Lowering her lashes, she hid the brightness of her eyes, he didn’t know it, but he’d just handed her the perfect solution. If she just continued on with her life as she had before they were wed, it wouldn’t take him long to be fed up and let her leave. Though it annoyed her tremendously, he seemed to take exception to everything about her.
She stifled a snort of disgust, wondering why he bothered to marry her in the first place if he found her so offensive. Men, they were all the same, they could do whatever they wished, but heaven forbid their wives tried to. It wasn’t surprising that Killian was just like every other man, it disappointed her though, but she would most assuredly use it to her advantage.
Suddenly realizing he’d fallen silent, she lifted her lashes and met his irritating glare. She could only presume he was waiting for her to reply, swallowing nervously; she prayed her answer would be the right one. “Yes.” Heaven forbid if it wasn’t, she would be forced to endure the lecture all over again.
“Good, I’m relieved that you’re in agreement. We should have no more difficulties or trouble from now on. Why don’t you run along and have tea with your aunt? I have some errands to run and I’ll join you both for lunch.” Killian smiled, he had expected his bride to argue, but though surprised she hadn’t, he was well pleased with their conversation.
“Yes, I am rather parched.” Modesty quickly rose to her feet and before he could stop her, she hastened out of the study. Once the door closed behind her, she leaned her head back against it and grimaced. Trouble, her eyes glittered with mischief, she was going to give him trouble all right.
The man was dense if he thought for one moment she was agreeable to any of his edicts, even if she had no clue what they were. He was living in a fool’s paradise and it wasn’t going to take him long to realize that particular fact.
Straightening up, she smiled brightly and went in search of her aunt. As soon as she quenched her thirst they were going shopping and be damned if she was going to inform anyone where she was going or what she was doing. It was time her husband learnt he couldn’t browbeat her into submission.
Hearing the clock chime the time somewhere in the house, she rolled her eyes. Blasted man had wasted a good hour lecturing her. Her shoulders drooping knowing that until he was in agreement about them living apart, she’d be in for more long hours of sermons.
For a fornicating blackguard, he was such a prig and a windbag. The only excitement he probably enjoyed was taking his latest mistress to bed and if that wasn’t boring and predictable she didn’t know what was. Didn’t the man have a sense of adventure, a need for excitement and thrills?
After the lecture, she could only presume he didn’t. How mundane. If she was forced to live with him she’d end up just as dull as he was. No, she’d never allow it to happen, she’d never let herself end up a mindless, biddable or empty-headed chit.
More determined than ever to gain her freedom, she set about making new plans that would drive him to the brink of madness. She almost laughed aloud picturing him pulling his hair out in frustration. Finding her aunt in the family parlor at the back of the house, she glided into the room and sat down on the opposite sofa. “We’ll go shopping after we’ve had our tea.”
“I hope, dear, that Killian wasn’t too upset or angry at you. He seemed to take great exception to you driving his carriage.” Lucy said as she poured her niece a cup of tea.
A shrug of her shoulders, Modesty accepted the drink and sipped. “I’m afraid he isn’t very pleased with anything about me. He found fault with just about everything. I tell you Aunt I never realized I had so many defects. Why he agreed to wed me at all is a mystery.”
“Foolish man. I’m sure once he’s spent more time with you, he’ll come to his senses and realize just how wonderful you are and apologize.” Lucy smiled in reassurance.
Not likely, Modesty thought to herself, besides it was the very last thing she wanted, but she couldn’t tell her aunt that, so she nodded in agreement. She planned to give her stiff-necked husband so much trouble he couldn’t wait to get rid of her and it was going to start right now.
Since he expected her to be waiting to have lunch with him, but she had no intentions of being here. Both her and aunty would eat out and spend the rest of the afternoon visiting the shops. Not that she wished to purchase anything or found it exciting; she was only doing it because she just wanted to irritate the blasted man. Finishing off her tea, she placed the cup and saucer back on the tray and rose to her feet. “Come along, Auntie. It’s such a fine day to be stuck inside.”
The door just closed behind her husband when she reached the foyer, so she waited a few minutes before she turned to the butler. “We have some errands to run.”
After being given instructions from his lordship, Turner cleared his throat. “Your Grace may I inquire just exactly where you will be?”
With a dismissive wave of her hand, she smiled brightly. “Oh, just here and there. No need to concern yourself.” She answered as she sailed out the door with her aunt. Why should she have to explain herself when her husband didn’t bother to tell her exactly where he was going or even had the decency to tell her precisely what he was doing?
If errands were a good enough explanation for him, it was just as good for her. With her arm linked through her aunts they strolled down the pavement, she was determined to enjoy the rest of her day. When she returned home was soon enough to think how Killian would retaliate over her defiance. She shook her head, unable to believe he was such a stickler for propriety.
Who would ever believe that the renowned rake was such a prude? Not knowing whether the rumors about him and all the lovers he had were true or not, you would think with his reputation he would be daring and dashing, it was so disappointing to learn he wasn’t though, but that would work in her favor. A bright, confident smile tipped the corners of her mouth. There was no doubt in her mind that her plan would succeed.
***
More than pleased with the conversation with his wife, Killian now had high hopes she wouldn’t cause any more trouble. She had been quite agreeable to all his demands and the tight knot in his stomach had unraveled. He had expected her to be furious and argue, but it had been a relief when she kept quiet. Now it was time he dealt with another pressing problem and that was the scheming lady Applebee. It was imperative the woman understood emphatically that he wasn’t in the least bit interested in what she had to offer. The very last thing he wanted was her paying his townhouse another uninvited visit.
After explaining to the butler who he was and who he was calling on he was led to the back of her father’s townhouse. Stepping into the room when he was announced he wasn’t surprised to see the smug satisfaction glowing in the chit’s eyes, it was obvious she thought he was here for an entirely different reason. She was very shortly going to find out it was just the very opposite.
The scheme she had pulled to sneak into his townhouse and having to dismiss a new servant that had just been hired, he was through being polite. Not wanting to prolong the meeting, he went straight to the point. “After the stunt you pulled the other night you give me no choice but to be truthfully blunt with you.”
“I don’t understand. I didn’t do anything wrong other than try to prove to you that we belong together. I know you’ve had lots of lovers before me and that you’re betrothed but I don’t care about any of that. It’s you, your Grace that I love, that I want to share my life with. Surely you don’t want that atrocious…” Lana sat up and rushed out the words in frantic desperation only to have them cut off before she finished. Though she was wearing a mask of anguish inside, she was fuming with silent rage.
“Be careful what you say, woman. The lady you’re about to insult is my Duchess now.” He warned her in a harsh voice.
Eyes wide in disbelief over the startling news, it devastated her. Lana snapped her mouth shut and swallowed in panic. Wringing her hands together, her mind was working frantically. “When, how? Oh, Killian how could
you marry someone else? It’s not possible that you married that strumpet so quickly.”
“I can assure you that I did. If you had bothered to read the announcement in the papers you’d be aware that it’s true.” He informed her tersely.
“This is horrendous. Why did you do such a foolish thing? Surely you know how much I love you.” Frantically her mind searched for a way to show him they belong together and he’d made a terrible mistake in marrying the other woman. “My parents aren’t home and won’t be back for hours. Why don’t we go upstairs and let me show you how special it can be between us? Once you do, you’ll realize what a terrible blunder you have made and finally admit how much you need and care for me, then we can be together.”
Disgust churned in his gut at the thought of taking the woman to bed, as for the rest of her disillusions it was quite obvious she was desperate. “I didn’t come here to be intimate with you. Even if I foolishly took you up on your offer there would be no point in it. It’s far too late to try and trap me now, besides I’m a married man now and I intend to keep the vows I’ve made.” He didn’t even flicker an eyelash when the woman laughed in disbelief.
Lana gave a shrill laugh of skepticism and sneered her contempt. Outrage over having lost her chance to trap him into marriage bubbled inside her. “I don’t believe it for a minute. Your commitment will never last. Everyone knows you both detest each other. She’ll never be able to satisfy you and it won’t be long before you’ll be going through a score of lovers. You will quickly regret marrying her instead of me.” She sashayed forward and placed a hand on his cloth covered chest. “Every time you make love to her and find no satisfaction you’ll wonder and start yearning for pleasure that I could have given you. You will be tortured with the thoughts of how wonderful it could have been between us. I almost feel sorry for you, but you made the wrong choice and now you’ll be suffering for the rest of your miserable life.”
“I really don’t care what you and everyone else think because you’re all wrong. I’m committed to my wife and marriage. You’re also very mistaken, my wife more than satisfies me and I very much doubt you’d even come close to giving me anywhere near as much pleasure as I find in her arms. As for thinking and yearning for you I will undoubtedly won’t even recall having met you after I leave here.” Brushing her hand aside, he strode out of the room. He was about to let himself out the front door when the ear-piercing screeching started. With a disgusted shake of his head, he opened the door and stepped outside.
Riding home, he put the distasteful meeting behind him, he was eager to spend time with his bride, he was going to persuade her to take a little afternoon nap, but they wouldn’t be doing any actual sleeping. He intended to find some pleasure since he’d missed having any on his wedding night or the one after it. He’d also been denied this morning and he wasn’t going to allow it to happen again.
After handing the horse over the waiting groom, he let himself into the house and strolled along the hallway to the breakfast room expecting to find his wife and her aunt. What he found was an empty room and he scowled in displeasure. “Turner” Shouting for his butler and when the servant raced breathlessly into the room, he ignored the man’s undignified entry. “Where is my wife and her aunt?
“Your Grace, her ladyship and aunt left on um… errands straight after you. I did ask exactly where she was going, but all she said was there was no need to concern myself that she wouldn’t be long and sailed right out the door.” Turner hung his head and waited fretfully for his lordships displeasure.
“I see. You may go.” With an irritated wave of his hands, Killian dismissed the man. His eyes narrowed, it seemed his wife was still going to be defiant even though she had agreed to every one of his terms. It wouldn’t surprise him if she’d done it on purpose. She probably thought by agreeing with him she could still do whatever she wanted. Like hell.
With a furious shake of his head, he couldn’t believe she had the unmitigated gall to lie to him, to look him straight in the eye and blatantly lie. It was unforgivable and his temper soared.
So angry, with his hands clasped behind his back he started to wander the room. When his wife arrived home, he was going to sit her down and this time she wasn’t leaving until she gave her solemn promise to obey his rules. Suddenly he stopped and lifted back his head and stared up at the ceiling.
Maybe, just maybe, he might be going about this the wrong way. He wasn’t a fool and he was coming to recognize that ordering her to obey his dictates she would only rebel. Chuckling, he shook his head, why hadn’t he realized it earlier that to demand her to obey him, she’d do just the opposite.
His mouth twisted in a smirk and he dropped his head, reassurance shone in his eyes. He was onto her game now, the only thing he had to do was counter it. He’d always known how intelligent she was, but foolishly he’d been too occupied to remember it. Now though, he wasn’t about to forget again. Oh, he would sit her down and have another talk to her, but that would be all.
A grimace of annoyance twisted his mouth, though the only thing he wanted to do was to turn her over his knee and give her a spanking as he lay down the law, he knew if he did he’d have even more trouble. No, best to be blasé about her defiance. If he didn’t react it would rattle her. She would expect him to lose his temper and use it to put some distance between them.
Although she had participated eagerly in the small intimacy between them, she was running scared. He threw his head back and laughed, he knew exactly what he had to do and how to handle his hellion bride now. Oh yes, he had the perfect solution and there was no doubt in his mind they would both gain immense pleasure
With a confident nod of his head, he smirked and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Ah yes, he was most definitely going to have the little hellion, wild child under his control by the end of the day. Then nothing was going to stop him from seducing her. Oh, he had no intentions of making love to her just yet, but very soon it was going to happen.
The tenacious woman had certainly sealed her fate with her bold face lie while she looked him in the eye. Damn straight, she’d pushed him too far now and whatever consideration he was willing to give her, she’d demolished.
Only two and a half days married, he was now on to her game, he chuckled already tasting victory. Well, since she began the war of wills, be damned if he wasn’t going to win it. Hell, he hadn’t felt so alive or invigorated for years. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had the guts or nerve to challenge him since he came into his title several years ago. He shook his head in utter consternation unable to believe that the little hellion from hell had managed to wake him up and excite him.
Eager for his wife to return, he couldn’t wait to set his plans in motion. He was determined to win the first of what he predicted was going to be many skirmishes between them. Because he knew that it wouldn’t take her long to catch on to the game and would be resolute in trying get the upper hand, but he intended to stay one step ahead of her. Rubbing his jaw thoughtfully, he smirked.
Admittedly, she’d fooled him, but never again would he underestimate her intelligence a second time. He was on to her tricks now and he intended to be the one victorious in their game. In the end they would both be triumphant. Hopefully by then life would settle down and be peaceful.
Laughter rumbled in his chest, knowing that the word peaceful and his wife would never fit together. With a long, slow sigh, he decided he may as well eat his lunch while he waited for her return.
Chapter Ten
Amazed when she stepped through the front door, Modesty expected her irate, prudish husband to be waiting for her, but he was nowhere to be found and for some odd reason she was surprisingly let down. Disappointed and piqued, she explained to her aunt she was going upstairs to rest for an hour and she would see her at supper. Climbing the staircase, she frowned, perhaps Killian wasn’t home and hadn’t known she had defied him.
Oh well, at least she would be spared another long, boring l
ecture on what she wasn’t allowed to do. Opening the chamber door, she stepped inside and closed it behind her, she was halfway across the room before something told her she wasn’t alone.
Warily turning her head, her mouth dropped open and she could only gape when she found her husband reclining lazily under the window on the divan all but naked. Nervously she licked her lips as he leisurely, gracefully rose to his feet. Her eyes grew so wide as they traveled over his uncovered, well-muscled chest.
Slowly and breathlessly, her excited, eager gaze danced down his taut, flat stomach, trying to catch her breath as her eyes followed the thin line of hair and that was when she noticed his pants were open and riding low on his trim hips.
Heavens, the man was a Greek God and temptation itself. So superbly and magnificently built it should be a sin for a man to look so mouthwatering glorious. Try as she might she couldn’t for the life of her shift her gaze from the intriguing sight. Her eyes bulged even wider when something thick and long moved beneath the material of his trousers. Oh my, was that… that. No, she didn’t want to think about what it was.
Curious, she continued to stare at it, surely it couldn’t be that thing she’d heard women whisper about. Yet she found it fascinating all the same, but the size of it sent panic through her. It was enough though to send her eyes flying back to his face. He was staring back at her with lazy, hooded eyes and a smile that practically melted her bones. Before she crumbled at his feet, she half turned away and frantically started stripping off her gloves. “Please remove yourself until you’ve dressed.”
Expecting his wife’s disapproval, Killian ignored her request. Instead, he ambled over to the bed and laid down. Stacking his hands beneath his head, he watched her agitated movements. He’d certainly rattled her and he found it amusing. “You must be tired after your outing. Come and lie down.” Not surprised when she shook her head in refusal, he waited patiently.
Cupid's Arrow Book Two Capturing The Duke Page 9
