Page 50 of The Duke and the Temporary Bride

“I thought we agreed to be civil!” he shouted. “I thought we were doing this to avoid… to avoid incidents like this one! Friends? Is that not what you wanted? Do you even know what you want?!”

Slowly, Selina stood up. But still, she said nothing.

She was drenched from head to toe. Her white chemise stuck to her curvaceous body, showing off curves that should have had Benedict gawking. And he might have done so too had he not had so much to say. Had he not wished for her to say the same things back.

For days now they had been friendly, knowing that if they descended into fighting, the worst would happen. Or the best, considering what the ‘worst’ consisted of. Benedict was not shouting at Selina because he wished for a repeat of the last time. Not at all.

It was frustration that did it.

What does she want?

But still, Selina did not speak. She did not cower. She did not look upset or angry or scared. She looked at him plainly, her big dark eyes assessing him as if she was bored. Head tilted. Lips pressed together. No sense at all that his words were affecting her.

“Well!” Benedict prompted, wishing to grab her by the arm. “You have nothing to say?” He raised both eyebrows at her. “Say something, won’t you!”

“Are you finished?” she asked calmly.

He opened his mouth to shout but then caught his tongue. “What?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you finished?”

“I have not even gotten started yet!” he hissed.

He had tried to contain his anger, but he was past that now. He wanted the anger. He wanted her to return it. He wanted… he wanted… he wanted her.

Selina, it seemed, had other ideas.

“I appreciate that you are angry.”

“That does not begin to describe?—”

“But now is not the time,” she cut him off. “Be angry. Be furious, for all I care. But can it wait until we are home?”

“Until we are home?!”

She gestured to her soaked dress. “I am wet. I am cold. I am in no state to argue with you right now. I am sorry for what I did, and when I am in a better state, please let me know the mistake that I made here today.”

“A mistake? That does not even begin to cover?—”

“Later,” she warned him, still keeping her temper. “I am not going anywhere. And if I know you, neither is that temper.”

Her sense of calm only infuriated him further. While ordinarily, it was her hot temper that lured him, now it was her disinterest and cool head that had his body shaking and his desire to yank her to him reaching new heights.

Was this a ploy? Did she think that if they waited, he might calm down and they could speak about this civilly? Asfriends?If so, she had vastly underestimated just how upset he was.

“Later?” he growled.

“If it is acceptable.”

“Fine,” he snarled. “When we are home. But do not think I will forget this.”

She smirked. “Benedict, I would be shocked if you did.”

We can never be friends. Funny that it has taken me this long to realize it.

They rode in silence, side by side, saying nothing as they slowly steered their horses back in the direction of the manor. Selina could feel the steam rising off her husband as they rode. She had never felt such anger from him before.

When he had started berating her just now, her first instinct was to rebuke him the only way she knew how. To fight fire with fire, as it was. But as he shouted, as he screamed, she was able to see past the verbal assault in a way that she had not before. Finally, she was able to understand her husband more deeply than even he understood himself.

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