Page 35 of The Duke and the Temporary Bride

“I said…” He stormed toward her, his fists clenched by his sides. “What do you think you are doing?”

“I would have thought that was obvious.” She indicated the flute. “I am learning to play the flute. Why? What did you think I was doing?”

He came within five feet of her and then stopped, as if he forced himself to. “I know what this is. Do not think me a fool.”

“I hope that you are smart enough to see it,” she continued with as much calm as she could. “The flute in my hands is surely the giveaway.”

It had been a while since she had seen her husband angry. Long enough that she had nearly forgotten what it was like. More than that, she had nearly forgotten what the sight of his impossible rage did to her.

Perhaps this was not such a brilliant idea, after all.

He was as big as a mountain, the way he loomed over her. His scarred face had turned red, his eyes were wide and wild, and his teeth were bared in a vicious growl. He could do whatever he wanted to her and she would be powerless to stop him. Lucky then that he seemed to be doing everything he could to control his anger.

Selina felt her body flush as he stood over her. She felt her heart race and her loins tingle with memories of the last time he had manhandled her—in the carriage, and before that in the hallway in Langham Manor—growling in warning, completely dominating her in ways that titillated her.

Had that been her goal today? Selina would have said no. But then again, she had always been rather adept at lying.

“You are trying to frustrate me.”

“I am trying to practice the flute,” she countered, her voice cracking in the face of his fury. “Why? Was it too loud? I confess I did not consider that it might disturb you.”

“You are angry with me.”

She scoffed. “I am not the one shaking as if I might explode.”

His jaw clenched tighter, and her heart rate spiked. “You are trying to get back at me for refusing to join you for breakfast. Do not say otherwise.”

She met his cold stare with her hardened one. “Refusing to join me? Is that what you think happened?”

“I was busy. I do not have time to?—”

“You did not refuse,” she cut him off, taking a little too much pleasure in the way his eyes narrowed at being interrupted. “You simply did not show up after you told me you would. That is what happened.”

“You were the one who stormed into my study and demanded that I join you!”

“Ha!” She laughed, and he tensed up further. “I came to you because I was desperate. A week of being ignored and even the idea of spending time with you somehow felt preferable.”

“You know what this is,” he snarled at her. “This marriage. It was never meant to be anything more than a convenience.”

“Which is exactly what I wish for.”

“All I have done is?—”

“Whatever you please,” she scoffed, feeling another thrill upon hearing him growl. “I understand that you do not wish to be married to me, and I”—she curled her lip as she looked him over—“have no desire to be wed to you either. I suppose that I am the fool for thinking that despite our predicament, we might have been able to at least spend some time together. A most absurd notion, I know.”

“It is not that simple.”

She laughed coldly. “Clearly not. Now, if you do not mind…” She held his eyes, looking into them as if daring him to react.

Her body was running so hot that she thought she might catch fire. Trembling from feet to brow as fear besieged her. She knew if he acted as she guessed he wished to, she would not try and stop him. The only question was, would he?

Holding his stare, Selina slowly brought the flute back to her lips.

“Do not dare,” he growled.

“Just try and stop me,” she sneered as the flute touched her lips and she blew?—

He lunged at her, his large paws snatching the flute from her hands.

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