The Demon Duke and I by Marian Tee Page B

it were any other person, that kind of slur would be treasonous and worthy of a duel.”
    “Duel, my ass!”
    The words had Silviu blinking. Never had he been treated this way – not once in his entire life. Even the demons that had looked down on him and his Galeré for their mixed blood were less…rude.
    His heartkeeper was still raging. “If you think you’re going to have her panties all twisted because you’re so damn good looking, you’re wrong! Lady Beyotch cares only about money – and that means my money, my inheritance, since she has none herself! She’s been planning to marry me off and she will do so the moment she finds some lord she can rule over. She’ll take one look at you and she won’t even wait for a fucking lord! She’ll marry me to the first drunk lout she sees because you, sir, are anything but BIDDABLE!”
    The screeched word made Silviu wince.
    In his mind, the rest of his Galeré winced as well, for they traveled close to him in the darkness, protecting him like they always did.
    Trouble in paradise? Ilie was smirking.
    Shut up.
    “Are you even listening to me?”
              He tried to look like he was. “Of course---”
    She gritted her teeth. “Don’t you use that tone---” The hired carriage they were in went over a rather large hump, taking her completely by surprise. As it swerved dangerously to the right, George was unable to brace herself against the walls and she found herself sliding off the cushioned seat.
    “Oww!” She landed on the floor of the carriage with a painful thump, the dandelion yellow skirt of the gown Silviu had her wear collapsing around George like a fucking banana peel.
    She looked up at the conspicuously silent Silviu.
    “If I see one fucking smile---”
    He looked at her with a stoic expression.
    She so wasn’t fucking fooled. “You deliberately didn’t help me. Did you?”
    This time, Silviu was genuinely stunned. “Are you saying I purposely caused you to fall, milady?”
    “You were able to save me from falling to my death last night – and that was a fucking hundred-foot drop off a cliff. Now we’re in a carriage and you couldn’t keep me from falling out of my seat?”
    Silviu slowly ran his hand over his face, using it to help himself control his mirth. Since he had left his childhood behind him, Silviu had found fewer and fewer reasons to laugh, the burden of his responsibility to Brimstone weighing him down so heavily he had been unable to appreciate the beauty of life.
    But since his heartkeeper had cursed her way into his life, every moment was… fun, even when she was acting like a shrew.And if he were honest, every moment was… hilarious, even when she was the only girl – the only person – who dared accuse him of being a liar, a rapist – the accusations were too many to count, really.
    Never in his life had he imagined words like ‘fun’ and ‘hilarious’ would apply to his future duchess, but now that he had Georgina, Silviu wouldn’t have it any other way.
    “You’re fucking laughing at me! Don’t think I don’t know it!”
     He allowed himself a chuckle and, ignoring her hisses and struggling, he reached down and easily swept her off the floor, placing her back on his lap where she belonged. This tantrum of hers had been adorable, but he disliked the distance it forced between them.
    “You took me by surprise,” he told her honestly. “I have never seen a woman slide off a carriage seat before.”
    She growled, “Your apology may be fucking sincere, but it’s only making me madder .” George copied his tone, “I’ve never seen a woman slide off a fucking carriage seat.” She let out a little snarl of anger. “Well, sorry if I’m used to riding cars with fucking seatbelts .”
    He laughed. “You do have a point there, ma threa. ”
    That distracted her a bit, and she asked suspiciously, “Are you using another language to swear at me?”
    “It means, ye with little trust, my heart