Page 24 of The Duke and the Accidental Bride

Although she could not comprehend most of it, for she was still too rattled to think clearly, there was one truth that even she was forced to finally admit: she had vastly misread the Duke.

Duncan cursed himself as the carriage pulled away from Miss Gouldsmith’s home. He cursed himself!

What was I thinking! She was baiting me! I knew that she was! Yet like a horny, impetuous simpleton ruled by his manhood rather than his brains, I fell for it. Dammit, I wanted to!

He had known exactly what she was doing. From the moment he had first seen her today, wearing that dress, possessed of an air that told him that she had her mind set to one task and one task only: to upend him. She had not been subtle in her goals and for that reason, Duncan had underestimated her.

Or perhaps I have overestimated myself.

Duncan was not a naturally violent man by any means. He did not need to be. Born into a world where he almost always got what he wanted, what need was there for violence when every man living did as he was commanded without question?

And yes, he had a slight temper. But raising his voice and snapping at someone who refused to listen was generally enough to see him get his way. And besides, there was a huge difference to raising one’s voice in anger than to what had just occurred between himself and Miss Gouldsmith.

He had thought earlier to how dangerous Miss Gouldsmith was, and that belief had just been proven unequivocally.

When it came to Duncan’s sexual proclivities, he loved being told no. He loved having to turn a no into a yes. He loved disobedience which begged for reprimand – which demanded it! -- because it was a type of power-play which he was so unused to in his day-to-day life.

Consensually, of course. And that needed to be noted. What he wanted was a woman who knew how to push his buttons, who did so on purpose because she knew what was coming if she did – who enjoyed it just as much as him. That, to Duncan, was the very definition of bliss.

It had been years since he’d last had that. Over a decade ago, now. She had been a commoner, someone who had been able to look past who he was and not feel intimidated like women of thetonso often were. She had played into this perversion of his, relishing it, baiting him constantly and forcing him to punish her in ways that they both enjoyed more than words could describe.

That relationship was years ago now and its unfortunate end had broken Duncan such that he had promised to never give in to such temptations again.

Enter Miss Gouldsmith...

She had not done so on purpose, but the result was the same. The way she had denied him. The way she had cowered him. The way she had seemingly begged him to reprimand her was more than Duncan could bear! He had not wanted to lose control like that, yet she had forced his hand and was likely now terrified of him. As she should be.

She did not want to marry me before. Now, I am quite certain she would rather marry a rabid hound than dare to share my bed...

Duncan took a deep breath as he attempted to clear his mind and settle his still beating heart. If he had the choice, he would simply do as they both wanted and put an end to this engagement. But that ship had long since sailed.

Now, with this marriage going ahead, Duncan would do what was right and commit fully –What else can I do?What he wanted, what he prayed for, was for Miss Gouldsmith to have heeded his warning and to behave herself. But if she did not...

I need to learn control. No matter what she does, or what she says, I cannot allow myself to become that person again. For her safety, as well as my own.

Chapter Nine

Isabella did not sleep well that night, although that should not have come as a surprise. Hours removed from her encounter with the Duke in the back of his carriage and still her mind was as transfixed on that interaction as if it had only just occurred. And if not her mind, then her body was certainly still there.

She tried not to think about how she had felt in those moments when he had been on her. Easy to dismiss it as fear, but there was a part of Isabella which wasn’t so certain that fear quite summed up the deluge of feelings that were swirling about her even now as she lay in bed.

Her body ran hot while somehow shaking as if cold. Her skin tingled, a light pulse which trickled up her thighs and made her shift and squirm. And a deep desire to be put in the exact same situation again, to experience what it was that the Duke was suggesting he would do to her.

What is happening to me?

It was a mystery to Isabella, and one that she wasn’t so sure she wanted an answer to. As such, she forced herself to focus on what she did understand, and what she believed that she had some semblance of control over.

She had upset the Duke. She had pushed him. She had brought him close to breaking. He was being stubborn, a trait that she recognized well, but he could not hold out forever, and she was certain that if she was to keep at him in the same fashion then before this wedding happened, he would understand that he had no choice but to call on it to end. He had to!

So, that was what she decided. Isabella put aside the physical peculiarities which she did not fully understand and concentrated on the practical; what she was going to do to finally force the Duke’s hand.

It would not be pleasant. It would likely upset him further and cause him to more anger. But that was a risk she was going to have to take... a risk that she could not help but imagine the consequences of as a smile worked its way up her lips when she finally drifted off to sleep.

“... I do understand the reasoning, Your Grace, but perhaps you might consider a bigger ceremony? I had it in my mind that this would be akin to the event of the Season.” Isabella fluttered her eyebrows at the Duke.

The Duke remained stoic. “And as I have just explained, a smaller affair will serve our purpose perfectly well. I do not see much point in flaunting --”

“Flaunting?” she cut him off purposefully. “I do not know if that is the word I would use. It is more a case of demonstrating to thetonhow important this engagement is to the two of us. That this isn’t some...” She looked pointedly at him. “Marriage of convenience, but a love match. Surely, that is to be considered of import?”

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