Page 47 of A Deal with her Forbidden Duke
“Do—do not fluster me.”
“You fluster me.”
The admittance came unexpectedly. Madeleine gazed at Alexander, surprised, and even he looked it as well, as if he had not expected it.
“You have still not come to my chambers,” Madeleine whispered.
“Are you asking me to, Duchess?” His gaze was so intense on hers, searing her through, as though he burned off her skin with his own fire.
He leaned ever closer, his hand raised, as if to touch her. “All it would take is a small push of that door. But I will not come if not invited.”
“You are powerful,” she retorted. “Why would you not simplytake?”
“When I take you, Madeleine, I will have you begging for me, or not at all. I do not force, or take; I answer pleas.”
Her breath was quick and thin now, and it was all she could do to pull away from the hedge where he’d pinned her with only his stare at one hand on her wrist.
Her mind was tumultuous without him adding more images into her mind. But it was there: the thought of being pinned beneath him, his mouth on her throat, kissing his way down, down, down?—
“Madeleine.”
Alexander stood behind her, not deep enough to get lost in the maze but enough that he might follow her if he decided to.
“What?” she asked.
“Is this because of the gossip sheets? Say the word and I will have the writer ruined beyond measure. I will silence every mouth that dares form your name. Your name should be onlymine to speak, not theirs, and certainly not for reasons such as idle gossip.”
“It does not affect me.”
“You do not have to pretend with me.”
“I am not.”
But her throat was closing, and emotion rose in her. She should not have left the gossip sheet lying around in the library.
The gardens offered a reprieve—all until the master of the house had turned up to tease her.
She had gone from a respected lady of theton, to the target of gossip after Donald’s fall into debauchery. Now, she had only made matters worse by remarrying so quickly.
“Nobody knows your circumstances,” Alexander told her now. “They should not judge you for surviving.”
“I do not wish to discuss it,” she whispered tightly.
“Very well.” Alexander conceded easily, and that surprised her enough to turn around. “But remember my offer. Iwillhave them all destroyed. I know enough.”
“How?” she asked, curious, eager to take the spotlight off herself.
“Do not worry yourself with those things.”
She glared up at him before shaking her head and turning away.
I barely know anything about my husband, she thought.He is honoring my virtue until I choose it to be taken, but how can I trust him to do that when I cannot even trust him to tell me what his business is?
She shoved the questions from her mind before she moved deeper into the hedge maze, alone.
If she could get lost in there instead of her mind’s questions Madeleine would be far more content. Still, her thoughts lingered on one thought.
When I take you, Madeleine, I will have you begging for me.
