Page 17 of My Dangerous Duke

“Why?” Xander asked calmly, staying focused. Controlled. “Is that what you think?”

“I think Eleanor wouldnevermarry a man like you willingly. You do not love anything. You cannot. You are incapable of it.”

Xander shrugged. He could not hide the truth.

“How very perceptive of you,” Xander said dryly, looking for his opening. “Now, tell me how you know my wife’s name or I will put you on the mat for yourfinaltime.”

“Easy,” Rhys chuckled, suddenly breaking out of his boxing stance and into a relaxed pose. “You are so easy to rile up. “Eleanor is a friend to my wife, Penelope.”

Taken by surprise at this, Xander did not register that Rhys had once more moved into a fighting position. He noticed too late, and as his opponent’s fist connected with his thigh, Xander let out a grunt of pain and fell to the mat.

“Cheap shot, Huxton,” Xander growled as his whole leg went to sleep.

Rhys let out a foxlike laugh as he jogged out of the ring to grab their drinks.

“That is what you get for acting ruthless with me. Unlike the others, I am not intimidated when you growl a little.”

Xander raised a defiant brow at him as the man leaned down and offered him the drink. Despite his intimidating stare, Rhys kept his eyes on him. Giving in, Xander rolled his eyes and accepted the drink.

“So seriously, how did you get her to marry you? All she talked about when she would visit was how every suitor her parents had lined up for her was not romantic enough. And you? Well, I do not think you have an ounce of romance anywhere in that bruised-up body of yours.”

Xander let out a grunt before chugging half of his drink. The man had a point.

“I do not know though,” Rhys mused, smirking, “You did get pretty rattled when I called her by her first name. You were ready to kill me. Some women can change men, you know.”

“Somemen,” Xander sighed, shaking head, “Not me. It is not love that has me in the marriage. Nor is it love that has her in it, either.”

Having no one else to unburden himself to, he began to give Rhys the details of Victor’s blackmail scheme. Rhys seemed disinterested as he listened to him but he stayed quiet until Xander was done.

“You need help,” Rhys stated.

“We both do,” Xander agreed. “I cannot love, that is true. But she- she deserves love and a real husband.”

A sliver of hurt shivered through Xander’s chest as he said the words, but he ignored them.

“You have not consummated your marriage, I presume?” Rhys asked boldly.

“Why do you think I am here on my wedding night?” He asked, feeling his gut churn with conflict.

“I know some people,” Rhys stated, pretending not to notice Xander’s inner struggle. “I can get them on this if you need. Perhaps make things go a little quicker. My wife would truly kill me if you break Eleanor’s heart, so the sooner she gets out, the better.”

“You would do that?” Xander asked, looking at Rhys suspiciously. “The Cruel Duke has gone soft after all?”

Rhys gave a nonchalant shrug as he smirked at Xander. “For a fee, of course. Everything comes with a price.”

Chapter 9

Three Days Later

“Your Grace, she just wants a moment to speak with you,” Mrs. Gaines pleaded him. “Surely, you could spare just a few minutes for your-”

“I said no, Mrs. Gaines,” Xander barked, cutting her off. “Get out.”

He scurried around his desk to find the appropriate documents, feeling like a blundering fool. Just knowing Eleanor was now residing in the house with him was distracting his every thought. Every sound he heard, every shadow he saw, he found himself looking for her.

Their last kiss had plagued his dreams every night, stealing slumber away from him. Oftentimes he would wake up after a vivid dream, chest heaving, cock painfully hard, and he wouldhave to touch himself just to relieve the pressure. Even when he did, it gave him no satisfaction and only served to feed his agitation.

“She is your wife!” Mrs. Gaines boomed suddenly, her voice reaching such a shrill pitch at the end so high that Xander winced and closed his book right away.

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