Noah had to bite back a laugh at the identical, stunned looks on their faces. His duchess knew just what to say without lowering herself.
“Yes, well,” Kate began after a moment of silence. “I promised Juliana that we’d be sure to say hello. If you’ll excuse us.”
Neither of them answered as they walked away. Instead of meeting this Juliana person, Noah steered Kate toward the first set of French doors he found so they could have a moment or two thousand alone.
“You’re not having fun, are you?” she asked, misery thick in her voice.
He took her hands in his, struggling to remain calm and remember that she had nothing to do with how those people had treated him. That she was a victim of their preconceived notions and downright insults as he.
“Not really. The queen’s party was less stuffy, and she knew how to break it down on the dance floor.” He rubbed his thumb against the side of her hand.
Kate bit her bottom lip, white teeth nibbling on the lush flesh. “I want to laugh.”
But she couldn’t. Neither could he. “I am a funny guy, but I’m an honest one, too.” He took a deep breath. “This isn’t me. I associate going out every night of the week with people who have too much time on their hands, or college students. You aren’t in college, and I’ve seen how hard you work during the day for the charities you support.”
“That’s because I haven’t the skills for a real job.”
“Your worth isn’t in a title, a job, or how much money is in the bank. It’s what you do with what you’ve been given in life.”
“Easy for you to say. You’ve worked for everything you’ve gotten.”
She pulled away from him and walked to the railing. The stars were hard to see—the sky was that foggy and the lights from the city reflected in the low clouds. But the firelight from nearby torches played beautifully across her pale skin.
In his opinion, his wife was a goddess in her one-shouldered, light purple dress. She wore minimal jewelry, only her wedding and engagements rings along with a delicate bracelet that rode high on her bare arm. For once, her hair was loose and fell straight almost to the small of her back. The high slit in the front gave him teasing glimpses. It had been all he could do not to throw her over his shoulder the first chance he got.
“Those people you met…before, I thought they were my friends, or at least polite, but I’m ashamed to admit that you were treated poorly, and I’m sorry.”
He came up behind her, cupping her shoulders and kissing the side of her neck. She stood ramrod straight, as if her spine was made of steel.
“Don’t be. You can’t control what other people say or do.”
“I know. But I barely defended you. I didn’t know what to say, honestly.”
“You’re a lady. You shouldn’t have to defend me.”
He began to lightly rub her shoulders, then let his hands slide down to her elbows and further still to her wrists so he could pull her into the shadows. She fell against him, and he ran his hands down her curves. Kate’s waist was tiny, her hips flared, and her ass plump as he grabbed a cheek.
She gasped. “Noah.”
“Don’t worry, Duchess. No one can see us.”
Slowly, giving her time to say no or push him away, he worked at the material of her dress until one breast popped free. The pale pink nipple hardened. “Beautiful,” he said a moment before he bent his head and took it into his mouth, sucking it deeply inside until her breathing changed and she sank her fingers into his hair.
He skimmed his hand under the slit in her dress and up her bare thigh. He knew she wore nothing underneath, had mentioned something about lines, and he’d taken perverse pleasure in the knowledge. “Your skin is so soft,” he said against her breast. Trailing his fingers up to where she was already wet. For him. “So warm.” He slipped a finger inside of her, and she whimpered. “So wet.” He added another.
Her inner muscles gripped him tightly as he began to move. He rubbed her clit with his thumb until it was practically throbbing against him. Taking her into his mouth again, he licked her tight nipple like it was candy. Which wasn’t far from the truth. The taste of her—everywhere—was sweetly addicting.
“Oh,” she moaned, her back arching so suddenly that her nipple came out of his mouth with a pop.
Without missing a beat, he claimed her mouth and took her cries of pleasure into him. God, he loved the sound. Finally, she curved her arms around him and relaxed. He kissed her forehead, removing his finger and fixing her dress.
A couple appeared outside, far enough away that they couldn’t see Kate and him, but not so far away that Noah couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.
“D’you think it will last?” the woman asked as she lit a cigarette.
“Kate and her latest boy toy? The last one was young enough to be her little brother, and it was one of those torrid things. Apparently, he was in security,” the man by her side said.
The woman blew out a thin stream of smoke. “Apparently, she told him to shove off, and he caused a scene in the middle of G.R.’s restaurant.”
“How sad,” the woman added, sounding anything but sympathetic.
“You know…I have it on good authority that as soon as Sebastian Romanov tires of his wife, Kate will go back to chasing after him, like some lovesick puppy. It’s remarkable, that, how tenacious she can be. But then her family….”
“Von Lichtensteins never divorce.”
“Never? Really?”
“No, instead, they’re bloody miserable and carry on affairs. My mum swears that Kate isn’t even the baron’s daughter.”
“Don’t listen to them,” Noah said to the woman in his arms, trying like hell to comfort her as she became more and more stiff in his arms. “They’re jealous and spiteful.” And he was furious. “I’ll take care of—”
“Please don’t.”
Seething with anger and cold embarrassment, Kate had a death grip on Noah’s arm. The last thing she needed was for him to cause a scene. She had had enough of those lately. As for what Verity and Edgar had discussed… most of it was true, and she had heard the same rumors.
But they didn’t know her father. They didn’t know that if the baron ever thought for one second that Kate wasn’t his, he would have punished Kate and her mother severely.
After a last drag, Verity flicked the butt into the garden and turned to Edgar. “Ready to pretend we like people again?”
“I’m ready to find the most delicious man to take home tonight.”
“Edgar, you are naughty. Last night, it was the most delicious woman.”
“No one should be denied the pleasure of my touch.”
“Give me a break,” Noah muttered. “He sounds like an actor with bad lines.”
“We’re all actors here,” Kate replied as the couple moved back inside.
“Aren’t you tired of acting?”
“I’m just tired.”
“Let’s go home.”
Home. Did she even have a home anymore? All the people she thought she knew took great delight in tearing her and Noah down. Perhaps not everyone, but a great many, and it was such a disappointment.
If they were as jealous and spiteful as Noah had said, then she could have handled their vicious remarks, but to Kate, there was nothing about her life that anyone should be jealous about.
She had to pay someone to marry her. She had to watch the man she thought she loved marry another.
Noah guided her back inside, and after thanking the host and hostess, they headed home to Bayswater. Completely overwhelmed, Kate laid her head on Noah’s shoulder, seeking his comfort and strength as the driver navigated through London traffic.
“Why do you subject yourself to people like that?” he asked.
“Who else do you expect me to be around?”
“Friends. True friends.”
“Most of my true friends are married and have kids.” She stared at the window. “When we do get together, they’re keen o
n setting me up on meet-cutes.”
“Meet-cutes?”
“Dates.”
“Ah.”
“I envy them,” she confessed, the words pouring from her mouth like a fountain of water. Here in the darkness of the interior of the car, she could say anything. “I wish I had their life. I wish I had a pretty little house with a large garden. I wish had children and a husband who loves me.”
Noah laced his fingers through hers. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Duchess.”
“It is when you can’t possibly ever have any of those things.”
“How do you know it’s not possible for us?” His voice was tight. Rough. “You want to have an affair and another man’s child?”
“There are so many things that stand in our way.” But not another man. She didn’t want another man. “Sebastian will never tire of Daisy, and even if that were to happen, I wouldn’t chase after him. It would be an exercise of futility.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to snatch them back, swallow them down so they could never be uttered again. “I didn’t mean…”
“Yes, you did. I’ve never heard you say something you didn’t mean,” he said evenly.
“This time I did.” She cupped the side of his face, his light stubble tickling her skin. “Truly, Noah.”
“I don’t understand you,” he said as the car stopped in front of the mews house. “Everything you could possibly want is yours for the taking, yet the only reason you wouldn’t chase Romanov is because you don’t want your heart broken again. Thanks for the honesty, Kate.”
She began to reply, but the driver had opened their door, so there was nothing she could do but follow Noah inside.
He headed straightaway for their bedroom, practically ripping his tux off as he muttered curses under his breath.
“I know you’re angry.”
“Damn right I am.” He put his hands on his hips, drawing attention to the boxer briefs that rode low. “And you don’t have a clue as to why.”
“Because I intimated that you weren’t worthy of being a part of what I want.”
“That’s only half of it.” He strode to her and gazed into her eyes. His own were dark and glinting with anger… and another emotion she couldn’t define.
“Help me understand,” she cried, wanting to throw something at him, but she didn’t. She remained calm, but on the inside… oh, on the inside she was smashing furniture and shouting. “I’m being honest with you, Noah. More honest than I’ve ever been with another person, and you’re punishing me with riddles.”
“You’re an intelligent woman. You figure out why I dropped everything and flew halfway around the world to spend a week away from work and put up with your stuffy-ass friends.” He grabbed pair of jeans from his suitcase and put them on. Then he pulled a t-shirt over his head before cramming his phone and wallet into his pockets, and heading down the stairs.
She trailed after him, bewildered. “Where are you going?”
“To a pub.”
“Without me?”
“It’s what men do when they’re pissed as hell and need to blow off some steam before they say something stupid.” He shoved on a pair of shoes he’d left by the front door, and then slammed his way out of her house.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she tried to sort through what had just happened when her door banged open again.
Noah strode inside and gave her a hard, punishing kiss. “Sawyers might fight, but they sure as hell don’t carry on affairs. I don’t have affairs.”
Bewildered, she could only stare at him as he once more marched outside. “I don’t have them either,” she finally said to the empty room.
Chapter Twelve
‡
Noah sat at the bar, nursing a pint of Guinness. To his right, a three-man band played a cover of 99 Problems, and to his left, a brick shithouse of a man, who had introduced himself as Alastair, was handing him his ass in darts.
“Par for the course,” he grumbled. His entire evening had been shitastic. From beginning to end. He could have handled her confession better, maybe even been more understanding, but her remarks had gotten to him.
There was no way in hell he’d ever compare to Romanov. Honestly, it didn’t matter who it was, he couldn’t compete with a man who held Kate’s heart. On his walk over, he called his buddy, Gabriel, but had forgotten about the time change and had to leave some bullshit message about getting the old crew together in the next couple of weeks.
Lame, Sawyer. Real lame.
“Pardon?” Alastair asked.
Damn it. All he wanted to do was play darts, nurse a beer for an hour to get over himself, and then head back home to Kate. There he could apologize and then pack his stuff. It was clear that she had no clue how he felt about her. Worse, he hadn’t had a clue until tonight.
“Sorry. I was being a sore loser.”
“Bad night, eh?” Alistair’s gaze flicked to Noah’s ring finger. “Fight with the missus.”
“Something like that.” Noah lined up his shot. “I think we both handled a situation poorly.”
“Care to share your troubles, mate?”
He would. He really would, but it didn’t set right with him to air his dirty laundry. Not to mention that Kate would be mortified.
“I’m good.”
“Must be difficult to be married to a woman who not only outranks you, but has more money than you could ever dream of making.”
Noah eyed the guy. Alistair looked slightly familiar but for the life of him, Noah couldn’t place him. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Alistair twisted his lips. “You are the bloke who married the Von Lichtenstein woman, right?”
“Nope.”
The guy nudged him. “It’s all right. I won’t say a word.”
It was time for him to leave. The thought of paparazzi coming after him like they had Kate made his stomach roil, and he sure as hell didn’t want them figuring out exactly where her house was by following him. “You can say whatever you want, but I have to go. Thanks for the drink and the game.”
Pulling out his phone, he headed outside to text a cab, a plan forming in his mind. He would have the cabbie drive him to a random neighborhood where he could get out and lose himself. Then he’d text another cab to take him home.
In his mind, it was the perfect plan.
“You won’t be needing that,” Alistair said from behind.
Noah spun around. “Leave me alone.” What the hell was this guy’s problem? He didn’t have a camera or a phone that Noah could see.
A dark car pulled up to the curb. Two familiar guys with visible guns got out, and Noah shook his head. He’d been tricked.
“Son of a bitch,” he swore, and then turned to Alistair. “You asshole.”
“Get in the car,” Alistair said pleasantly. “Or I’ll have my men help you.”
The look on Bing and Bong’s faces told him in no uncertain terms that they would be more than happy to help Noah out.
“I’ll get in the car, but my phone stays with me.” If Alistair pulled some funny business, at least he could call for help.
Alistair rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic, Noah. I’ve no plans to make my daughter a widow.”
That made him feel slightly better, so he climbed inside the car and waited for the trio to join him.
Alistair sat in the seat across from him, while Bing sat beside him and Bong sat upfront in the driver’s seat.
“I refuse to divorce her,” he said flatly.
“There won’t be a divorce.”
“Good.”
“The marriage will be annulled.”
Noah dug his fingers into his thighs. He had to stay calm. He was out numbered and had no clue as to where they were taking him.
“You can’t do that.”
“Watch me,” Alistair said smugly. “Not to worry, you will be handsomely compensated for your time.”
Noah gritted his teeth so hard that they
began to ache. “I don’t want to be compensated.”
“But you will be anyway.” Alistair removed a slip of paper from his pocket. “Here’s a receipt for twice what Kate had deposited into your account. I’ve already taken the liberties of having the funds transferred.”
“Stop the fucking car,” Noah shouted, jerking up on the door handle as the Mercedes slowed down. “I don’t want your money.”
“Everyone has a price.”
Noah flung the door open. “You can’t afford mine.”
“Take the money, Noah, and leave my daughter alone, or I’ll ruin you in ways you cannot even begin to imagine.”
Noah leaned in to him. “You don’t scare me.”
“Fine, then you leave me no choice but to ruin Kate,” he said, and Noah’s blood ran cold. There was no way in hell that Noah would allow Alistair to hurt the woman he loved.
Loved.
Well, it shouldn’t come as a shock to him. He all but spelled it out to Kate earlier this evening, only he’d been just as blind as she. Only a man in love would fly halfway around the world to save his marriage. Only a man in love would put up with snotty-ass friends and night after night of parties disguised as charity events. Only a man in love would—
“I’ll make her so miserable that she’ll have no choice but to turn to another. No choice but to—”
“You don’t know her at all. Do your worst, Baron.” Then he climbed out of the car and caught the first cab he could hail down.
*
He wasn’t coming home, she realized.
Kate peered out of the window and watched the curbside for a few minutes more. The neighborhood was quiet this time of night, and a cab would be easy to spot.
Headlights shone on the cobblestone street and her heart sped up, then sank to her toes when the car didn’t stop.
She was incredibly stupid to have let him go. Actually, she was incredibly stupid because her feelings had changed for him. She’d gone from friendship to affection to…
She exhaled, walking away from the window and clutching her robe in her hands.
It couldn’t be possible to feel so strongly for Noah in so short amount of time. Yet, here she stood, worrying about him, about his safety, about his feelings, and whether or not he would decide that her reserved nature was not to his liking.
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