couple that she and Hadrian made. Handsome and enticing, he stood directly behind her. She was tall, but he was that much taller, the ideal height for kissing. And she craved his kiss with an intensity that threatened to sweep away all reason.

She drew a shaky breath. “Outward appearances cannot change the fact that I’m not bred to your world.”

“Perhaps those differences are part of the reason why we’re attracted to one another. It’s a way for both of us to break out of the dullness of norms.” He tucked a wisp of her hair behind her ear, her skin tingling from his touch. “I was raised with the fixed belief that the perfect wife was a docile young lady with impeccable bloodlines. That it was my duty to wed a wellborn debutante. Then I met you, Natalie. And all of that went out the window. Simply put, you’re everything I never knew that I needed.”

His declaration melted her heart. There could be nothing more romantic than to be chosen by a powerful man who made her feel alive, body and soul. A duke who could have any woman he wanted. Yet logic whispered that it would never work. She could list a hundred reasons why he was all wrong for her, not the least of which was the life she had planned back in America. Still, the fire that heated her blood could not be denied.

Turning in his arms, she stroked her fingers over his smooth-shaven jaw. “I have to be honest, Hadrian. I don’t know if I can ever marry you. It’s impossible for me to think straight right now. Yet I do know that I need you. I crave you with an urgency I’ve never felt for any other man.”

His eyes darkened. “Then allow me to convince you.”

He brought his mouth down onto hers in a crushing kiss that surpassed all of her starry-eyed dreams. She gave back as much as she took, reveling in his potency, savoring the taste of him. With her bosom pressed to his hard chest, she felt his heart beating with a wild rhythm that matched her own.