Page 20 of The Earl's Scarred Bride

"Fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I want to make changes. I need to do this, Cecil."

Cecil regarded her for a moment, his expression inscrutable. Then, slowly, a smile curved his lips. "Very well. You can make your changes. But on one condition."

Elizabeth's heart pounded in her chest. "And what might that be?"

Cecil stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "You give me something in return."

Elizabeth's breath hitched, her mind racing with possibilities. She didn't truly care for the room, but the principle of it, the need to assert her presence in this manor, drove her to agree. "Alright," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "What do you want?"

Cecil's gaze slithered over Elizabeth, his eyes burning with a raw hunger that made her skin prickle. He raked his gaze over the curve of her neck, the swell of her breasts, and she could practically hear him growling like a beast stalking its prey. The flickering candlelight caressed her body, casting long, dark shadows that only served to fan the flames of his desire.

"You have no clue what you do to me," he rasped, his voice low and dangerous. "How much I want to tear your clothes off and make you senseless right here and now."

Elizabeth's pulse quickened, and she fought the urge to squirm under his intense scrutiny. She knew she should put some distance between them before things got out of hand, but her traitorous body betrayed her, rooting her to the spot like a deer caught in headlights.

Cecil prowled around her, moving with a grace that belied his size and strength. "Every time I see you," he said, his voice barelymore than a whisper, "all I can think about is bending you over that desk and sinking deep inside you."

His fingers traced a path along the nape of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. Goosebumps rose on her arms, and she clenched her fists to keep from grabbing onto him.

"Cecil..." She tried to make her voice sound firm, authoritative, but it came out as a breathy plea instead. She knew she should tell him to back off, but the words died on her lips as his fingers tightened in her hair.

He leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear. "Tell me to stop," he dared her, his tone confident, domineering. "Tell me you don't want to feel my hands all over you. My mouth on your skin.."

Her breath hitched at his crude words, and she bit her lip to stifle a moan. She knew she should be outraged by his presumption, but all she could think about was how badly she wanted him to do exactly what he'd just described.

His hand slid down her back, stopping at the curve of her waist. His touch was possessive, demanding, and she couldn't help but arch her back, pressing herself against him.

Before she could say anything, his mouth claimed hers in a bruising kiss. She gasped in surprise, and he took advantage of her parted lips, thrusting his tongue inside to explore the warmth of her mouth. His kiss was rough and unapologetic, andshe could feel the barely restrained power in his muscles as he held her against him.

Elizabeth's hands clung to his shoulders, her fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt as if trying to hold onto something solid in the midst of the whirlwind of sensation. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the kiss was over.

Cecil pulled back, his eyes dark and stormy with desire. "That was just a taste, love," he growled, his thumb brushing over her swollen lips. "I'm going to take my time with you. I'm going to explore every inch of your body, find out exactly what makes you moan, what makes you scream."

The raw, animalistic quality in his voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she knew that she was in way over her head. But even as she tried to tell herself to run, to get as far away from him as possible, her body refused to cooperate, still humming with the aftershocks of pleasure.

Cecil's lips curved into a cruel smile, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. "Oh, don't worry," he said, his voice low and deadly. "You'll be begging for more long before I'm done with you.”

Without another word, she fled the study, her heart pounding in her chest. Behind her, she heard his low laugh follow her down the corridor, a sound that both thrilled and infuriated her.

"Run all you want, wife," he called after her, his voice laced with amusement and something darker, more enticing. "But we both know you'll be back."

CHAPTER NINE

The drawing room at Stonefield Manor echoed with feminine laughter as Elizabeth watched her new sisters-in-law settle onto the settees with the easy familiarity of women who had grown up in these very rooms. The Duchess of Greyhall and Viscountess of Kensington had arrived unannounced that morning, their husbands in tow, declaring they would not be denied the chance to meet their new sister any longer.

"I cannot believe you married without us present," Madeleine, the younger of Cecil's sisters, declared for perhaps the third time since their arrival. Her pregnancy was just beginning to show beneath her fashionable morning dress. "After all the times you lectured me about propriety during my own courtship!"

"There was no courtship to speak of," Cecil replied dryly from his position by the fireplace. "And as I recall, you and Charles hardly followed convention yourselves."

Emily, the elder sister, shot her brother a wicked smile that reminded Elizabeth startlingly of Cecil's own. "Speaking of unconventional behavior, shall we tell Elizabeth about the time you climbed onto the roof to rescue that mangy cat, only to need rescuing yourself?"

Cecil's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, but I would, dear brother." Emily turned to Elizabeth, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "He was twelve, you see, and absolutely determined to prove he could do anything. The poor creature had been stuck up there for days, and Cecil decided he would be its savior."

"Emily," Cecil's warning tone only seemed to encourage his sister.

"He made it onto the roof easily enough," Madeleine chimed in, clearly delighting in her brother's growing discomfort. "But then his breeches caught on a loose tile. When he tried to free himself, he lost his balance and?—"

---