by test
“Ah, there you said it.”
HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 77
“I only said that I might have considered it. Now, it is definitely out of the question.”
“That’s because you are married to me. We’ve definitely foregone on the
courtship bit.”
“Because you ruined everything. You dashed my sterling illusion of Kilworth against the rocks, anyway. If you do let me go, I can tell you I won’t be going back to him.” She looked up at Hart. She still hadn’t drawn away from him—but she was furious with him. “You have set our families against each other. Mallory will never bury the hatchet—he will gun for you until you are dead!”
“Not if I get him first.”
“You won’t. I’m asking you to not kill him … please. If you did, any chance you ever had with me would be shattered once and for all. I won’t ever forgive you.”
He gave consideration to what she’d said. Her determination knew no bounds. If he did ever serve Mallory a deathblow, she would hate him with a passion. He couldn’t do that—he couldn’t risk that. Because no matter how tightly controlled he sometimes seemed to people, he had met his match in Gemma. She might be a spoiled little brat, but she was his brat, and he loved her with all of his heart and soul. Never had he expected to be hit so soundly and completely by the love bug.
“I won’t kill Mallory,” he relented after due reflection. “As long as he doesn’t try to spill my guts, I’ll keep him wholly intact, never you worry.”
She searched his face and his eyes for any trace of a lie.
“I believe you.”
“There is however, a condition.”
“You are too highhanded for your own good, Hart. I will not enter into any pacts with you. I’ve already allowed you to force me to the altar—what more could you possibly do to me to punish me?”
He grunted, and tightened his hold on her. She suddenly became as frisky as a cat in his arms.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just shifting my weight.” He had her pressed right against him, so she would be able to feel every single one of his muscles, and in turn, he could feel every single one of her curves. He could feel her nipples puckering beneath the sheer fabric of her nightdress. He grinned. “Your passions are getting riled, my love.”
She tried to push away from him. Her breathing became labored with her actions.
“Do let me go, this instant!”
“No.” His reply was simple and gave her no leeway to respond. Instead, she gaped at him. With her blond hair falling forward, framing her pale face, his groin tightened. How easy it would be to just make love to her right here and now. “Now,” his voice was but a husky whisper, he cupped her face with his free arm. “Smile for me, Gemma, and show me those gorgeous dimples of yours.”
“Stuff it,” she hissed, trying to free her face from his hold. Her green eyes were ablaze with anger. She looked ready to murder someone.
“Ah, yes, I almost forgot—there is a matter of great importance that we need to discuss.”
“Like how you’re going to take me against my will?”
“Do not act so defiant, my dear. You want me. I excite you—I make you quiver HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 78
when you see me, your heart soars, and your palms tingle—you are in love with me.”
“No, I’m not.”
“There it is again. You are lying. Do not try to pledge something even you don’t believe. My mother will know you are lying as well.”
“What the hell does your mother have to do with us? With this? She won’t care one fig for me.”
“Oh, that’s where you are wrong. You see, I wasn’t supposed to actually do anything. She only wanted me to threaten Mallory—I don’t think she even dreamt that I’d be reckless enough to take one of his sisters and make her marry me.”
“And, yet you did.”
“Aye. And soon, I will solidify that marriage by making you my own in every sense of the word.”
“Why are we doing this silly little dance? Just get to the point,” she huffed impatiently, rolling her eyes at him.
“The point is—I want you to make my mother think you are madly passionately in love with me. Do not let her know the truth. Tell her you are with me of your own free volition.”
“To hell with that.”
He sighed. “You really don’t like to do anything the easy way, do you?”
“Not where you are concerned, you blackguard.”
“I will ignore that insult, because I know you are under great emotional strain right now. I understand how tortured you must be. Here you are in my bed—and you want me with ever fiber of your being, and yet, you are allowing your pigheadedness to get in the way.”
“I am not.”
“You are. If you weren’t you’d be melting into my arms right now, and giving way to the feelings of attraction you have for me.”
“I do not feel that way.”
“Yes, you do.”
“There we go again, we sound like children.” Gemma sighed.
“That’s what we need to avoid in front of my mother. As we speak, I have agents placed close to Mallory and his family.”
“No. Mallory will have already gone into defensive mode.”
“I still have a few men on the inside.”
Her face became even paler. “Who are you?” Her voice came out as a shattered whisper. “Your power seems limitless.” Her eyes widened, making his groin stir. He was using all of his willpower to keep himself from making sweet love to her. If he made any advances toward her now, he might as well kiss her good impression on his mother goodbye. No, he definitely didn’t need his plans going tits up—he could wait to join his body with hers. He could.
“It is, quite. I have vast financial resources. Money does talk, my dear.”
“I am not worth it.”
“Oh, but I beg to differ. You are priceless. My bank accounts make Geoffrey Caulfield look like a penniless beggar.”
“Impossible.”
“Quite possible.”
HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 79
She seemed stunned. “You will have to tell me who you are one day.”
“Indeed. You already know enough. I am your husband, and I am the man that loves you above all else. As for my wealth, let’s just say I’m a crude businessman. Most nobles of my rank think getting into business to be below them. If they did foray into the world I myself have invested in, they wouldn’t have to worry about paying death tax, and making sure that they do not lose their family estates, the world is quickly changing, and men of my rank must learn to bend with the times. I will not kill your brother—but you must make my mother believe I am not the monster in your world.”
“You are.”
“But to her, you will make her think I am your devoted, kind and loving
husband.”
“And if I don’t you will hurt Mallory. Oh, you are a cad.”
“Yes, I will indeed, and I’ll ignore that cad remark.” He didn’t know if he would hurt Mallory—yet, making her think he would only worked in his favor.
“My mother is a lady. She is a Lennox, you know. I’m sure that name means something to you.”
“Indeed.” Her eyes lit with recognition. “She hails from royal blood.”
“Yes. You St. Martin’s might be blue-blooded nobles, but I have royal blood in my veins.”
She looked impressed. “That’s a far cry from a would be horse thief.”
“I should think so.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ve never seen any woman with a such a delightfully kissable nose. And yet, I am getting off the beaten track.
Before we go any further with our lovey doveyness I must have your vow.”
“I promise to make your mother think we are the rarest of lovebirds. I will make her think that my entire life revolves around you. I shall show her that you make my night and my day.”
“You must love yo
ur brother much more than you let on.”
“I have already lost one brother—I won’t let you take away another one,” her voice broke, his heart panged painfully.
Distressing her like this was killing him on the inside, but what other recourse did he have?
“I didn’t have anything to do with Andrew’s death. He was an upstanding,
genuinely honorable man. It is a shame that he is dead.”
She pursed her lips. Water pooled in her eyes. “Yes, it is.”
Satisfied with her pledge, he drew away from her. She gave him a disappointed look. “Now, I can feel the coolness of the cabin.”
“I could return to you and warm you up, but we must get a move on. There will be time for us to partake of some more pleasurable activities when we reach our final destination.”
“Then, you aren’t going to ravish me?”
“In time, my dear. In time.”
HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 80
Chapter Fifteen
Gemma watched him from the bed. He was rooting in the chest on the far side of the cabin for her clothing, no doubt.
He emerged holding a traveling outfit. She looked at him and then at the outfit he held.
“Well, that certainly looks as if it will fit me.”
“Oh, it will fit you. They have been made with your measurements in mind.”
“Fabulous. How did you know that ruby red was a favorite color of mine? The jacket is a fine representation of that color.”
“I saw you wear ruby red on numerous occasions, my dear. You are a vision in red. Only someone with your strong effervescent personality would have the guts to wear such a daring color. Unmarried women usually stick to the paler colors.”
“I like to be daring.” His eyes flared. “Now, you may leave.”
“I’m staying right here.”
“You’re insane!” she blurted out, her cheeks reddening so that they matched the color of the jacket he held.
“I think not.”
“You don’t honestly expect me to change in front of you …?”
“I will be getting dressed as well. We need to set off soon, I’m sure Maeve will be bringing us breakfast within a few short minutes, and then, it is off for some land travel. Take this as your time to get to know me, before we become husband and wife in bed as well as out of it. I trust you appreciate my position. You are a temptation. You look absolutely sinful in that nightdress … don’t you know how hard it is for me to keep myself from unwrapping you like a present?”
She gasped, a large lump forming in her throat. Her breath hitched in her throat.
She clasped the bedclothes between her fingertips. Wetting her lips, she sighed, trying to get the imagery of him making sweet love to her out of her head.
“What land will we be traveling on?” Her heart continued to race and her hands started to sweat again. She always got sweaty palms whenever she was around him—it was most inconvenient.”
“Picturesque land. You will quite enjoy the ride.”
“I’m sure I will.” She forced her words out so they sounded sweet to his ears. She hadn’t realized how powerful he was, until now. She should have—but she had believed that no matter what Mallory could fight him. Now, now it looked as if Hart really did have all of the cards stacked in his favor.
She would become the perfect wife for him. So perfect that when she finally figured out how to exact her revenge against him, he wouldn’t be able to recover—nor would he expect her to turn on him. He had declared war against her brother and in turn, he had declared war against her. So, he had people on the inside, well, she’d be on his inside. He might think he was his lady’s keeper—he was in for the surprise of a lifetime.
“That is a lovely outfit. Thank you for paying such attention to my likes and HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 81
dislikes. It is most appreciated.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Do you feel alright?”
“Indeed. Never better. I’m just getting into character for when you introduce me to your dear mother.”
“I see.” A flicker of doubt entered his eyes. She smiled serenely. “You look like you’ve been invaded by someone else—you actually look happy to be with me.”
“You gave me comfort after my nightmare—and you said yourself that I must
embrace my emotions for you. I am attracted to you—and despite my better judgment I do care for you. How long do you think Maeve will be?” She stood up. The draft in the room rippled against her thin nightgown.
“I always have the door locked, anyone must knock to gain admittance.”
“That’s fine. Just fine.” She attempted her best seductive swagger as she walked toward him. If she had to seduce him in order to win him over completely, then she would. Her mother had told her much of what went on between a man and woman.
She’d never been a prude and believed that her daughters needed to be well informed of married life before they were married.
He still seemed wary of her. “Are you sure you’re not burning up?”
“With passion, but I can assure you not fever. Those draughts your Maeve was putting into my drinks have worked like the charm they are. I have no seasickness.”
“Well, what else can I expect from a St. Martin? You have seafaring blood
trickling through your veins.”
She ignored his comment. Had he forgotten how skittish she’d been at the
prospect of making a journey by sea? She was surprised herself that she had not been overcome by seasickness. Maeve truly did know her craft.
When he turned away, she quickly slid out of her nightgown. She smothered a gasp. She was so cold! Her nipples perked against the draft. She shivered.
He turned back to be met with the sight of her naked body. His jaw dropped, his eyes sparked with something she thought resembled raw sensual hunger. She shivered.
“What are you doing? Have you taken complete leave of your senses?”
“How can you resist me?”
“I resist you because I’m trying to figure out what the hell you are up to! You definitely have that crafty glint in your eyes.”
“You shouldn’t care. I am giving myself to you.”
“Like a lamb to the slaughter.”
“Perhaps. Besides, why are you looking at my eyes? You should be looking at my—”
“Stop it! That’s quite enough.” He seemed pretty adamant, though she did catch him taking one more once over of her body. What was wrong with him? Did he really not find her as attractive as he claimed to?
“Are you rejecting me?” His face looked strained to the point where she thought one of his veins in his forehead might pop. He was going to break at any minute. What was she doing? She was nearing the point of no return.
He looked at the door. “We do not have time for this right now. Much as I’d like to make love to you, we are getting ready to disembark. Put your clothes on, we shall resume that when we reach our destination. Do not mistake this for a rejection. I am exercising all of my control to keep myself from taking you. I will not take you quickly HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 82
like you are a whore—I want to make your first experience one to remember for your entire lifetime. As it is, we don’t have the time at our disposal to make your first time a memorable one.”
His consideration touched her. Most other men would have been rutting with her right at the moment. One sight of her nakedness would have made them lose complete control.
“You are a most surprising man.”
“I know—sometimes, I even surprise myself.” With that strangled sounding
statement, he finished changing into his traveling clothes, walked to the door, waited until she had reached for something to cover herself with and then, he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
* * * *
He had to be crazy. Something inside of him had snapped. He knew that. Why had he left Gemma? Visions of her nake
d body kept surging through his mind. By the time they reached the castle, he would be almost out of his mind with the need to bed her.
He couldn’t wait until he could touch her, kiss her, feel her—he dragged out another heavy sigh. Looking to the clear morning sky, he considered her change in demeanor.
She was trying to lead him into something—he knew it, and yet he really didn’t give a damn. He had his own little tricks up his sleeve. If all went according to his plan, she would be with child within a few months, making her escape from him impossible. Once she was carrying his child, he doubted she would want to ever leave him. And if she did, he would have full right to claim her, and his child.
* * * *
Gemma looked in the small full-length mirror the cabin boasted. She almost looked like herself. She couldn’t wait to take a long luxurious bath once they reached Hart’s house. What would Spain look like? She had only seen portraits of Spain’s countryside and listened to Mallory’s tales of the county. She didn’t know what to expect though in person. Where would they be in Spain? And how would she be able to send a message to Mallory? Would Mallory even care?
She fixed her hair and put on the cloak that Hart had supplied for her. It had to be made of fine silk—she had never felt anything so soft.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
Hart entered the room a few minutes later. “Are you ready?”
She looked at him … pausing, she considered his question. “I’m not ready for anything that you’ve thrown at me so far. You came into my life like a whirlwind, and you haven’t left my side in days. I’m going to stop fighting you—it’s only getting me nowhere fast.”
“Are you calling a truce?”
“Yes. You are my husband. I would like us to behave like a normal married couple.” Hunger gnawed at her, her stomach growled. He looked down at her stomach.
“Will you be able to survive until we reach my castle?” He smirked at her, his eyes dancing with humor. “Maeve wanted to bring us food but the winds were on our side and we’ve gotten to our destination much faster than I expected. Indeed, she was grumbling all the while when I sent her away with her food trolley.”