Page 16 of The Duke and the Unwanted Bride

Her eyes went wide, and she felt her cheeks flush. “I would have pushed you away. And then told my father that you attacked me.”

“Ha. If you say so. But you need not worry,” he continued, folding his hands behind his back. “I am aware that you have no desire to marry me, Lady Hannah. You have made that perfectly clear.”

“How very perceptive of you.”

“And if it makes you feel any better, I am not exactly thrilled to be marrying you either.”

She blinked at that, not sure whether to be happy or insulted. “What does that mean?”

“This marriage, like the one intended with Miss Gouldsmith, is solely for convenience. In our circles, certain things are expected, marriage being one of them. So, although we shall marry—and yes,” he added with emphasis, making sure to look her in the eye, “this marriage is going ahead, do not worry yourself with expectations.”

“Expectations…” She frowned at the wording, for it felt like a dismissal—water being thrown over a fire.

“I will not touch you,” he clarified. “I will not force myself on you. We may be man and wife in name, but that is where it ends.”

“R-really?”

“Yes.” He laughed, likely at the surprise on her face. “And to hammer home the point, let us go one step further. Once we are wed, I hardly expect the two of us to see or speak to one another. Surely, that is something that you can appreciate? With me being the scoundrel that I am.”

“Well, that is…” The words left her before they came, as she had no idea what to say to that most bizarre announcement.

Hannah did not know if she should have felt thrilled or insulted. Oh, sure, deep down she knew that this was as good an optionas she could have hoped for, seeing as this marriage was proceeding. A marriage of convenience with a man who refused to touch her. It was the best of a bad situation.

Yet, on the other hand, it felt like a slap in the face. The Duke had already seen her practically naked. He had witnessed her at her most vulnerable, even getting so close that she could still feel his lips softly grazing her own. And his grip on her waist! The way her body shook when she thought he was going to finally kiss her.

That thought alone had her heart racing, wondering what it might have been like to complete the action. Clearly, the Duke was not of the same mind.

Was he rejecting her for a specific reason? Or because he had seen her without her clothes on and didn’t desire her? And if that was the case, why did she care?

It was all very confusing, leaving Hannah standing in silence as her mind raced to come to terms with everything he had said. And most of all, most importantly, her true feelings about the man she was set to wed.

“That is enough for one night,” the Duke said suddenly.

“Excuse me?” She blinked, snapping herself back into the moment.

“It is late,” he said simply. “I am tired. And I would hate to think what might actually happen if we were seen alone together—and do not get any ideas,” he warned her.

“I wasn’t…” she said a little too softly. “I mean, I wouldn’t.”

“Good.” He walked right past her and popped the door open. “I know you might still be struggling to reckon with the turn of events today, Lady Hannah, but if all goes to plan, our marriage should be perfectly agreeable. I even dare say pleasant.”

“That is… good to know,” she muttered vaguely, not at all certain it sounded like that at all.

“Good night,” he said, resting a hand on the small of her back and guiding her out of his room. Almost shoving her. “We shall speak shortly, I am sure.”

“Yes—I mean, no!”

At the door, she suddenly came back to her senses. The Duke had taken complete control of the situation, and if she allowed it as such, it spoke volumes to what their marriage might turn into.

“Not until you give me some answers.”

He frowned at her. “Answers?”

“Yes.” She forced herself to meet his gaze. “If you expect me to just… to just go along with this marriage—if it could even be called that. I want to know, why even bother? What is the point of marriage if you are not going to… to…” Her cheeks flushed, but she held his stare. “To touch me.”

He smirked. “Is that what you want? For me to touch you?”

“What I want is to understand,” she said defiantly. “Otherwise, I will… I will… I will… not make life easy on you.”

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