by Dawn Brower
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that.”
“Allow it?” She turned toward him and raised an eyebrow. “Please explain when I started answering to you?”
He stalked forward, stopping directly in front of her. “Don’t be like this. Last night was unavoidable.”
She would not cave. Not at all. Nope. Damn it, she was going to be mush and she couldn’t stop herself. Why did this man affect her so? “I don’t care. I deserve to be treated right. So far, you’re doing a shoddy job of it.”
“I told you I’d make it up to you,” he exclaimed, and ran his fingers through his dark hair. “Please just do as I asked. I need to go home, and I don’t want to leave you behind.”
“Why do you have to go back? Maybe if you explain it to me I won’t be so difficult.” Was it too much to ask to be included in what was going on? She hadn’t thought so. Regina hated being the last one to know anything.
“I’ll tell you everything on the way.”
“No deal.” She turned back to her bag and pulled out an outfit for the day and set it on the bed. “I’m going to take a shower and prepare for the day of fun I was promised. Not stupid traveling that will exhaust me further.”
He crossed the room and stood directly behind her. She flinched as his hands came up to her arms holding her in place. Bradford leaned in, his hot breath caressing her ear.“What will it take to convince you to come back with me?”
“Nothing. I already tried talking with you” She turned around and faced him. “You’re the one who doesn’t feel like sharing.” Regina took a step back and shrugged. “That’s your prerogative. Kind of like how mine is to ignore your demands and do what I want. See how that works?”
“You want to do this the hard way then?” He grinned wickedly. “We can do that.”
Oh hell, what had she goaded him into? A tingle pooled in her stomach and spread through her whole body. She would never admit it to him, but she was excited at the prospect of what he considered the “hard way.” Regina licked her lips seductively and winked at him. “Do your worst, Your Grace.”
Then she spun on her heels and sprinted. He caught her before she was able to exit the room. He turned her in his arms and pinned her against the closed door. “That wasn’t very sporting of you.”
“I never said I played fair.” Heat consumed her from the inside out. He always did this to her. She wanted him beyond reason.
He leaned down and touched her neck with his lips. “Some of the best things in life are that much better when you’re the victor.” Bradford trailed light kisses across her chin and cheek. “I play to win, and when I’m serious, nothing stands in my way. Not even stubborn females who should know better than to tempt the beast.”
She was going to combust. There was no stopping it now. He hadn’t even done more than kiss her lightly, and she was about to come apart. What would happen when he did so in earnest?
“Can I wave my white flag and surrender?” He was right. She should have known what would happen when she baited him. Perhaps she had on some level. This was what she wanted. Him giving her his full attention—the true master of seduction. “We can skip to what we both want.”
“What is it you want?”
“You,” she whispered. She’d never wanted anything as badly as she did him.
“If you’re good and do as I asked.” He nipped her ear. “We might arrive at Weston Manor in time to seize what we both desire.”
That sounded lovely. Wait a minute, she had to remain frustrated all the way to his estate and even then, there was no guarantee he’d give in to the pleasure they both craved? “You’re not serious?”
“I promise you I am.” He cupped one of her breasts in his hand. “Quit fighting the inevitable and prepare for our journey.”
“Fine.” She sighed and pushed him away. “You win.” She should give him more of a hard time, but she didn’t have the energy. “At least for now, but be prepared for a siege of epic proportions once we arrive at Weston Manor.”
“I look forward to it.” He saluted her with three fingers. “I expect nothing less from you.” He exited the room with those words, and he was lucky he’d escaped so quickly. Otherwise, he’d have been maimed by a nearby candelabra.
“Cocky bastard.”
Maybe it was time to knock him down a peg or two for real. A blindfold and rope would be a good start...
CHAPTER TEN
“I still don’t understand why we had to leave.” Regina said for the hundredth time.
All right, that might be an exaggeration, but it felt like it. Why did she have to keep stating that as if it would change things? Bradford didn’t want to tell her he was expecting Trenton, but he might have to break down and do it. He couldn’t predict her reaction to the news, and avoiding it seemed like the best idea. She’d already been difficult about leaving. Every so often she’d glance over at him with a look that made him uneasy. She was planning something, but he had no idea what it was. He twitched uneasily every time she glanced in his direction. The way she stared at him... A shiver ran through him as he remembered the last time he dared to look at her.
“I’m not explaining myself again.” He’d already done it more than he was used to. Bradford didn’t feel the need to tell anyone why he did anything. That was his business. That he afforded her that respect should have said a lot. “Something has come up and it is imperative I return.”
She folded her arms across her chest and stared out the window. “You’re a jerk.”
“But you like me anyway.”
“Not even close, you clueless prick.” She shook her head. “Like has nothing to do with what I feel about you.”
He didn’t want to examine what she meant by that statement. She glared at him at regular intervals and he was afraid it had turned to hate. What she may or may not have felt before that—he hoped to go back to it at some point. She meant something to him, and he wanted to figure out exactly what that was once he settled things with his brother. His conscience wouldn’t allow him to do anything differently. For now, he’d deal with her constant disapproval and continued hostility. He didn’t blame her for her displeasure. In her shoes, he’d feel the same way.
“Pardon me, Your Grace, but your vehicle has been brought around. Do you require assistance with your bags?”
His mind kept wandering to Regina’s words. Why couldn’t he let it go? He wanted to, yet he couldn’t. Bradford wanted to push the butler aside. He hadn’t appreciated the interruption. What had Regina meant by she didn’t like him? Was it only lust on her side? Would she disappear on him once she sated her need? It wouldn’t do good to assume anything. She was angry and probably saying things she didn’t actually mean.
One thing was certain though. The more he dissected her statement, the less he liked the conclusions he was coming to. It left him rather unsettled to believe she might not feel the same way about him as he did for her. He was turning into a maudlin woman, and he hated it. The bloody Duke of Weston didn’t act like a pansy over a woman. He steeled himself and forced himself to deal with the situation with as much pretense as possible. There was no reason to let her know how much her rancor affected him.
“No, we can manage. Please give Lord Seabrook our thanks for his hospitality.”
“Very well, Your Grace.” He bowed and then turned on his heels to leave.
Bradford glanced at Regina and sucked in a breath. She was staring at him with such open appraisal he almost forgot his reasons for leaving. What was the rush anyway? He could throw her over his shoulder and take her back upstairs... He shook the idea away and nodded toward her. “Come, it’s time to leave.”
“Fine,” she agreed. “But I’m not happy about it.”
She didn’t have to state the obvious. Bradford was more than aware of how upset she was, but they had to go. After they were on the road she’d either get over it, or not. He didn’t bloody care as long as she got in the damn car. They walked outside in silence, not a word sp
oken as they loaded their luggage, or when they got inside. Bradford put the car into drive and started the journey back to Weston Manor.
The silence was almost deafening, but he didn’t believe she’d stay quiet long. It wasn’t Regina’s strong suit. She liked everyone around her to hear what she had to say. An hour into their journey she still wasn’t speaking to him. Something he found rather surprising. Maybe he should do something to shake her up a tiny bit. There had to be a way to bring her out of her decision to remain mute and driving him stark raving mad. He’d become used to her constant chatter and this—silence—had grown to be more than he could take. Insulting her was the only thing he could think of to shake her out of it.
“I don’t particularly like you much either.” He kept his focus on the road, and didn’t turn even slightly to look at her. “Doesn’t mean we can’t find some common ground and continue to enjoy each other.
“I have no words.” Her voice dripped with disdain.
At least she’d spoken. That was a start. “Who says you need any? There are plenty of things you can do with your mouth that doesn’t require them.”
That was crass, and he couldn’t believe he’d uttered it. Where Regina was concerned, he had no control of the nonsense he spouted. Although they were true words, he’d not really meant to tell her that. He was turning into a complete wanker.
“Something you’ll never experience from me again.” She snorted. “Of course a handsome bloke such as yourself should have no problem finding a trollop to satisfy your needs. If you’re lucky, she might even be willing to use her mouth too.” She held her fingers up and used air quotes as she said the word mouth.
“Don’t make threats you don’t have any intention of carrying out.” He glanced over at her. His lips twitched into a smug smile. He had her going, and exactly where he wanted her. “We both know you’d never let anyone else near me.”
“You keep on believing that,” she replied with sarcasm. “You’ll see how much that theory holds up.”
Damn, she was cheeky, but he bloody well adored her. “Oh, it’ll hold up, down, and in every position we find ourselves.”
She would murder him if he kept this up. They’d be back at Weston Manor shortly and they’d not be stuck in a car together. No telling what she’d do when they arrived. If the little glances she kept throwing at him gave him any indication it wouldn’t be good. Nope, it would be an all out war, and he couldn’t wait to start it.
“What game are you playing?” she asked. “You’re the most confusing man I’ve ever met.”
“And you’re not?” He paused, and rephrased, “Confusing that is.” She most definitely wasn’t male.
He pulled his car along the drive to Weston Manor and parked by the front entrance. It was time for a reckoning. She’d been steaming mad before they left; now she was past the boiling point. Was it wrong he was excited. Bradford exited the car and slowly sauntered inside. They had plenty of time to continue sharing barbs with each other. When he stepped inside, he stopped short when he realized Regina hadn’t advanced any further than the foyer. He was surprised to see her standing stock still. Why wasn’t she moving? He turned his head and there is brother stood a few feet in front of him.
“It’s about damn time you found your way home,” Trenton said. “I’ve been waiting all night for you.”
“What are you doing here?” Regina asked. “Have you found her?”
Bradford tilted his head and studied them both. She was shocked to see him at Weston Manor. They didn’t seem to be on the same wavelength at all. They were both staring at each other like two people out of place, and no direction to speak of. Regina didn’t seem to be happy to see Trenton, and neither did the feeling appear to be reciprocated. What was going on between them? Was there more to the story that Regina hadn’t bothered to tell him? Hell, it wasn’t as if she’d been overly forthcoming with details. He didn’t know a damn thing except they were divorced and Trenton was searching for Genevieve.
Trenton glanced at Regina and shook his head. “No, but I think the answers are here.”
“Really?” She frowned. “I think you may be wasting your time.”
Everything they said went completely around him. Regina appeared to be aware of what Trenton was looking for though. Was this about his search for Genevieve? If so, he had to agree with her. There were no clues to her whereabouts at Weston Manor. Their reserved manner with each other bothered him, and he didn’t understand why. It should make him feel better. This had to mean there was no chance of a reconciliation. Maybe it was because she hadn’t bothered to mention they’d ended their marriage until the day before. Bradford was sick of being the one without a clue.
“Why don’t you two tell me what the hell is going on?”
Trenton turned toward Bradford. “It’s a long story. Why don’t we go sit down and discuss this in comfort?”
“No,” Bradford said mulishly. “I want answers now.”
He didn’t like the camaraderie between Regina and Trenton. Yes, he fully realized they’d been married, but he hated seeing her even remotely close to anyone. He’d started to think of her as his, and none of this exchange sat well inside his gut. It churned and twisted, sickening him with each glance they shared.
“Well, you two can continue this conversation amongst yourselves. I’ve spent way too much time already with him.” Regina pointed at Bradford and rolled her eyes. “He’s all yours Trent, good luck.”
“Where are you going?” Bradford demanded. “I’m not done talking to you.”
“Too bad, because I’m beyond done with you.” She stomped away and headed up the stairs.
Trenton glanced toward Regina and back to Bradford. “What’s Gina doing here anyway? I thought she was still in New York.”
Bradford shook his head and said, “I need a drink.”
He brushed past Trenton and headed toward his study, not once checking to see if his brother followed. None of this made a lick of sense. Regina had turned him into a raving lunatic, and his brother was being a mysterious oaf.
“When did you start drinking in the middle of the day?”
“Oh, about the time your wife showed up on my doorstop demanding to negotiate the contract with her father’s company, and being allowed to search for clues on her lost sister.”
“She’s not my wife.” There was no emotion evident in his voice and his face was expressionless.
Trenton imparted the statement as if he was delivering a set of facts that should have been obvious to the world. It wasn’t as if Bradford said the world was flat, and not round. If he’d bothered to tell Bradford what was going on in his life he’d have known things had fallen apart with him and Regina. There was one thing he could cling to.
Regina hadn’t lied. Relief flooded through him. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath waiting for Trenton to verify what she’d said. Yes, he’d grabbed a hold of the idea of their separation with both hands and clung to it as a beacon of hope, but he also hadn’t fully believed her. He wanted to, but he couldn’t risk it.
“Yeah, she may have mentioned that.” He poured brandy into two crystal goblets and handed one to Trenton. “Why’d you get divorced?”
Trenton took the glass and sipped the amber liquid. “Annulment actually—we realized we made a mistake early on. I never fully got over Genevieve, and I wanted to come back to England to search for her.”
“I see.” And he did as everything clicked into place. Of course Trenton would be searching for the love of his life. Regina couldn’t have been happy to realize she came in second place. Bradford understood that well, as he now was firmly in that place next to his step-brother. She’d married him, and that meant she must have loved him, perhaps still did. Bradford wouldn’t measure up to that, so why should he even try? He swallowed all the brandy in his glass and poured another one. Why not get completely drunk—no reason to stay sober.
“We care about each other a great deal, but neither on
e of us are each other’s true love.”
What the hell was he blabbering on about now? “No, I could’ve told you that. Genevieve was your everything; although, I’d hoped you moved on. There is no indication she can be found or is even still alive.”
Could Regina let go and love someone else? She already said she didn’t like him. What could he do to change her mind? There had to be something. He almost snorted at the absurdity of his thought process. Their journey from Seabrook hadn’t endeared him to her. He’d been a bloody arse.
“I’ve been looking into it for months now. I honestly believe the answer is here. I’ve been working with a professor at Oxford. We’ve gone through every clue and the last set indicated there might be something here at Weston Manor that would indicate what happened to her. It might be a long shot, but I have to follow every lead.”
Bradford didn’t understand it, and maybe he didn’t want to. It might even be wrong to encourage Trenton to continue his search, but he couldn’t do that to his brother. If he wanted to find out what happened to Genevieve, Bradford wouldn’t stand in his way. How could he? He wouldn’t stop searching if the woman he loved disappeared. Nothing and no one would stop him from searching for her.
“Well, you’re welcome to look, but I don’t see how there would be anything here for you to find. I’ve had a long day and night, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to retire to my chambers.”
Bradford turned to walk out of the study and leave Trenton to his searching. Pain was shooting though his chest, and he didn’t quit understand why. He rubbed his hand over it trying to ease the constant ache.
“She loves you.”
“Pardon me?” Bradford turned toward him.
“I didn’t miss the way you were looking at her.” He smiled. “I know why you’re so irritated. You think she’s emotionally unavailable, and I’m telling you, you’re wrong. Regina never loved me. Oh, she cares, and probably always will, but she didn’t fight too hard for our marriage. She accepted the end quite amicably. I think she always loved you, but thought she had to honor her commitment to me.”
