Winning the Duke

by Jenn Langston

  Once they both settled in the carriage, Braiden leaned back in the seat and sighed. His eyes were closed. She wanted to reach out to him and remove his pain, but she couldn’t be sure he would welcome her at the moment. Had she done something wrong?

  “The wedding was lovely,” Grace commented, uncomfortable with the silence.

  His eyes opened, but his face held no emotion. “Yes.”

  She couldn’t take it. “Do you regret marrying me already? One would have thought you could make it through the first day.”

  “How could I regret something that provides such a benefit to me?”

  “Then why are you upset?” Her voice caught.

  “Oh, Grace.” He moved across the carriage to sit beside her. “Don’t be troubled. I just have a lot of things going through my mind right now.”

  She forced herself to smile as he wrapped his arms around her. In his embrace, she’d always felt safe. Whatever was wrong with him, she had no doubt he would work through it.

  Her thoughts moved to what would happen between them tonight. Embarrassment heated her cheeks. She couldn’t imagine allowing him to do the things her aunts described, or facing him afterwards. However, to get a child, she would suffer almost anything.

  At Everett house, Braiden helped her exit the carriage. His face didn’t give his emotions away as they went inside or during the presentation of the staff. So focused on him, she couldn’t manage to retain one name or position listed to her.

  “Your Grace.” The housekeeper gave her a deep curtsy. “Please allow me to show you to your chambers.”

  “No.” Braiden took Grace’s arm. “I’ll show her. You can send a maid to her once Her Grace has had a chance to settle.”

  The housekeeper nodded, then dispersed the gathered staff.

  “Shall we?” Braiden asked.

  Nodding, Grace kept her mouth closed as she couldn’t be certain what she would say. Did he want to join her in bed now? Her pulse jumped as she swallowed several times. Nearing the door, her nerves escalated. She simply needed to keep in control. This was Braiden, after all.

  The room he led her into smelled of fresh carpets and paint. The idea he had redecorated the room for her brought moisture to her eyes. The rose pattern and fresh flowers suited her perfectly. He’d thought of everything.

  “Oh, Braiden. It’s lovely.” When she turned to face him, she noticed he had barely come inside the room.

  “I’m glad you like it.” He pointed to a door to her left. “That leads to my chambers, but it remains locked. Your other rooms can be found to your right.”

  His lackluster tone sounded as if he were a butler, not her husband. And why would the door between them remain locked? She wanted to ask him, but he made a move to go.

  “You are leaving?”

  He nodded while a muscle in his jaw ticked.

  “Why? You can stay. I don’t mind.” She rubbed her arms, not wanting to be alone.

  “You need time to accustom yourself, and I . . . I have matters I must attend to.”

  Fear snaked up her spine. Why did he want to leave? He had lied to her in the carriage. He did regret their marriage. Fighting tears, she held herself completely still.

  “Can I have my kiss first?”

  “Grace—”

  “You promised. As my husband, my kisses belong to you now. You may take them as you please.”

  His shoulders sagged as if defeated. Then his body reluctantly moved toward her. This was much worse of an evening then she imagined. Her aunt had complained how her husband couldn’t even make it upstairs before demanding she perform her wifely duties. However, Grace would have preferred that to this.

  When he reached her, she put her hand on his chest to stop him. “I think I’ve changed my mind.”

  “Are you scared?” His dark eyes watched her intently, and she felt the rapid movement of his chest under her fingertips.

  “No.”

  “You should be. Do you have any idea what could happen right now?” With his hand he cupped her face and ran his thumb across her lips. “What should happen?”

  “Braiden,” she breathed, leaning into his touch.

  “Tell me you want me. That you want me to kiss you right now.”

  “I want you. Please kiss me.”

  Lifting his other hand, he drew her face up to his, then crushed her lips. Without preamble, he pressed his tongue into her mouth and molded his body to hers. She clutched his shoulders for support.

  Desire pulsed through her while his hands ran over her body, as if he had to touch every inch. Shaking in need, she slipped her hands down his chest and under his coat. Desperation clawed at her as she learned the contours of his body.

  His hands met at her back, and the fabric of her dress loosened. When his seeking lips moved down her face to her neck, she gulped in air. This was what she wanted. What she needed.

  “Tell me you lied. You don’t want me,” he whispered against her neck, then pulled back to face her. “Tell me to leave.”

  Before she could respond, he took her mouth again, even more feverishly. Reveling in his urgency, she slid his coat from his shoulders. His arms left her to discard the garment, then he pulled her tight against him and backed her up until her knees hit the bed.

  She knew what would happen next, and she was ready for it. Craved it even. What would it feel like to have his naked flesh against hers? She shivered.

  Braiden moved back and looked at her, his eyes black with passion. Pressing his forehead against hers, he drew in deep breaths.

  “Tell me to leave,” he pleaded, but his hands only tightened on her.

  “Why?”

  He rubbed his cheek along her face as his fingers continued unfastening her dress.

  A knock on the door had him jumping a foot away from her. His eyes were wide with fright as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. He backed away from her.

  “I’m sorry, Grace,” he said. “Good night.”

  Then he threw open the door and brushed past the stunned maid. What had she done wrong? From his parting words, she suspected he didn’t intend to return tonight.

  She sat down on the bed in her half-buttoned dress and stared down at his discarded coat. This was by far the worst wedding night she could have envisioned. Tomorrow she had every intention of discovering why.

  The bright sunlight in the dining room stabbed into Braiden’s head like a dagger. Honestly, he preferred the blade to the hangover and shame for last night. Especially since no matter how many glasses of alcohol he had downed, the feeling of Grace’s body pressed against him never diminished. Even now he throbbed while thinking about her.

  Thankfully locking himself in his study last night, and not sleeping, kept him from rushing upstairs and sinking himself into his wife’s willing body. This morning, however, his head held him back.

  He groaned. Why had he done this? At the time marrying Grace seemed to be the answer to his problem—he wanted her for himself, and now he had her. But what did he do now?

  The plan to make her happy and smitten with him before subjecting her to his cringe-worthy lovemaking seemed an impossible feat. Having her in the room beside his would be torture. Luckily he had the foresight to lock the door and hide the key in her chambers.

  “Good morning, Your Grace,” his new wife greeted in a voice that sounded much louder than normal. “I hope you slept well.”

  “Very,” he grumbled as she collected a plate covered with fruit from the sidebar.

  “The bed was very comfortable,” she continued on in the unnecessarily boisterous voice. “I must say I quite enjoyed it.”

  The idea of Grace enjoying the bed had him gripping the edge of the table. Images of her naked and alone teased him. How had she enjoyed the be
d? What had she done? He wanted to ask, but he feared he would burst.

  “You are exceptionally quiet this morning. Is this your typical fashion?”

  She sat, then dropped her plate with a thud on the table. He winced. Never had he met a noisier woman. Looking into her eyes, he noticed anger flashing in their depths. He couldn’t deal with this right now, particularly not when she spoke at such a high volume.

  “I just have to know,” she said after finishing swallowing a grape. “Did you send them to warn me, or could they smell the brandy stink on you from their quarters?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Your housekeeper, Mrs. Garland, I believe, told me that I’d best keep quiet this morning.”

  His mouth dropped open. Over the years his staff had always been sympathetic to his needs, but he hadn’t expected them to coach the duchess. Nor could he believe she completely ignored them.

  “So you decided to be loud instead?”

  “Why not? Why should I or your staff suffer when it was your decision to drown in a bottle?”

  Staring at the beautiful glory of her passionate anger, Braiden wondered what he’d gotten himself into. She exuded the qualities of the perfect bedmate, and he couldn’t touch her. Never in his life had he thought about sex so much. What had she done to him?

  “You shouldn’t, which is why I didn’t send anyone to speak a word of it to you, nor have I asked you to modulate your voice. However, considering my less than stellar state this morning, could you simply tell me why you are angry?”

  She stared at him with narrowed eyes, then put her fork down and crossed her arms over her chest. “I want answers—”

  He stopped her with his raised hand, and then snapped his fingers twice. Not a second later, Lewis shut the door. He had established the routine after Tabitha had decided to humiliate him in front of the servants.

  “Now you may continue.”

  “How did you know he was there?” Grace looked impressed.

  “He always is. Now ask me your question.”

  Leaning back in her chair, she pressed her mouth to one side. “Why did you run from my room like a frightened child last night? Was it something I did?”

  He sighed, not surprised by her question. “No. I left for the same reason I asked you for more time when I proposed.”

  “You wished to delay having a child so soon after marriage, I understand that, but that doesn’t mean you can’t share my bed.”

  An inability to control his shock made him lower his chin. Had her mother not explained how a child was conceived? This would be more difficult than he expected. After all, he had no intention of being the one to explain it.

  “The two go together.”

  “No they don’t, at least not every time. Otherwise every married woman would be with child, and some unmarried ones as well. Brianna and Richard used to sneak off together all the time when they thought no one was around, yet they only have one child and one on the way.”

  “They still do,” Braiden remarked, remembering how he almost walked up upon one such moment in the garden.

  Pink tinted Grace’s cheeks. She may try to talk like she understood it all, but her innocence literally shone on her face. He would enjoy showing her what it was all about. But she would not. The thought cooled his ardor.

  “You see my point then,” she pressed.

  “I do. However, one never knows when a child will result.”

  “Braiden—”

  “Grace, please. In this, you must accept my word. I have more experience in these matters.”

  She took a deep breath and then lowered her head in acceptance. He fell back against his chair as relief washed through his body. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as difficult as he thought. Grace’s understanding nature made all the difference.

  “I will agree, but I have some conditions of my own. First, I expect a kiss every night before bed. And second, you must answer any questions I have. That way, when the time comes, I will be fully knowledgeable.”

  And that quickly, he was back in hell.

  Chapter 11

  Tracing the stripes on her dress, Grace listened with half an ear to Rebecca who described in detail everyone at the ball she attended last night. Her friend meant well, as Grace and Braiden hadn’t gone out in Society yet, but the monologue was unnecessary.

  “Is there something troubling you?” Rebecca asked.

  Grace’s head shot up. “No. Nothing. I’m sorry. I missed your last comment.”

  “I said the Earl of Dunmore has returned to London.”

  “Truly?” This was news. The man had been married four times with all his young wives turning up dead. “Is he here to find another wife?”

  “That’s what I’ve heard. My mother said this is the first time he’s come to London for a bride. In the past he’s married a lady who lives around his estate. Perhaps he hopes his reputation hasn’t traveled this far.”

  With a laugh, Grace shook her head. “That sort of thing tends to follow you around. Regardless, you must watch yourself. Any unmarried lady is at risk.”

  Rebecca rolled her eyes. “All his wives were young debutantes. I’m perfectly safe from him or any man for that matter.”

  Unable to see any regret or disappointment in her friend’s face, Grace didn’t comment. After all, if Rebecca was content, Grace was happy for her. Biting her lip, Grace wished she experienced the same state in her marriage.

  “Grace, are you feeling all right?”

  The need to unburden herself overwhelmed her. But how could she explain the complicated situation to someone who remained untouched, someone just like herself? Regardless, Grace couldn’t keep it to herself. She needed help.

  “I’m well, just frustrated with the duke.”

  Concern knitted Rebecca’s brows. “What has he done? Although unhappiness clings to him, I’ve always thought he held a kind heart.”

  “He does. That is not the trouble. My husband is simply not ready to produce any heirs.”

  “Don’t fret. You will have a child one day. It may not be as soon as you hoped, but it will happen.”

  “That isn’t what I mean. He refuses to touch me until then.”

  Rebecca remained silent.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m just tired of keeping it to myself, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

  “His decision is slightly unorthodox. Have you done anything to change his mind?”

  Dropping her head to the back of the chair, Grace let out a long breath. “That’s part of the problem. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Well, having two younger brothers who have no thoughts on what not to say in the presence of a lady, I’ve heard a thing or two. First, do you want to remain married? If you haven’t consummated the marriage, you can have it annulled. It will raise a scandal, but that’s nothing if you’re unhappy.”

  “I love him, so that’s not an option.”

  “Then you must seduce him.”

  Grace listened to Rebecca’s every word and began to form a plan in her head. None of it would be easy, but she would do whatever she could to remove this void growing between her and Braiden.

  At first she thought she could accept his request and move forward, but his constant presence and worthless chaste kisses were driving her mad. He’d begun pulling away from her. Before long she suspected he would return to disappearing all evening as Mrs. Garland told her he’d done in the past.

  After dinner that night, Grace had a wonderful idea on how to start her seduction. The crackling of the fireplace even provided a nice ambience to the room.

  “Is Lewis out there listening?” she asked as she set her sewing aside.

  Braiden’s eyes met hers, alarm reflecting
on his face. When he snapped twice, the door was shut.

  “Not anymore. What is this about?”

  “Remember when I agreed to wait before we had a child?”

  “Yes.” He drew out the word as if needing time before hearing what she had to say.

  “You promised to answer questions. I’ve been hesitant to ask before, but I’d like to now.” She wrung her hands, wondering if she could go through with this. Rebecca had said men love to talk about this sort of thing.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. His reluctance was so noticeable it became like another occupant in the room.

  “I did promise, but it would be better not to talk about it. When the time is right, I’ll show you.”

  “If you must show me to answer my questions, then show me now. I’m ready.” She spread her arms open.

  His eyes bulged. “No,” he choked out. “Ask your question.”

  Deciding it was best not to think about it, she fixed her gaze over his head and opened her mouth. “What does it feel like?”

  Braiden jumped out of his chair and began pacing. “My God, Grace, how am I supposed to answer that?”

  “With honesty. You have lain with a woman before. You should know what it feels like.”

  “I don’t want to answer that.”

  “Why not?” She got to her feet and put herself in front of his excessive pacing. “I thought the question to be fairly easy.”