Page 47 of A Bride for the Rakish Duke

She smiled in a way that would have made a weaker man fall to his knees, begging for a morsel of her. “You must give me whatever I want. Whatever I ask for. You cannot refuse me.”

“And what would you ask for, kitten?”

He took a step closer, already imagining the multitude of life-altering, earth-shattering things he wanted to show her. Indeed, when he was done, she would not have the strength or inclination left to ask for anything at all, for she would have known paradise already. And what could be greater than that?

She shook her head and tapped the side of her nose. “That is for me to know, and you to decide if you want to find out.”

“A little sly, do you not think?”

“Not at all. I am merely following your lead. You would not tell me what the consequences of breaking your rules would be, so either we are both sly, or neither of us is,” she replied without hesitation, too sharp for her own good.

Yet, there was something in her demeanor that gave William pause. A nervousness bubbling beneath the temptress façade, her eyes too bright, her invitation almost too eager. Was she afraid that he might say yes, and tonight would be their delayed wedding night? Or was she anxious that he might say no? The former he could understand, but the latter made him uneasy in a way he could not explain.

I suppose there is only one way to find out.

“As tempting as your offer is, I would be a foolish man if I were to agree to give you anything you wanted,” he said, smiling. “Alas, the prize is simply not worth the risk, especially not when the reward is but a few weeks away, anyway.”

Her eyes narrowed, and he thought he saw a bristle of something akin to disappointment. “Very well,” she said stiffly. “Then goodnight to you.”

“I cannot leave now,” he replied, still savoring the sight of her in that bronzed firelight. “Clearly, I have angered you, and I should like to know why.”

It was like watching an actor shed their costume and become another character entirely. Lydia relaxed her shoulders, tilted her hip out, rested her hand on that curve, and flashed a winning smile in his direction. All semblance of her former disappointment had vanished in an instant, her eyes no longer anxious but shining with mirth.

“Angry? What reason would I have to be angry when you have just given me the most fortunate news?” she asked, laughter bright in her voice.

He raised an eyebrow. “And what news would that be?”

“That I shall be able to sleep undisturbed, and that I shall not have to lie in that bed andpretendto enjoy something. Now, all I needyouto do is leave,” she replied, appalling him to his very core.

In all the years he had been a rake, no woman had ever had topretendto enjoy something. The notion nearly rocked the entire foundation of who he was as he found himself thinking back to the night before, wondering if she had been pretending then. Had she called out his name because she had not been able to help it or because she thought it was what he wanted to hear?

Ridiculous.

He shook off the doubt, for he was fairly certain he would know if a woman was feigning pleasure.

She was wounded because he had said she was not worth breaking the rule for, so she had sought to strike him where she thought it would hurt him in return. And it had almost worked, too.

She is a crafty thing. Far craftier than I have given her credit for.

It should have cooled his desire for her, but it did not. If anything, it made him want to sit her down in the armchair and put his head between those delicious thighs of hers, so he could feel her shake and tremble as he savored her. Her conclusion would not lie, and they would both know she was not feigning anything.

But not tonight. Making her wait would be her punishment for thinking she could use his tricks against him and win.

He bowed his head. “Rest well, wife of mine.” He gazed through his lashes at her. “Do not dream too wildly of me, for I would not want your cries of bliss to disturbmyslumber.”

With that, he opened the adjoining door and returned to his chambers, stepping out of that golden realm and into dull, solitary darkness. It truly was like walking between worlds while temptation continued to claw and scratch at the portal in the middle, demanding his attention. Every sound from beyond had him straining his ears, trying to figure out what she was doing.

As he shed his housecoat and climbed back into bed, hearing the turn of the key in the lock, he knew that he would be just as restless that night.

Not merely because he could not have her or touch her or show her the true breadth of his talents or even say “goodnight” and ensure she was properly tucked into bed, but because a nagging question sat like a barb at the back of his mind.

What is the ‘anything’ you would ask for if I broke first?

And now that she seemed determined to remain in his presence, firing him up like the world’s most gifted seductress, how long could his willpower truly hold out?

CHAPTER 19

Having returned from another productive meeting withthe Cruel Duke, William was walking down the townhouse’s long entrance hall to reach his study when he spotted Anthony through the partially open door of the dining room.

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