The rush of people popping in for a pint and a midday meal had passed so Aiden didn’t have to jostle through a crowd to make his way to the polished wood that fairly gleamed his reflection. One of Gillie’s girls smiled and winked at him. If he were an ordinary customer, she’d have greeted him with “What’s your pleasure, treasure?” But since she was well aware of who he was, she knew Gillie was already pouring his pint. It was waiting for him when he reached the bar.

“I haven’t seen you about in a while.” His sister studied him intensely in an effort to ensure all was right with him.

“The new business is keeping me occupied—more so than I’d expected.”

“It’s going well, then?”

“No complaints.” He took a sip of his beer, relishing the flavor. “I’m in need of your finest bottle of wine. One that goes particularly well with strawberries.” The fruit was going to cost him a fortune, because it wasn’t yet in season so he’d have to find some that had been cultivated in a conservatory. He had plans for Selena tonight, having no doubt whatsoever she’d be returning to his arms once darkness descended.

“My finest is in the cellar at Coventry House.” Her duke’s London residence—now hers as well.

“What would it cost me to have you part with it?”

“What do you need it for?”

“A little seduction.”

Placing her elbow on the counter, she cradled her chin in her hand. “Tell me about her.”

“Why should I? You kept your duke a secret.”

“Because of what I felt for him. It rather frightened me, I think. Have you strong feelings for this woman?”

“God no.” Although the words mocked him as a lie. What he felt for Selena was beyond description. That it terrified him on one level didn’t mean he was following Gillie’s path and falling in love. He’d spent thirty-two years on this earth without stumbling onto that path. He wasn’t about to take a detour toward it now. “She’s fun is all.”

“Fun is hardly deserving of my finest wine. An inexpensive vintage would work just as well.”

“She’s accustomed to luxurious things.”

Straightening, she scrutinized him. Nearly as tall as her brothers, she intimidated a good many. “Nobility, then. One of the ladies you’ve met through your new club, I’ve no doubt. Don’t let her use you, Aiden.”

“How’s she going to do that? There’s nothing at all she could do to me that I wouldn’t welcome.”

“You’re thinking with the lower half of your body. I’m talking about the upper part, your heart.”

“My heart’s safe. I have no intention of ever giving it into another’s keeping.”

“Intentions can sometimes go astray. I never intended to fall in love with a duke.”