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need back under control. It took every ounce of strength he had to do it.
    Rex’s thumb came to the nub of her desire, as his finger moved inside of her. “What is your full name, Lady Sarah?”
    Her eyes flew open, her mouth uttering a protest when he brought his lips back down on hers.
    His tongue danced with hers as his fingers glibly moved and she rocked against him. “I can’t tell you,” she moaned when he finally set her lips free.
    With every ounce of strength he had, he started to pull his fingers away but she bucked to keep him inside of her. “Then I can’t―“
    “Don’t stop.” She tightening around him. Her fingers digging into his scalp.
    “I was supposed to save a girl before I went to sea. She was being mistreated by her uncle and I was to rescue her and then marry her.”
    Sarah stilled underneath him. Her lips eased back, her eyes wide. His finger was still inside of her. “Her uncle is stealing from the crown. The Prince Regent intended to find the girl a powerful husband, powerful enough to protect her and punish the uncle. The bastard was about to do something terrible to his poor niece and I was to swoop in and rescue her before that could happen.”
    Sarah’s eyes seemed to take up half her face and her skin had gone pale. “Then what?” she whispered.
    He gave her a smile. “Prinny hoped that she would be so happy I rescued her that she would agree to become my wife. I am the second son and with this match, I would have a chance to be part of an estate. I would have a legacy to leave my children.”
    “What happened?” she pulled his hair and bit her lip. It made him throb but he ignored it.
    “Just as I was about to rescue her, she disappeared. I thought her uncle might have killed her. But when I started to investigate, Prinny sent me to capture One Eye. I thought he was angry with me for failing on my first mission, but somehow, here you are.”
    She pushed at his chest and he slipped his finger out of her and allowed her the space she needed. Sarah scrambled into a sitting position and backed up against the headboard, fear etched on her face. “You’re lying to me. You’ve been sent by my uncle to bring me back―“ Her hand clamped over her mouth.
    Rex gave her a long look. This had been his fear in telling her the truth. But they weren’t going to get anywhere if one of them didn’t start talking. “I am not lying to you and I am most certainly not working for your uncle. He will get caught and you will take your rightful place as countess.”
    Sarah stared at him unblinking. When she didn’t utter a word, he spoke again, “If you don’t trust me, then trust yourself. From the fist moment you met me, you were not afraid. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
    She shook her head. “You know what he was going to do to me?”
    Rex grimaced. “I do.”
    He reached his hand out to her and she took it. “It was awful.”
    “Tell me,” he pulled her into his arms, wrapping her up on his lap. She snuggled into him.
    “They touched me, squeezed…” She took a breath. “He wanted me to suffer, though I don’t know why.”
    “How did you get away?” he asked.
    “As the bidding started, a fight broke out. I was right next to the door. I slipped out.” Sarah’s voice cracked on the last word and she stopped to take a deep breath.
    Rex nodded. As difficult as it was to hear, he wanted her to share all of it so he could take some of the burden for her.
    “I was so sure any second I would be caught and punished for running away, the way I had the first time when I had gone to my father’s friend. But, when I reached the back hall, my old driver was there. He and my father’s housekeeper were attempting a rescue. They took me to a hotel near the docks, where I hid for three days until they could collect enough money to put me on the Anna Claire. They gave up their life savings to put me on that boat. I saw the sailors that worked for my uncle pass by my window every