CHAPTER 25 THE AWAKENING

Jane lay on her bed, her body still tingling from the memory of her tryst with Max. She'd never felt anything like it before, the way his body had pressed against hers, the way his lips had explored every inch of her skin. "It was amazing," she whispered to herself, a faint smile curving her lips. "And I want it to be that way forever." But the thought of the Duke of Wellington lingered in the back of her mind, a nagging reminder of the marriage proposal she still hadn't accepted. Jane's mind raced with possibilities, her thoughts spinning out of control. She knew that telling her parents about Max would likely cause a scandal, but she couldn't help but hope that they would see the love that existed between her and Max. "Perhaps if they knew that I'm no longer a maiden," she mused, "they would see that it's meant to be. Maybe they'd let me marry Max instead." But the fear of their reaction held her back, the memory of her mother's furious face replaying in her mind. Jane's resolv