by Dawn Brower
“Please, James...”
Alys didn’t know if she was begging him to let her go or kiss her. She held her breath in anticipation. What would he do? Would he give them what they both needed? As much as he infuriated her, Alys wanted him on a deeper level. She’d never desired a man as much as she did James. Her whole body lit up with eagerness.
He skimmed his lips across her cheeks. Butterfly light as he pressed them over and over against her face, not leaving an inch uncovered. When he was done, he sought her lips in a searing kiss. Desire pooled deep inside of her. Alys wound her hands around his neck, pulling him closer, as close as they could be with a thousand layers of clothes between them. The kiss went on and on until their breaths mingled so much she didn’t know if they were his or hers.
He lifted the palm of his hand and cupped her breast. Her bodice dipped lower as he untied the ribbons in front. He reached in and used his warm fingers to pinch her nipples. Alys moaned as the tingling between her thighs began to ravage her. She clenched her legs tightly together to alleviate the ache building. The more James played with her breasts, the more she wanted to feel him sliding deep inside of her.
She had to stop him. No, she had to beg him to take her upstairs. She needed...
James took a step back. His breath came out in rapid pants. “We can’t do this here.”
Alys nodded. “You’re right.”
“You must see it could be good between us. Please, marry me, Alys.”
They were right back where they started. Why did he think he needed to marry her so damned bad. Alys didn’t follow his line of logic. They didn’t have to get married to be together. An epiphany presented itself to her. Maybe if she explained to him that she wasn’t a virgin, maybe he’d give up on this ridiculous notion they had to be husband and wife.
“James, there really is no need.”
“Yes, there is. I desire you. I want you in my bed every night. There is no other woman I’d want to spend my life with, to make my duchess.” James lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “Only you will do.”
“I’m not a virgin,” Alys blurted out.
James nodded. “I suspected as much. It matters not.”
Alys may have misjudged him and how much of a true gentleman he was. His honor and belief was ingrained. He wasn’t a rogue, at least not in the sense she’d read in so many romance novels. In her fantasies she had wanted one. James would never take advantage of her. He desired her yes, but he was too much of a gentleman to fully give into that passion. The little bit they’d done skated a line of impropriety. If he’d been a rogue, rake, or a scoundrel, he’d have already bedded her. James wouldn’t fall easily to any seduction.
She’d wanted a man to want her, to love her, and essentially rock her world. Maybe she could settle for two out of three. James certainly wanted her. He had the potential to send her life completely off balance—the little taste she’d gotten of him had shown her that much.
If only he loved her...
“How can you say that? In these times virginity equaled purity. No man wanted an unchaste woman as their wife.”
At least that was how Alys understood this time to be. Had she been wrong?
“Some men do feel that way. I’m not one of them. If you promise to not take other men to your bed once we’re wed, that is all that matters to me.” James stroked her hair softly. “You’re beautiful, enchanting, spirited, and intelligent. I would be honored to have you. Say yes.”
“I want to say yes. You’re definitely making it hard to say no.” Alys bit her lip. “Can I think about it a little while?”
James nodded. “I will give you a week.” He pulled her tight against him. His hardness pressed against her belly. “After that, I make no promises. I will form a siege the likes of which you’ve never experienced before.” He leaned in closer and pressed his lips against her ear, whispering, “You won’t say no; you’ll be begging me to take you any way and every way imaginable.”
“James, I’m ready to do that now. Lead the way, and we can explore all the possibilities.”
He took a step back and laughed. A wicked grin filled his handsome face, leaving a thousand flutters floating around her midsection.
“No, not until you agree to marry me. If I have to wait for your assent, you have to wait for the pleasures we can find together.”
“You’re evil.” Alys glared. A hiss of breath fell between her parted lips. “You deny yourself as much as you do me.”
“The difference is I want so much more than one night. I want every night. If I give in to you now, I won’t get them.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “The best things are worth waiting for, and you, my dear, are more than worth the wait.”
Alys stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re a fool.”
“Maybe, but I’m willing to play one for you.”
Alys didn’t know what to say to that. What had she gotten herself into? A week he said, how was she going to resist him for a whole damned week? Maybe she should give in and give him what he wanted—no, that was a horrible idea.
Once she gave in...
He’d think he could get his way in everything. She might cave and marry him, but she’d not do it sooner than the week allotted. If she wanted to start the marriage off right, she’d have to stick to her guns, and live through a hellish week of constant arousal.
“Do you have any clue what that is going to entail?” Alys asked. “What a whole week will be like? You won’t be able to touch me, pull me close, press your lips anywhere on my body. If you’re going to make me wait, you will have to give me the distance promised.”
“As long as you, in return, agree to take my offer seriously and consider all the benefits, I can manage to keep my hands to myself.”
Alys smirked. “Oh, I can do that.” She’d also make him miserable the entire time. He’d rue the day he ever denied her anything. “It will be an interesting week, Your Grace.”
James raised an eyebrow. “Why do I not like the sound of that?”
Alys laughed. “Why, I don’t know what you mean.” She batted her eyelashes. “I cross my heart, I will do exactly as I promised. I will think about what it will be like to be your duchess every waking hour.” Probably in her naughty dreams too.
James looked at her skeptically. “All right, I will leave you to your reflections.”
Oh, James, you poor sod. You don’t know what I have planned, but you will soon enough. If Alys would be in agony of unrequited desire, James would be writhing in it.
Alys watched him stroll away. His perfect ass right in her line of sight—she licked her lips. Soon she’d have him naked and begging. A week he said, it would be a fascinating experiment to see how long his resolve lasted.
SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
CHAPTER TEN
James rode his stallion across a nearby field. The wind whipped through his hair as he led his horse in a full gallop. He’d needed the exercise. Escape was the only solution, as Alys continued to drive him insane.
To think he’d believed she might be mad at first.
No, she had much more nefarious plans afoot. Alys was a temptress leading him down a path of enticement, the likes of which he’d never experienced in his entire life. They’d made a devil’s bargain, and he was getting the raw end of it. He’d given her his word, never taking into consideration her brand of thinking might be testing him. And oh, how she’d tested him.
But he was determined. He would win her. James played for keeps, and the prize was worth everything to him. In the end, one week was nothing compared to the lifetime he had planned. Alys would see he was a solid, steady, dependable option. Once he secured her consent to marry him though, he’d not hold back the desire raging through him.
Instead of finding peace in his study, he left his home and sought relief in the only way he’d allow himself. Exhausting, brutal, and mind-numbing exercise. Once he returned home, he’d be too exhausted to be tempted by a fair lass with golden locks trailin
g down her back in enticing curls.
A rider approached in the distance. James slowed his stallion as they neared. He recognized Dom as he came nearer. His friend slowed down as he brought his horse along side of his.
“Is there a problem?” James asked.
Dom shook his head. “Not unless you consider the two harridans taking siege to your home something of a concern.”
James snorted. Dominic had no idea—or maybe he did. He narrowed his eyes and studied his best friend. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing of import. Rosanna is driving me mad.” Dom looked away, not meeting James eyes.
“Why is my sister making a nuisance of herself?” James was rather confused. “What has she done now?”
“She is just being her usual impetuous self. I caught her spying on me earlier. Have no idea what she thought to discover. Don’t worry though. I set her straight.” Dominic shrugged. “As to why she’s being difficult… I’m not certain, maybe it’s your reluctant bride-to-be’s influence.”
James didn’t doubt Alys had some influence on Rosanna’s actions. It might be a good thing, might not. Only time would tell. “Alys is very opinionated.” What an understatement. “She has no problems voicing them either.”
“I’ve noticed. This is why you found me out riding. I needed to escape.”
“Me too,” James agreed. “I have been in need of exercise often these days.”
Dominic laughed. “Miss Alys is leading you astray?”
She was trying. Oh Lord, was she trying. “Not at all. Things are going rather well with us. Soon she will agree to marry me, and I will have exactly what I want.”
A woman full of fire and passion in his bed every night.
“So you say.” Dominic chuckled. “What does the lady want?”
To go home. James frowned. Even if he could give her the option, would he let her go? He didn’t know if he could. In a short time, Alys had come to mean so much to him. She was a breath of fresh air he didn’t know he needed, not until he found her on his beach. No, she was his. Soon, she’d see it too. They belonged together. Alys could never leave him.
“I have no doubts. She wants the same thing, but she’s playing hard to get.” James smiled. “You know how a lady is. They have to pretend as if they don’t want you so they can attempt to gain the upper hand. I won’t allow it. I have plans, and they don’t include caving before her.”
“I don’t know, James. Sometimes caving is the only option you have.”
James tilted his head. “How so?”
“If, in the end, it gets you what you want most, why not give in? It could mean you can have it that much sooner, and think of how glorious it would be.”
“No.” James shook his head. “It wouldn’t work with Alys. She’s got a stubborn streak. This is a battle of wills I intend to win. If it requires breaking or bending, I will...as a last resort.”
“You know her better than I do, but I think you might be making a mistake.”
James didn’t believe so. He may not have known Alys long, but it was enough to understand her motivation. She was an open book and spoke her mind. Her pursuit of him was her way of seeing how serious he was. Well, she was about to find out he kept his word. Thank God, he only had one more day, and then he could demand her answer. The past six had been excruciating on his libido.
“Have you ever been in love, Dom?” James shook his head. “Never mind, I know the answer.”
Dominic pulled up short and stared at him. “Do you believe you love your Alys?”
Did he? How was he to know? Love wasn’t something he understood or knew anything about. His family was…difficult. They didn’t show affection easily. When they were boys, he and Edward had been close. At least until his father started to groom Edward to take over the estate. James had to fend for himself after that. It’d been quite lonely. Rosanna was ten years younger than him. They didn’t have as close of a relationship, but he adored her nonetheless. But loving a woman? James didn’t know if he even knew how. Passion he knew about in spades, but it wasn’t the same thing. He did know that much.
“I don’t know what I feel for her.” Simple, the truth, and the only answer he could give. He had other reasons for asking Dominic about love though. He spoke as if he knew something about giving in and accepting your fate. “I’m wondering where your words of wisdom are coming from.”
“I am not, nor have I ever been, in love.” Dom smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m not sure I’m capable of it.”
James nodded. It was one of the reasons he and Dom had become close at Eton. They’d had a lonely childhood and latched onto each other once they met. James’s father had been indifferent, but Dom’s had been abusive; it hardened him early on.
“Then, by all means, explain this push to give in to Alys?” James didn’t understand it. “If you don’t think it’s about love, what do you believe is going on?”
“Alys is driving your relationship now, whether you believe it or not. She drove you out of your own home. You are growling at everyone in the household. The servants are cowering in corners. I haven’t eaten a decent meal in days. I saw a maid drop a whole tray of lemon cakes the other day and cringed—they looked so tasty. Not to mention, none of them are in the mood to speak.”
James pinned him with a glare. “So, what you’re really saying is my frustrations have also transferred to you, and you want to put both of us out of our misery.” He wanted to laugh, he really did, but he couldn’t. Dom was complaining because he couldn’t seduce his servants. Something he should not condone. Servants talked, and the last thing he needed was any sort of unrest with his staff, which meant he’d have to talk to them and assure them he’d be less difficult soon. He didn’t want to lose good help over his own temperament.
“Exactly.” Dom snapped his fingers. “You’re going to be a good chap and help me out right?”
“Dom,” James said.
“Yes?”
“Go to the devil.”
James flicked the reins and set the horse on a canter toward home, leaving his friend behind. He could sort his own problems out. His talk with Dom made one thing abundantly clear. He would need to deal with Alys, and maybe one day early didn’t make a difference. It was time to turn the tables a bit on her and see if he could get what he wanted a little sooner. He reached the stable and hopped off his horse. He handed the reins to a groom, then turned on his heels, and headed back to the manor. He entered and found the woman running through his thoughts in the sitting room.
“Did you have a good ride?”
“Yes,” he said. His lips tilted into a cocky grin as he studied her lush frame. “Not the ride I desire, but I’m sure you’ll accommodate me soon.”
Her cheeks tinged a bright pink at his words. She licked her lips and stared into his eyes. “Well, cowboy, there are rides, and then there are rides.” Alys stood up and sashayed over to his side, stopping mere inches in front of him. She lifted her hand and trailed her fingers across his chest. “Just say the word, and I’m more than happy to demonstrate the difference.”
“Cowboy?” Where did she get these words from?
Alys’s laughter echoed through the room. “I keep forgetting. Even that is too far into the future for you.”
“What is a cowboy?”
“A man who is a wicked horse rider, can rustle cattle, work rope like nobody’s business, and lives for the danger of ranch life.” Alys grinned. “To put it simply, they will revolutionize an industry in the western states of America, a little south too, I guess.”
“I can ride a horse.” James didn’t like how she talked about these cowboys. She seemed attracted to them. “Why would I want to do the rest?”
“Because it’s dangerous?” Alys shrugged. “Why does a man do anything?”
Hmm… Maybe she had a point. “Fair enough. Now back to the riding.” James hated to admit it, but he only had one thing on his mind. “If I were willing...”
Alys
interrupted, “You want to see if I can put my money where my mouth is?”
Suddenly James couldn’t stop staring at her mouth. What did that have to do with money? “I have better things you can do with your mouth.”
“I’m sure you do.” Alys smirked. “In fact, I have a few in mind that you can do with yours.”
He groaned. Images assaulted his mind. He wanted to do so many things to her he ached. “We have some things to settle first.” He moved closer, and pulled her against his chest. “As much as I’d like to carry you upstairs and ravish you,” James said. Oh Lord, did he want to. “It’s not that simple. We made a bargain. I refuse to go back on my word.”
“So, big guy, what is your solution?”
“Say yes, I’m begging you.”
Alys shook her head. “No deal. I have one more day.”
She lifted her hands and wound them around his neck. Her fingers trailed along his neck and played with the strands of his hair.
“You’re determined to see this through?” He leaned in closer. Their lips so close they almost touched. “You would deny what we both want?”
“You’re doing the same,” she said, her tone raspy with desire.
So stubborn, and beautiful. James could give her the extra day. She was right. They were both aching with need. He was doing to her as much as she was to him. It was a give and take—just not the one they both craved.
Maybe a little taste to get by. Why not?
Because he said he’d not touch her for a week? Wait, he was touching her now. He’d already broken a part of his oath. Bloody hell.
“Then why don’t we do something about that?” he asked.
Alys met his lips with hers, pushing her sweet tongue inside his mouth. James groaned and gave in, letting himself enjoy the thrill of having her body pressed fully against his. The kiss went on and on, neither one of them getting enough of each other. The self-imposed ban on touching had an effect they’d not bargained on. They would surely combust if they kept going.
James let her go and took a step back, their breathing ragged.