“Would you have married me if I hadn’t paid you?” she asked suddenly.
“That’s not a fair question.”
“But it’s one that has to be answered”
“You already know the answer. Besides, I could ask you the same question. If you weren’t desperate for a husband, would you have married me?”
“That’s not the same question. I needed you so I would be left alone.”
“You got married just so you could be alone? I told you that’s not how it works.”
“Yes, you told me repeatedly what works, what you want, and what I should do for you.”
“What the hell, Duchess? We haven’t spoken in more than twenty-four hours and suddenly, you’re accusing me of what—being assertive, of negotiating with the woman who basically bought my ass?” Normally, he was an easygoing guy. A guy up for a good time with friends and family, who liked to laugh, tell jokes, and relax. A guy who had thought he’d made the right decision with Kate.
“I’m sorry. It’s not easy being surrounded by people who question every decision you make.”
“Your parents.” It wasn’t a question.
“I’m too old for this, yet I’ve let them get to me. I’ve allowed them to—actually, it doesn’t matter. We married for money. You’ll have yours tomorrow. Good bye, Noah.”
With that, she ended their call.
Noah stared at the phone. She’d dismissed him, like… he didn’t matter to her. “Fuck that,” he muttered.
If she didn’t want to see him, fine with him. He had a business to run anyway. He clicked off the television.
He didn’t believe the I just want to be alone bullshit, but to prove his own damn point, he did something he never thought he’d do—he Googled her name.
The search results confirmed his suspicions.
She had friends, a life… she was not trapped in her flat or house like she claimed to be. There was image after image of her at parties, at horse races, rowing events, charity events, movie premiers… some recent, some only a year old. All in all it was hardly the snapshot of a woman who hated the spotlight.
And yes, he still thought that the paparazzi scared her and still thought that they could be dangerous. In no way did he think she had lied about that. Plus, he’d witnessed it firsthand.
With a grunt, he clicked on an image of the two of them eating at The Bull. How in the hell had that happened? He hadn’t seen anyone following them. There was another image, of her at a funeral—pale, young, and sad. Feeling as though he’d witnessed something he shouldn’t, he closed the browser.
He rubbed the back of his neck, still staring at his phone, as his so-called building righteous anger began to crumble at the foundation. He couldn’t stay pissed at her. That was her life. He knew it going in.
Just like he knew this long-distance thing wasn’t going to work.
*
Kate had just finished compiling a list of organizations that needed funds to see them through the next quarter when there was a knock on the door.
Before she could check the security camera, the door opened. Noah walked inside, set his bags down, and strode to her.
Her heart banged against her chest. He was here. Why was he here? “What are you doing here?”
“I won’t let you push me away.”
Then he pulled her to her feet and kissed her, his touch rough and without his normal finesse. She melted into him, sinking her fingers into his silky hair before quickly becoming frantic.
They tore at each other’s clothes, buttons and belts nothing but a minor hindrance, until they were both nude and panting. She was wet, her inner thighs slick from his kiss.
Only a kiss.
He was that good, or she was that mad for him.
A sort of a growl emanated from deep in his chest. He backed her against the nearest wall and took a nipple into his mouth, sucking and teasing and biting until she writhed against him, seeking relief.
Her body throbbed as he cupped her between her legs.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Yes,” she agreed.
His capable hands came around her hips and lifted her. “Wrap your legs around me.”
She could no more deny him than herself. “Hurry.”
“Condom. Left pocket,” he said, bending a little. “Grab it for me.”
She searched his pocket and found the square foil in an instant. Then she ripped it open with her teeth, something she’d never done in her life, and rolled it down his thick cock with both hands, squeezing once she was done.
He muttered a curse and positioned himself where she was hot and wet and needy. With a powerful thrust, he surged inside of her, and she screamed.
“Shit,” he panted, automatically freezing. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t stop,” she ordered, attempting to move her hips.
With only the barest of hesitation, his mouth claimed hers once again, his tongue sliding in time to the motion of his hips. She clung to him, dug her fingers into his shoulders, and reveled in the sound of his punctuated breaths in her ear.
Noah filled her, stroked her, and made her just as wild for him as he was for her. She bit his neck, sucked at the spot, and then reached between them to rub her clit.
“Sexy as hell, Duchess,” he said, leaning back a little.
Her body became just as slick as where they were joined together. Her hair came undone… as did she. Her back arched as she called out his name and fell apart in his arms.
Chapter Ten
‡
Kate lay quite boneless on the floor, panting as she attempted to gather herself and do what exactly with Noah, she wasn’t sure. He certainly didn’t look as disheveled, but that could have been because he’d just returned from the bathroom.
“No. Stay like this,” Noah murmured as he skimmed his hand up her thigh. “Don’t become the woman who stopped talking to me.”
“I have nothing to say.” Her bottom lip began to quiver, but she refused to cry in front of him.
“We have a lot to talk about,” he countered.
“The money’s been—”
He pressed a finger against her lips. “Us. I want to talk about us.”
She kissed his finger before he moved it. “Noah, I made a poor decision. A hasty decision based on emotions instead of facts and thinking things through.”
“Aren’t you doing the same thing again?”
“No.”
“I assume your parents were not understanding at all.”
Why did he have to be so understanding? When he first burst inside her home, she welcomed the anger, the passion, because she didn’t have to think, all she had to do was be swept up in him… but now that the storm had passed, she regretted going so easily into his arms.
“Kate. Whatever they said, I can take it.”
“That makes one of us.”
He stood and held out a hand, pulling her to a standing position once she took it. Then he grabbed the cashmere throw from a nearby chair and wrapped it around her rapidly cooling shoulders.
His eyes were kind as they studied her, as if he’d worked out the tension between them already. A part of her wished she could do the same, but her body, mind, and heart were not of one accord.
“Let me guess—they told you that I only married you for money.”
“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “And that I would never be able to feel anything for you.”
She shook her head and began to back away.
“No? How about you would never know if my feelings for you were true?”
She froze. “You can’t know they said that.”
He shrugged. “If you were my daughter, I would say the same thing to change your mind.”
“They didn’t say that to me because they care. They said that to me because they are furious. I’ve practically betrayed them by marrying you. I’m good for nothing in their eyes.” Kate dropped her gaze, staring at the
floor and then his feet. “I was selfish for marrying you. I shouldn’t have involved you with my problems.”
“I had a choice, sweetheart. I always had a choice.” Noah took her by the hand and pulled her towards him, then held her close. “Don’t shut me out. Give us a chance.”
She lifted her face to his. “I used you to get over Sebastian,” she confessed. “And it’s not the first time I’ve attempted to do so. Only you were the permanent solution.”
His dark eyes widened, and her face flamed. He would judge her for that, and find her to be—
He caressed her face before framing it with his hands. “You never have to do that again. I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe from everything, including your past.”
“I don’t know what to say.” What could she say to that?
“Say that you’ll stop letting everyone get to you, and be the woman who wanted to take charge of her future.”
“Noah, I… you make it sound so easy, but—”
“But nothing.” He shook his head, his jaw working. “I should have stayed the last time. So this time, I’m staying until you come home with me.”
“What about your company, your plans?”
“There’s this thing called the Internet, and I have a very capable office manager in place, as well as superintendents to oversee whatever project I give them. Right now, they’re still working on retrofitting dorms at the local college. I might be down, but I’m not out.”
She drew back a little. “I thought you were desperate for money?”
“I am, but I was also desperate to salvage my pride.” He laughed bitterly a little. “You aren’t the only one who has unreasonable expectations.”
Her heart turned over in her chest. Taking him by the hand, she led him to her sofa. Noah always seemed so confident, so sure of himself with his easy charm. That attitude had immediately drawn her to him three years ago, and today was no different. Except now, he seemed vulnerable.
He sat down first and pulled her in his lap. Apparently, her husband was completely comfortable remaining nude. Given the muscular lines of his body, his tight abs and broad shoulders, she couldn’t blame him, nor could she stop ogling him.
“Do I need to cover up?”
She flushed and averted her gaze. “No.”
“I was only teasing.”
She leaned into his solid form, laying her head against his shoulder and letting out a thick sigh. “Everything happened so suddenly, and I have no real foundation to stand on when I’m questioned about our marriage. I’ve always been the dutiful daughter, and until I realized what I could do, I resigned myself to a marriage that would be loveless.”
“If things had worked out with Sebastian, would your parents have allowed you to be with him?”
She nodded. “That was their ultimate goal, but when it became very clear that I couldn’t land either Romanov twin, they—” She swallowed. “I was humiliated.”
He pressed his lips into her hair, but didn’t say anything.
“Do you know what it’s like to discover that you’re only as good as the money or political ties you can bring in?” she asked, remembering the lectures and how they made her pay.
“No, I don’t.”
“When they learned Sebastian had moved on—the first time,” she swallowed, “they didn’t speak to me for months. Several months. I spent my birthday and Christmas alone while they holidayed in Greece. It was as if I ceased to exist.”
“How old were you?”
“Fourteen.”
Noah shook with rage. “You were a child.”
Her eyes got a faraway look to them, as if she were remembering. “Yes.”
“And they continued to treat you like that?”
She barely nodded. “Yes.”
“No one noticed?” Sebastian eventually outgrew me. Had the man she thought she loved ignored her too?
“You’d be amazed at what people are willing to overlook if you have enough power and influence.” Her slender body trembled. She seemed so fragile in his arms, so defeated. His protective instincts roared to life.
“I see you, Kate Sawyer.” He tipped her chin up with his finger and kissed her softly. “I see you.” Encircling her within his arms once more, he stroked her hair until her breathing deepened and her body went lax.
For someone who gave off such a confident outward vibe, Kate was very much insecure about her place in the world. Her parents and even trusted friends had seen to that. He knew all too well what it was like to want to please parents who could never be pleased. Who would always find something wrong and delight in pointing it out.
Hell, he saw it all the time from grown men and women—some older than he and Kate—on the reality television shows he watched. Any time, there was a competition, the competitor would invariably say, I’m doing this to prove my parents wrong, or I’m here to show them how successful I’ve become, or the standard, I just want to make my parents proud.
As soon as he had the chance, he would pay a visit to her parents. Then he’d help Kate finish sorting out whatever needed to be done and head to Holland Springs with his bride.
Chapter Eleven
‡
Over the next week, Noah divided his time between work and being with Kate. It wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be, but it wasn’t easy either.
For one, the paparazzi were relentless. They published what they knew and made up what they didn’t. Which was a lot. Half the time, Noah was surprised by the headlines, while others made him grit his teeth and go for runs down cobbled streets until he’d exercised out his anger.
And two, he didn’t know what to do with himself. He’d never had so much free time, and it chafed. Work was something that was second nature to him, but there was nothing here for him to do. He couldn’t even do little odd jobs around her house because she had a contract in place for a handyman, and he made it a policy not to poach on another man’s business.
But to him, Kate was worth it. He wanted to be with her. He actually liked being the one she relied on, the one to make her laugh, and the one to give her orgasms. Yeah, he was all about her pleasure. Then again, she seemed to be about his as well. But the times she actually let her guard down… she blew him away.
Kate entered the bedroom, carrying a tray in her hands, and smiling shyly. “I brought you breakfast in bed. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” He sat up as she placed the tray in his lap. “Who in their right mind would be upset that a beautiful woman brought them food?”
She flushed. “Yes, well… you’ve been working so hard, and your internal clock isn’t quite caught up, so…”
“Were you worried about me, Duchess?” He cocked an eyebrow at her, enjoying the way she fidgeted.
“Yes,” she said softly. “Yes, I was.”
He set the tray to one side and caught the side of her robe in his hand, tugging hard. She tumbled into bed beside him, her black hair wild. Looking down on her, he caressed the side of her face. “You are so good to me. I’m going to reward you when I’m done eating.”
“Noah,” she said, her pink lips trembling. “I cancelled all of my appointments for today, but if you have other things to do…”
Actually, he did, but not anymore. “They can wait. They all can wait. Today, it’s just you and me,” he said, lowering his mouth to hers.
*
Usually, Noah enjoyed their time together outside of the bedroom, too. At first, he thought it would be odd to accompany her to parties where he was most definitely the low man on the totem pole, but for the most part, her friends were polite, even if they viewed him as odd, and Kate seemed proud to have him there at her side.
However, tonight’s function was wearing on him. The crowd was a mix of new money, old money, and aristocrats with neither—according to Kate, anyway—and it seemed like every person they encountered had an opinion on his suit, his background, and his home state. They also had a bad habit of talking to Kate instead of him,
or ignoring him altogether by asking a question, and then answering it for him.
“Kate tells us you’re from Texas. What a shame.”
“Is that Tom Ford you’re wearing?” another asked, followed by a disapproving tsk.
“You really don’t go to church that often, do you?”
“Are you carrying a gun right this second?”
Not worth it, Noah reminded himself over and over as he endured their potshots. The five percent of assholes who thought to shame him for being a Yank weren’t worth the energy and most of all, he didn’t want to embarrass Kate.
Kate stiffened beside him. “Noah doesn’t need one. He saved me from a rather unfortunate incident without one.”
How the hell was that defending him? Not that he needed defending, but still… “Sweetheart, the incident was more than unfortunate. You could have been hurt badly.”
“Personally, I’ve always wanted to visit Texas,” another man said, giving Noah a genuine smile. “I think it would be quite fun.”
“We really should have the two of you come to RavenHawkfellford when we open the hall to visitors again,” a woman with white-blonde hair that practically dripped with diamonds said.
Noah wasn’t touching that faux invitation with a ten-foot pole. He wasn’t stupid. He knew what really should have meant.
“That would be lovely,” Kate said, and Noah almost groaned. “Don’t you think so?” she asked as she turned to him. Her mint-green eyes were hopeful. Damn it. She wanted him to answer, but before he could, another guy piped up.
“I doubt your husband would appreciate the country. It’s not as exciting as Texas with their trucks and—”
“I bet Noah thinks it to be quite exciting that his wife could buy Texas.”
His jaw clenched. Was that really the best the guy had? “Actually, I’ve been after Kate to buy Hawaii. Better views, and I’ve always had a thing for islands.”
“As have I,” Kate replied in all seriousness.
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