Page 65 of The Duke and the Unwanted Bride

Self-control.

Frederick tried to keep himself in check. Hehadto.

“A marriage of convenience?” she snorted. “Is that what this is?”

“It’s all it has ever been.”

“A marriage at your own convenience,” she snarled. “Not mine.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “You did not seem to mind it.”

“Ha!” Her laughter was bitter. “Oh, I am so grateful that you were finally able to touch me. So, so grateful. Why, you almost had me convinced that the sight of me didn’t disgust you.”

Frederick winced but straightened up. “And I told you, my feelings for you had nothing to do with… with that. My reasons for not touching you were my own. I simply regret that I wasn’t able to resist as I should have. And for that, I am sorry.”

“Don’t!” she spat. “Don’t you dare apologize.”

“It is the last apology you will get from me,” he shot back, loving the way she snarled at him in response. It made his blood pump through his veins “That, I promise you.”

“I don’t need your apology.”

Her body shook with anger; hands clenched by her sides, her teeth bared, her eyes ablaze. Was it wrong that Frederick found it all so darn tempting that he could hardly stand it?

“I just wish I could take it all back. Save myself the effort it took to be with you.”

His eyes flashed, and his jaw clenched. “Is that what it was? An effort?”

“A mistake,” she hissed. “It is funny in a way, that for a second I believed that—” She scoffed. “That I ignored your words and believed that this marriage could turn into more. That I might want such a thing.”

Frederick could feel it happening. For over a week now, their love making had been fueled by pure attraction and an acknowledgment of their desire to be together. No need to fight or argue to spark that passion. It was there, ready and waiting. And that was good. It was needed. But it had also been missing something.

As Hannah spat fire at him, she slowly stepped closer to him, her body shaking. Her eyes, wide and full of anger, were exactly what had made him want her so much in the beginning.

To leave now would be the smart thing. Frederick could turn around and walk away and be done with it—would likely be donewith it for good. But dammit, he was a weak, weak man. And dammit, he did not care.

“You wanted it well enough this morning,” he said with a smirk that he knew she would hate. “And last night. And yesterday morning?—”

“I thought I did,” she cut him off, taking another step toward him. “But I wanted it about as much as you did. That is to say, I forced myself to believe it. Now…” She laughed. “You could not pay me to touch you.”

“You played your role well,” he said, still smirking, as if he was somehow winning this argument. “You almost had me believing.”

“Not me…” She hesitated. Considered. And then smiled to herself with grim satisfaction. “How could I believe that of a man who could not even bring himself to finish inside me?”

Frederick balked at that. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” she hissed triumphantly. “I knew the first time we were together that this—” She gestured between them. “That this was nothing. If it was, you wouldn’t have treated me like some… some whore.”

“Is that what you want?” he snarled. “For me to finish inside you? Would that have made you happy?”

“You could not do it, even if you tried.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“A statement of fact!”

They looked at one another. Glaring daggers so hot that Frederick could feel them piercing his skin. A moment passed between them, fueled by such intensity that he almost wondered if Hannah might strike him. He growled. She sneered. Their beating hearts raged as one. And then…

And then they lunged at one another.

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