She agreed without hesitation, surprising Timothy Hart slightly, though he quickly let a faint smile curl his lips.
"But I have conditions."
"Name them."
"First, you must not make our relationship public without my consent. Second, you must not touch me unless I allow it."
The warmth in Timothy Hart's eyes cooled a degree. "And a third?"
Aurora hesitated, then shook her head. "No."
After a pause, she added, "If I think of anything else, I'll say so later."
Timothy Hart's voice turned grave. "So you expect me to live as a monk?"
Aurora froze.
"Mrs. Hart," he said, "I'm a man like any other. If you deny me forever, am I to remain celibate for life?"
As he spoke, he closed the distance between them. Aurora shrank back instinctively.
"I—I didn't mean it that way..."
She had set thi
