Page 38 of The Duke and the Accidental Bride

“Wh -- what is it?” She eyed the hand excitedly, wondering if she should fight it or let it take her. What would he want her to do?

“I...” His grip on her arm tightened. His bicep flexed as he held her. His eyes worked their way over her, and she could literally see him fighting with himself.

Again, that desire to give him what he wanted. Isabella turned so that she was facing him. She licked her lips, eyes flicking down at his member which was now stiff and erect; literally throbbing as if it might explode.

All it would take was a comment, perhaps a dismissal of him. But did she want that...

“I did not dismiss you,” he growled.

“Is that a problem?”

He grimaced and his grip tightened. His eyes flashed. She could feel the arousal taking him, the desire building, that uncontrollable force that he had spoken of threatening to take over.

It was then that Isabella decided she wanted it. All this wondering. All this denying. All this building up so that she was now shaking with anticipation! Dammit, she wanted it all.

She wanted the beast.

“I...” He stepped in closer. His naked body almost touched her. She could feel the heat coming from him and she focused on his lips which came closer and closer. “You promised that you would behave.”

“And you promised that you would control yourself,” she shot back with venom.

He groaned as his hand moved up behind her head as if he meant to snatch a handful. But he resisted doing so… barely. He licked his lips, his eyes flashed, and his eyes trained themselves on her neck like a ravage beast rearing for its first bite.

“No.” He released her suddenly and stumbled back. “You are right.”

“Wh -- what?” she gaped.

“I am the one who needs to learn control. I am...” He looked away. “I am sorry.”

She stared at him stupidly. Wanting to cry out and tell him that he was wrong. That she was wrong! Only the words would not come because she had no idea what to say.

The Duke turned around and went back to his bath, keeping his back purposefully on her. And when he climbed back in the tub, his eyes were closed, and he leaned his head back as if he was falling asleep.

“Send Jared back in when you leave, thank you,” he said as if he was speaking to the room. “That will be all.”

Isabella stumbled back, her mind unclouding with the fog of arousal, her good senses coming back to her like a wave slapping her in the face. Realizing what had just nearly happened, feeling as embarrassed as she did ashamed, she spun about, lurched for the door, and threw herself through it.

She ran for her room, all the while trying to strike what had happened in that room from her mind as if it had never occurred. She had won a great victory. The Duke would not try and seduce her. After what he had just done, he might very well try and avoid her. What could be better?

It was only once she was in her room, on her bed, heart rate slowing and breathing returning to normal, that the more obvious thought popped up and then refused to leave:in what possible way could that have been considered a victory?

Chapter Thirteen

Duncan did not sleep very well that night.

He tossed and he turned as his thoughts drifted to and stayed on his wife, Isabella. They’d been alone in the washroom. A tension had built between them. And Duncan had very nearly broken and taken his wife then and there.

Lying in bed, unable to sleep, even hours later he still could not decide if he had done the right thing or not.

What was more, it had seemed like, for a moment there, that Isabella hadwantedhim to take her. As if she had known what she was doing and what the result would be if she didn’t stop him.

He had hoped earlier today that she might have been eager for what he wanted to do to her. Now, he was veering toward certain. The idea of that frightened him almost as much.

But she had told him that she did not want him. She had been emphatic about it. For the best, Duncan decided. And to better ensure that this demand was kept, he would do everything he could to avoid upsetting his wife.

It was late into the night when Duncan finally began to drift off to sleep. Needless to say, he got few hours in, made to be even less when he was awoken early the following morning by the sounds of women screaming.

“Wh --” Duncan sat up with a start. He looked about the room in confusion, taking a moment to understand what was going on.

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