His to Keep (Regency Scoundrels Book 2)

by Mathews, Marly

  “You seem so loving right now—why don’t you just take me home? All will be forgiven, I promise.”

  “No. There is no turning back. I had Isla already give me a lecture—you can talk until you are hoarse. It makes no difference to me.”

  “Why? You profess to care for me—does what I think matter so little? Perhaps, perhaps you just did marry me out of revenge. I didn’t even want this marriage,” her voice trailed off. Obviously she didn’t even believe what she’d just said.

  “You wanted this marriage, the tone of your voice just gave you away.”

  “I don’t know what I’m saying anymore. I’m so confused. I wouldn’t have married you if I hadn’t wanted to no one can make me do something I don’t want to do…”

  “Ah, there you said it.”

  “Oh, stop it.”

  “We didn’t have much of a courtship, did we? No dances or balls, you deserved more.”

  “Mayhap it would be better if you just let me go.” She looked up at Archie. She still hadn’t drawn away from him—but she was furious with him. “You have set our families against each other. Mallory will never let this go—he will gun for you until you are dead!”

  “Not if I get him first.”

  “You won’t. I’m asking you to not kill him, please. If you did, any chance you ever had with me would be shattered once and for all. I won’t ever forgive you.”

  He gave consideration to what she’d said. Her determination knew no bounds. If he did ever serve Mallory a deathblow, she would hate him with a passion. He couldn’t do that—he couldn’t risk that. Because no matter how tightly controlled he sometimes seemed to people, he had met his match in Gemma. She might be a spoiled little brat, but she was his brat, and he loved her with all of his heart and soul.

  “I won’t kill Mallory,” he relented after due reflection. “As long as he doesn’t try to spill my guts, I will keep him wholly intact. I promise.”

  She searched his face and his eyes for any trace of a lie.

  “I believe you,” she said, nodding her head.

  “There is, however, a condition.”

  “What now? You ask too much of me, Archie.”

  “I don’t think I do,” he said softly, grunting, and tightening his hold on her. She suddenly became as frisky as a cat in his arms.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m just shifting my weight.” He had her pressed right against him, so she would be able to feel every single one of his muscles, and in turn, he could feel every single one of her curves. He could feel her nipples puckering beneath her silk nightgown. He grinned. “Your passions are getting riled, my love.”

  She tried to push away from him. Her breathing became labored with her actions.

  “Archie, stop this at once!”

  “No.” His reply was simple, and gave her no leeway to respond. Instead, she gaped at him. With her blonde hair falling forward, framing her pale face, his groin tightened. How easy it would be to just make love to her right here and now. “Now,” his voice was but a husky whisper, he cupped her face with his free arm. “Smile for me, Gemma, and show me those gorgeous dimples of yours.”

  “Stuff it,” she hissed, trying to free her face from his hold. Her green eyes were ablaze with anger. She looked ready to murder someone. She looked prepared to murder him.

  “Ah, yes, I almost forgot—there is a matter of great importance that we need to discuss.”

  “Like how you’re going to take me against my will?”

  “Do not act so defiant, my dear. You want me. I excite you—I make you quiver when you see me, your heart soars, and your palms tingle—you are in love with me.”

  “No, I am not.”

  “There it is again. You are lying. Do not try to pledge something even you don’t believe. My mother will know you are lying as well.”

  “I don’t think your mother will get involved. We should hardly concern her.”

  He laughed. “You don’t know much about my mother. I wasn’t supposed to actually do anything. She only wanted me to threaten Mallory—I don’t think she even dreamt that I would be reckless enough to do what I did.”

  “You say you haven’t done anything reckless. You say you did nothing wrong. I am your wife, and taking me from my home could hardly be considered an offense, could it?”

  “I don’t regard you as chattel. I was wrong to take you as I did. I went too far, and now…well, I can hardly go back and fix it all, can I?”

  “That’s just it, you can go back and fix it. Take me home, Archie,” she implored.

  “I can’t,” he said stiffly. “No matter what you do, pray don’t make my mother aware of your disdain for me. Please, let her think that you think fondly of me.”

  “To hell with that.”

  He sighed. “You really don’t like to do anything the easy way, do you?”

  “Not where you are concerned, you blackguard.” Her heart was breaking. She didn’t want to be this hardhearted with him but she couldn’t help herself. He had to be made to see reason.

  “Now, you’re just trying to flatter me,” he said softly, earning a soft smile.

  “You bloody scoundrel.”

  “Aye, that’s right. I’m your scoundrel. Give in to it, my lady. Embrace your feelings for me. You are completely besotted with me.”

  “I do not feel that way.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “There we go again, we sound like children,” Gemma sighed.

  “That’s what we need to avoid in front of my mother. As we speak, I have agents placed close to Mallory and his family.”

  “No. Mallory will have already taken steps to defend the family.”

  “I still have a few men on the inside.”

  Her face blanched. Her eyes widened, making his groin stir. He was using all of his willpower to keep himself from making sweet love to her.

  “I kept myself out of society for far too long. I should know about a family with as much reach as yours seems to have.”

  “We keep to ourselves as well, my lovely. We, we like to live in the shadows. I should have offered a bride price for you.”

  “Hardly,” she snorted. “I am not worth it.”

  “Oh, but I beg to differ. You are priceless. I can easily afford it. My coffers make Geoffrey Woodward look like a penniless beggar.”

  “Impossible.”

  “No, indeed. It is quite possible.”

  She seemed stunned. “I wish we’d met when we were penniless. I could have been the one to save us all, instead of having to rely on Mallory to do it.”

  “You already have saved your family. You saved Mallory’s life, and you will continue to keep them safe as long as you attempt to enjoy yourself as my wife.”

  “Enjoy myself? I shan’t be holding balls or any of that nonsense.”

  “We are a little out of society’s reach here. You will have to wait until I can take us back to London Society before you plan on holding any grand social soirees. Shall I have your promise?”

  “I don’t follow, what do you want me to promise now?”

  “Promise to keep up appearances with my mother. Make her believe that you love me, and that you are completely happy with this match. Do I have your vow, Gemma?” he asked earnestly.

  She licked her lips. She could hardly refuse him. What harm would this do?

  “You do,” she said softly. “I promise to make your mother think we are the rarest of lovebirds. I will make her think that my entire life revolves around you. I shall show her that you make my night and my day. I will do anything to keep my family safe from harm.”

  “You must love your brother much more than you let on.”

  “I have already lost one brother—I won’t let you take away another one,” her voice broke, his heart panged painfully.

  Distressing her like this was killing him on the inside, but what other recourse did he have?

  “I didn’t have anything to do with Malcolm’s death. He was
an upstanding, genuinely honorable man. It is a shame that he is dead.”

  She pursed her lips. Water pooled in her eyes. “Yes, it is.”

  Satisfied with her pledge, he drew away from her. She gave him a disappointed look. “Now, I can feel the coolness of the cabin.”

  “I could return to you and warm you up, but we do not have the time. There will be time for us to partake of some more pleasurable activities when we reach our final destination.”

  “Then, you aren’t going to ravish me?”

  “In time, my dear, in time.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Gemma watched him from the bed.

  Archie was going through a trunk on the far side of the cabin for her clothing, no doubt.

  He emerged holding the same riding habit that she had been wearing the day they met. She looked at him and then at the garment he held.

  “You seem fond of that one.”

  “I am,” he admitted softly. “Red is your color.”

  “Red is my favorite color. It fills me with confidence.”

  “I’m staying right here.”

  “You’re insane!” she blurted out, her cheeks reddening so that they matched the color of the riding costume he held.

  “I think not.”

  “You don’t honestly expect me to change in front of you, do you?”

  “I will be getting dressed as well. We need to set off soon, I’m sure Isla will be bringing us breakfast within a few short minutes, and then, it is off for some land travel. I might not have time to ravish you today, but know this, I shall not wait much longer. You entice me, Gemma. You entice me to do some wonderfully naughty things to you.”

  His words thrilled her, and she attempted to remain calm beneath his constant perusal.

  He walked over to her, and seeing that the cabin was equipped with a dressing screen, she hopped out of bed, put her riding costume over the top of the dressing screen and started to undress. What she hadn’t taken into account was the fact that she couldn’t get into her stay unassisted. Slipping her shift over her head, she took hold of the stay, and called for him. “You shall either have to help me with this, or summon Isla. I can’t lace it up on my own.”

  She heard the sound of his feet clapping against the floor, as he walked toward her. His hands deftly worked with the stay. He was quite proficient with it, telling her that he’d probably helped many a loose woman with the removal of such an undergarment.

  His hands briefly touched the nape of her neck when he gathered her hair up to put it over her shoulder. She bristled as his touch sent shivers through her.

  “I would much rather be taking this item off than putting it on you,” he said a little hoarsely. “I should be given a medal for being able to do this without losing control.”

  “You are a good and kindly husband,” she whispered.

  “Aye, a husband who respects his wife,” his voice was even hoarser now. “Gads, I think I need some fresh air.”

  “You are a most surprising man.”

  “I know—sometimes, I even surprise myself.” With that strangled sounding statement, he left her and rushed from the cabin.

  He had to be crazy. Something inside of him had snapped. He knew that. Why had he left Gemma? Visions of her scantily clad body kept surging through his mind. By the time they reached the castle, he would be almost out of his mind with the need to bed her. He couldn’t wait until he could touch her, kiss her, feel her—he dragged out another heavy sigh. Looking to the clear morning sky, he considered her change in demeanor. She was trying to lead him into something—he knew it, and yet he really didn’t give a damn. He had his own little tricks up his sleeve. If all went according to his plan, she would be with child within a few months, making her escape from him impossible. Once she was carrying his child, he doubted she would want to ever leave him.

  And if she did, he would have full right to claim her, and his child.

  *****

  Gemma looked in the small cheval mirror the cabin boasted. She almost looked like herself. She couldn’t wait to take a good hot bath once they reached their destination. Where were they? Had they left England? She had been so out of it during the journey that time had escaped her. They could be in the West Indies for all she knew.

  A soft knock sounded at the door.

  Archie entered the room a few minutes later. “Are you quite prepared for the journey ahead?”

  She looked at him, pausing, she considered his question. “I haven’t been prepared for anything that you’ve thrown at me so far. And I am quite weary of it all. I am tired of us being at odds.”

  “Are you calling a truce?”

  “Yes. You are my husband. I would like us to behave like a normal married couple.” Hunger gnawed at her, her stomach growled. He looked down at her stomach.

  “Will you be able to survive until we reach our destination?” He smirked at her, his eyes dancing with humor. “Isla wanted to bring us food, but the winds were on our side and we’ve gotten to our destination much faster than I expected. Indeed, she was grumbling all the while when I sent her away with her food tray.”

  “How could you send her away with a tray of food? No matter. I will survive. A little bit of hunger isn’t going to stop me in my tracks. Besides, it’s better for me to travel on an empty stomach.”

  “Indeed.” He extended his hand toward her. “Let us venture forth then.”

  Before she knew it, they were off the ship and into a carriage. He was whisking her along so quickly that she barely had time to take in her surroundings. Though by what she saw, she greatly doubted they were in the West Indies, it hardly looked like a tropical environment.

  She didn’t trust Archie. Knowing him, he had her right under Mallory’s nose. She sat beside him in the carriage, the interior was dimly lit by candles in the carriage sconces.

  “When will you allow me to see Charles?”

  “Not anytime soon. I don’t think the two of you will have anything of great consequence to say to each other, and besides, I don’t need you planning a great escape with him.”

  “I will not leave you. I shall endeavor to be a good wife to you, Archie. Think of Duxford as a bad taste in my mouth, never to be tasted again.”

  His body stiffened at her mention of Duxford, but once she had finished her sentence, his body relaxed. “You really mean that?”

  “I have never been more convinced of something in my entire life. Now that I reflect upon Duxford’s attentions toward me, I can see what you mean. He treated me much differently than you do. When you touch me, I feel love in your caress. When he touched me—”

  “You’ve gone far enough, my dear. I understand what you are trying to convey. You want me, and only me. I can’t tell you how much that thrills my heart. I will make you a happy woman.”

  “I know you will,” his said, his voice low.

  She looked out the carriage window. “We aren’t in the West Indies, are we? Have we even left England?”

  Archie avoided her question. “Ah, my beautiful wife—you never cease to dazzle me with your beauty.” He reached for her. She inched away from him.

  “You are trying to distract me. I won’t be distracted. I want an answer, Archie. Where have you taken us?”

  “We are on an Isle.”

  She sighed. “With that sort of an answer, we could still be in England.”

  “No.” He caught her arm, and pulled her toward him. “We aren’t in England, I give you my word on that. We are on a different island, a little smaller than England, actually.”

  “You will be the death of me with your blatant disregard of what I want to know!”

  “You don’t need to know where we are. Let me put your mind at rest by saying that I’ve taken you somewhere where your darling brother would never think of looking for you.”

  Her mouth went dry. She tried to scoot to the other side of the carriage, but he reached for her and pulled her back. She landed painfully on the satin squabs.r />
  “Why are you doing this to me? I’d like to sit on that side of the carriage.”

  “And I would like for you to sit with me. I like the nearness of your body—don’t you think the atmosphere is most romantic?”

  “If you think it is—then, it is. I am your wife and as your wife I always endeavor to agree with you.”

  “Hang on, now—that’s not how you’re going to act around my mother is it?”

  “You wanted me to act like we are living in harmony.”

  “Harmony? She’ll know something is amiss when you start agreeing with me all of the time. No woman agrees with her husband all of the time, especially when said husband has my temperament.”

  “According to many of the women in the ton, it is a wife’s sole obligation to believe everything that their husband tells them. They are to be their husband’s dutiful servant. They live to do their husband’s bidding. They obey without hesitation…”

  “No. I don’t want you to be a bloody puppet.”

  “Puppet? Is that what you think I would be, if I agreed with everything you had to say?”

  “Yes. My mother will not believe that I would fall in love with such a simple addle-brained ninny. Don’t fret, I’ve had many of that sort of woman flaunted in front of me, and I never took the bait with any single one of them, much to my mother’s relief.”

  “Thank you. Your mother sounds as if she is an impressive woman.”

  “Impressive is quite the understatement.”

  The carriage hit a few ruts in the road, sending her toppling forward. He reached for her, and pulled her toward him putting a secure arm around her. She sighed. “I will never get away from you, shall I?”

  He answered her question with silence. Brooding silence, his eyes lingered a bit too long on her and it sent shivers rippling through her body.

  Cradled against him with his body warmth seeping into her, she started to feel sleepy. Yawning, she looked up at him.

  “You look like you are going to nod off.”

  “I feel like I am. I don’t understand why I’m so tired.”

  “You’ve been put through a lot of emotional upheaval the last few days. If you’d like to take a nap, feel free. I’ll carry you out of the carriage if I have to.”