by Kari Miller
Katherine sat down on her bed and looked around the cottage with a look of utter defeat on her face. He couldn’t understand why she would want to continue living a life like this. The cottage had to be cold at night and he didn’t want to think about what the winters would be like. It was obvious that food was something that was not readily available and judging on the amount of food he saw her stuff into her small purse the evening before, he could tell that she was barely living. So why beg him to leave her alone? She should be grateful that he was returning her to civilization. Did she not trust him to take care of her? Of course she didn’t, she didn’t even know him. He had to find a way to earn her trust. What if she refused to give it to him? He would cross that bridge when he came to it.
“Katherine, it’s time to go. We have a long voyage ahead of us.” He tried to make his voice seem non-threatening and sympathetic.
She wouldn’t even look at him.
“Please reconsider. Or give me more time.” She tried pleading again.
He could tell by her tone that even she knew it was pointless.
He stood and flung her bag over his shoulder and then held his hand out to her.
“Come” is all he said, not really expecting her to take his hand, but he wanted her to know that it was there if she needed it.
As expected, she stood up and walked right past his hand and out the door.
It took them close to 30 minutes to get to the carriage. He locked her bag in a travel compartment, knowing she wouldn’t run without it and then helped her into the carriage. Instead of crowding her, he decided to ride up top with his steward, giving her time to let her situation sink in and hopefully to accept it as it was.
He wanted to put as much distance between them and Camden before stopping, knowing that she would feel uncomfortable being out in public so close to home.
Around midnight, they pulled into a small inn. He had his steward watch over Katherine while he booked their lodging for the evening. Once their luggage was brought to their rooms, he scooped Katherine into his arms and brought her to their room. He could tell that she was exhausted because she didn’t even flinch from the carriage to the bed. He noted the tear stains on her cheeks and knew that she had cried herself to sleep. He should have felt guilty, but he didn’t. She would be even more distressed waking up in the same bed as him, but there was no way he was chancing putting her in a room by herself and if he was being honest with himself, he could admit that he relished the idea of holding her in his arms and curling around her small body while he slept.
He gently slipped her out of her dress and left her petticoats on. Although she was thinner than he would like her to be, he still thought of her as a sight to behold.
After dressing into his nightshirt, he slipped into the bed next to her. Sipping his night cap, his thoughts ran ragged as he curled and uncurled strands of her silky hair around his fingers.
What was he going to do? She would not willingly bed him and knew that he would need to forcibly seduce her just so she could understand that his touch could bring just as much pleasure than pain. He could slowly condition her to crave his touch, so when it came time to bed her, she would be just as eager as he - but he didn’t see himself holding out for that long. She belonged to him now and was his to do what he wanted. If he wanted to bed her, it was his right. At the age of twenty-six, he was not in the least afraid of marriage. His bride to-be was beautiful, but more than that she had a spirit and a will to live that he admired. He tried to imagine how life had to be for her over the past two years and still when he came across her today, she was completely at peace - until he made himself known. He was even impressed at how she kept the cottage to resemble a homely atmosphere and managed to take care of all her needs independently. She was far from the aristocrat snob that was constantly being forced upon him wherever he went. She was down to earth and realistic. Once he broke down her walls, she would be the perfect wife for him. It was unfortunate that he had to force marriage on her prior to breaking down those walls, but he expected a battle and was well prepared.
With that last thought in mind, he snuffed out the lantern and cradled himself around her, possessively pulling her against him and wrapping his arm and leg around her before finding sleep.
Chapter 3 - Fire & Ice
Katherine woke and stiffened at once. She felt trapped. She was trapped in the arms of what looked to belong to a man. Memories of the day before slowly seeped back into her mind, which made her stiffen even more. Her Father’s lawyer had pretty much sold her to this man that was now wrapped around her like a boa constrictor. She had to admit that he was handsome, but his arrogance countered any attraction that she would have for him if not for his mouth.
Her Mother had fought tooth and nail with her father to keep her free from such betrothal contracts and here she was now practically wed to a stranger. Arrangements such as this happened all of the time in aristocrat society, and were well accepted. Because of arrangements like this however, there were very few marriages that included love. Most married couples would take their own lovers on the side and live in a marriage of convenience. Perhaps this is what she was to accept? She couldn’t say she loved this man and was not in any way jealous of any lovers that he may have. Maybe he would leave her alone and allow her to continue her life as is; only keeping her under his roof for appearance sake. Perhaps she would meet a man that she would fall in love with and take him as a lover on the side. The thought of actually falling in love with the man who was wrapped around her now was something she couldn’t conceive of. His arrogance alone would assure that she would do anything and everything to stay out of his way. She prayed he would not dictate her life and become overbearing. Her initial reaction when first seeing him was an instant attraction – she wasn’t blind. As soon as he opened his mouth and spoke, she immediately cooled down the attraction and felt more fear of her situation and dislike of the man who placed her in it. Perhaps she could try to run, but she really had nowhere to go. She could threaten not to repeat her vows before God, but he had a legal contract and would win in the end. Would he expect her to sleep with him? Perhaps she could encourage him to take up an in-house mistress and let her stay as far away from them as possible to give them some privacy? All she knew at this point was that she didn’t like the hold that he had over her, in her life and most certainly in this bed.
She was in her petticoats again and didn’t feel overly self conscience. She could be certain that he was no virgin and therefore had most likely seen barer bodies. She was not a prude and was realistic on so many levels, however, had he stripped her naked - that would have horrified her. She didn’t want him lusting after her. What she wanted was to be back at the cottage.
Her stomach growled from beneath his hand, prompting his thumb to slowly caress her stomach. He was awake.
“Please remove yourself from my person” She requested in the most arrogant tone she could muster up.
“No” he growled into her hair while snuggling himself closer.
She let out a heavy sigh and decided that physically struggling with him would do no good since he was much stronger than her, and it would probably only arouse him further than he already was. She felt his hard length stiff and pressing into her back. If he was a true gentlemen, he would have scooted backwards to try and disguise his arousal, but instead he pulled her into him more tightly. She probably should have been disgusted or at least scared of the unknown, but she had heard the maids and the servants speaking when they thought she wasn’t in the room. They were sometimes very crude in the re-telling of their nightly rumps in the sack, and it was through their recaps that educated her on the facts of life. Her girlfriends were clueless when it came to what happened between a man and a woman and she didn’t think that it was her place to say. From their recaps, she knew that the experience could be most pleasurable if one had the right partner, the problem was that she didn’t feel she had the right partner, and that’s what terrified her.
His lips touched her shoulder blade and lightly kissed it before detangling himself from her and giving a long drawn out stretch.
“I’ll order you breakfast and a bath this morning. You’ll dine in our room. I have to go out and pick up a few things before we continue on, so I will leave Henry to keep you company while I am gone.” He declared as he made his way out of bed.
Katherine rolled onto her other side so she could face and scowl at him.
“You mean you will leave Henry with me to assure that I won’t run” she corrected him.
He chuckled without turning back around to look at her. He rummaged through a bag and then pulled out some clothes.
“However you choose to look at it. Either way, he will keep you company in my absence, and I expect you to behave.”
Without warning, he lifted his night shirt over his head revealing his naked body to her virgin eyes.
“Dear Lord!” She cursed out before shutting her eyes and rolling back to her other side.
He chuckled his amusement but said nothing.
The brief glimpse that she got of his perfectly sculpted body was enough to burn into her memory for all time. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him which surprised her, given his size. He was larger than the average man and his manhood - which was still erect - was thick and long, something she didn’t see fitting inside of her. It was decided at that point that a mistress would make a very nice wedding gift to him; she would even grant him the honour of allowing his mistress to replace her on their wedding night! She shivered at the thought of him wanting more than companionship with her and buried her face even further into the pillow.
The bed dipped beside her and she felt his hand stroke her hair away from her face.
“You can look now” he teased.
“You could have warned me” she scolded him as she peered up at him with a scowl.
To her surprise, he gently placed his thumb on her eyebrows to try and sooth out the scowl.
“We are to be wed Katherine, get used to my presence and my touch.” He said gently as he continued to massage her crinkled forehead.
“Will this not be a marriage of convenience?” She asked hopefully.
Now it was his turn to scowl and she wondered why. To her, that was perfectly acceptable considering there was no love between them. She figured he would appreciate a non-clingy wife.
“I will forget that you even suggested that.” He said lightly as though he was trying to reprimand a child.
“How do you know we’ll even get along? I’m sure I can be quite difficult to live with. And I move around in bed throughout the night. I’m not like the women of the ton, whom snub their noses at the slightest sign of weakness and surely will not fit in with your friends or their wives. I’m much younger than you so therefore very immature, I’m sure. I have a habit of not being able to hold my tongue and am very hard-headed. I’m used to my freedom and cherish my independence. I am most certainly not wife material and can guarantee that you will quickly regret your hasty actions.” She pointed out, trying to reason with him.
He merely cocked his eyebrow at her and gave her a lazy smile.
“It’s not too late to tear up that silly piece of paper that, in all honesty, is nothing more than a ball and chain. If you are doing this to be honourable for some god forsaken reason, then I feel obliged to relieve you of that unnecessary duty. And know that I am perfectly happy living the way I was - alone. So don’t put yourself out on my account.”
There. She was sure that he must see the logic in what she was saying.
“I am at an age where I need to settle down and start thinking about an heir. If I am going to be chained to anyone Madame, I would rather it be to you. You will not sway me on my decision, so save your breath for another argument that I’m sure we will have.”
“But that’s just the thing!” She blurted out.
She could feel her temper rising and her face felt flush with anger. She sat up and scowled at him as she continued on in her tyrant.
“This is your decision, not mine! Doesn’t my opinion matter to you? Wouldn’t you prefer a woman who was actually willing to marry you?”
Why did he look unperturbed? Was he deaf? He just sat there looking upon her as though she was simply there for his amusement. He was smiling at her with his devil’s smile and truthfully, she felt as though he was undressing her with his eyes. Possibly this was his way of trying to throw her off her argument by making her feel exposed and weakened? Did he not know who he was dealing with?
“Stop looking at me like that! Don’t look at me as a woman but as a person, a person who in no way shape or form wants to be tied to anybody! Find someone else!”
“I must encourage you to save all that passion for our marriage bed Katherine. When you’re angry you look like a sexy kitten that I’m tempted to stroke, even though I know your claws will be sharp.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Judging on the look on his face, she could guess he was merely bating her. She could only blink at him in amazement. What would it take to shake his calm? How could she make him see that this is a terrible mistake that he is making?
“Are you possibly in need of a mistress?” She asked, knowing it would throw him off.
Gently bred ladies did not speak of mistresses and certainly didn’t suggest them to their husbands to be.
Now it was his turn to blink at her with a look of amazement on his face. Perhaps she was on the right path.
“Are you offering your services?” He asked in amazement.
She couldn’t help but laugh. Not just a small feminine giggle, but a full out laugh of hysteria!
“God no!” she managed through her chokes of laughter. “I’m merely suggesting that you take up a mistress and leave me alone!” she laughed out as she wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.
He still looked as though he was in shock.
“Please Lord Salvador; don’t pretend to be the prude. You don’t need a wife; you just need a woman to warm your bed. If you would like I can make a couple of recommendations.”
“I wonder if you will be so approving of a mistress after I have wed you, sweet Katherine” He said as he tried to pull himself together.
“If you still insist on wedding me, then I will insist that you find another woman to lay with you. Infact, I see no reason for us to share a bed - ever. So feel free to have me replaced in the marriage bed while I save up my passion for someone else.” She laughed out.
She knew she wasn’t being fair, but then again he wasn’t either by forcing this marriage on her.
Her laugh stuck in her throat as he suddenly reached out and grabbed her by the neck and pushed her onto her back.
“Don’t ever let me catch you with another man Katherine, ever!” He growled out as he tightened his grip on her neck and prowled over her.
Katherine’s eyes widened as she read the sudden fury in his face and felt his fingers gripping at her throat, threatening to squeeze the life out of her.
“You belong to me Katherine and I will not share you with another man. Furthermore, you will warm my bed whether you like it or not. And not only my bed Kat but wherever and whenever I choose and you will obey me.”
His nostrils were flaring and his face was contorted in pure rage. He looked like the devil himself, making her wish that she hadn’t tried to shake his calm. Now she knew that she was playing with fire and the devil wasn’t one to hold back and not let her get burned. A tear streamed down her face as he held her in place by the throat.
Without warning, his lips came crashing down onto hers. A small cry escaped from her throat as she felt her lips bruising. When she gasped for air, he slid his tongue into her mouth and increased the intensity of the kiss. Pulling back, he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and nipped it before pulling away.
He loosened the grip around her neck slightly, but not enough so that she could pull away.
“It takes a lot
to provoke my temper, but when provoked it is quite wicked, wouldn’t you say?” He growled into her face.
She couldn’t even think to answer with words. She could only nod her head and look everywhere but at his face - his eyes.
“Now you know one of my triggers. Let’s hope for your sake you do not repeat this trigger or find any of my others.”
With that, he released her neck and got off the bed.
Katherine remained frozen in place as though he was still holding her captive with his anger.
“Henry will be here in 15 minutes with your breakfast. Get dressed.” He ordered her as he stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him.
True to his word, Henry had arrived fifteen minutes later with a tray of food in his hands. Katherine was still in a state of shock and barely managed to clothe and brush her hair. At first she had simply sat up on the bed, dumbstruck and staring at the door that Salvador had stormed out of, while placing the tips of her fingers gently over her slightly bruised lips from his forced kiss. She would have never thought that she could bring out such anger in him by merely taunting a mistress and a lover in his face, how wrong she had been.
What kind of man was she to be married to? Although he appeared cold at times, he was for the most part calm in a teasingly manner. She could see the devil in him when he grew mischievous, but this morning she had witnessed that devil come to the surface and rear its ugly head. Katherine shivered and gently stroked her neck where she could still feel his fingers while eying the tray of food in front of her.
Henry strategically placed himself in the chair beside the door, nodding to the tray to encourage her to eat. Katherine was in all truth completely starved and knew he would not have to waste any more encouragement.