Page 41 of Stranded with His Runaway Bride

She blinked at him and hopped down from the desk, putting some space between them. She was far too interested in what those consequences might be and that was dangerous.

The room was empty as his father’s heart had been. The only decoration left on the walls was a small canvas in a heavy gilt frame, of a young woman wearing a green brocade gown and a determined expression.

Violetta looked closer. Here was a nice neutral thing to discuss. Nothing at all tempting about fixtures and fittings.

‘Who is this?’

‘That’s Elisabetha. At least how an artist in the sixteenth century imagined she may have looked.’

Elisabetha again. ‘Whowasshe?’

‘She saved Grimentz and its prince from destruction.’

‘That’s some feat. How did she achieve that?’

‘Her father coveted Grimentz. He was more powerful, had a bigger army. He marched on the castle and lay siege to it, demanding the prince surrender. The Wolf of Grimentz refused.’

Violetta could hardly believe it. ‘One of your forebears was called the Wolf?’

‘He’d been badly disfigured in a fire as a child and he’d grown up to be fierce and guarded. Where he could he avoided company, and particularly that of women.’

Could those traits be hereditary? she wondered. ‘Our lonely wolf was unmarried, then.’

‘Correct. But the rival king had a daughter—’

She clapped her hands together. ‘Oh, there was a romance?’

He made a face. ‘No. Elisabetha simply wanted to prevent all the bloodshed. One night she crept through her father’s encampment, stole a horse and rode to Grimentz castle, begging admittance. The next morning when her father came again to demand the prince surrender, the Wolf stood on the battlements. With his new wife—’

‘Elisabetha.’ She’d taken destiny into her own hands. I knew there was a reason I liked wearing her tiara so much.’

‘You know it wasn’t actually hers? It’s a much more recent piece.’

‘Oh, don’t spoil it for me.’ She studied the portrait with a new respect. ‘Saving the whole of Grimentz? That’s quite an act to follow. No wonder my sister ran away.’

She shot Leo a glance. ‘That was insensitive of me. Especially as she ran away from you here.’

‘And back I had to come when you decided it was the perfect bolt-hole. I seem cursed by the place.’

‘Perhaps Elisabetha is trying to tell you something?’

He snorted. ‘To stay away from Della Torre women?’

‘Or that you should reopen the chateau. It’s a lovely old house and it deserves to be used again.’

‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ he said, watching her with hooded blue eyes.

A wolf, she thought on a sudden lick of heat. They conjured all manner of forbidden things.

Like the tearing of clothes and fingers allowed to roam at will over naked skin.

Like being pushed back and flattened to this very desk by his big, hard body.

Her gaze slid back to his mouth and lingered there. She licked her lips. If she took a step closer, she’d be close enough to press her mouth to his. Her tempting wolf. One step.

She mustn’t.

But the decision was made for her. He leant in, slid a hand to the back of her neck and drew her close.

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