Page 14 of Her Duke to Seduce
She narrowed her eyes at him, but the effect was somewhat diminished by the way her lips twitched, as though she were fighting a smile. Blast her, but she wasenjoyingthis. “You are being unreasonable,” she insisted, her chin lifting. “It is my life, Aiden. You have no claim upon me.”
That, at least, was true. He had no claim over her. Not yet. But she was his responsibility now, whether she wished to admit it or not. “You are right,” he said smoothly. “I do not have any sort of claim on you. But Idocare about what happens to you, and I will not allow you to throw yourself into an uncertain fate because you are too stubborn to see reason.”
Her gray eyes flashed, a storm brewing within their depths. She clenched that valise of hers even tighter and her knuckles had gone white. “I am not some helpless maiden who needs rescuing.”
Aiden took another step forward, forcing her to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. He saw the moment she realized she was trapped and had no where to run—he had effectively cornered her. She needed to understand that he would not let her slip through his fingers so easily. “No,” he murmured, his voice soft but firm. “You are not helpless, Felicity. But that does not mean I will allow you to do this alone.”
A muscle in her jaw twitched. “You cannot stop me.”
His lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. “You sound quite certain of that.” Aiden could not wait to demonstrate how wrong the little minx was in her assumptions. She had taken him by surprise before and he would not be so easily duped again.
She hesitated. Aiden could practically see the wheels turning in her mind, contemplating whether to make a run for it. If she tried, he would catch her. And this time, there would be no escape. Finally, she let out a frustrated breath. “Why are you doing this?”
Aiden reached for her valise, prying it gently from her fingers. She did not resist, though she watched him warily. “Because,” he said simply, “I cannot let you go.”
Her breath hitched, her eyes darting to his. Something changed in that moment. The air between them grew thick, charged with something far more dangerous than the battle ofwills they had been waging. She swallowed hard. “And what will you do with me now?”
Aiden lifted a brow. “Take you home, of course.”
Felicity let out a dry laugh. “Oh, is that all? I suppose I am meant to sit meekly beside you in a carriage like an obedient child, then?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of slinging you over my shoulder and tying you to the saddle,” he mused. He had only been half joking with that statement, but he was very tempted to act on that statement.
She gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
His grin turned wicked. “Wouldn’t I?” He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Darling, there is not much I would not dare where you are concerned.” He leaned back and met her gaze, then winked. Aiden could not help himself. She brought out his wicked side.
She studied him, as though weighing the truth of his words. After a long moment, she huffed in exasperation. “You are insufferable.”
“I have been told as much,” he agreed, utterly unrepentant.
Felicity sighed, rubbing her temples as if he were giving her the worst headache imaginable. “If I agree to return, will you at least grant me one concession?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “That depends on what it is.”
“I do not want to be forced into marriage,” she said quietly. “Iwill not.”
Aiden stiffened. He had been prepared for an argument, for another round of stubborn defiance. He hadnotbeen prepared for the soft plea in her voice. He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Is that what you fear? That I will haul you back and then you will be bartered off like a prize?”
She did not answer, but the flicker of uncertainty in her gaze was enough.
Aiden stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Felicity, I have no desire to force you into anything you do not wish for.” He chuckled darkly “ If I wished to trap you into marriage, I could have taken full advantage of the scandal you have already created.” His lips twitched. “But where would the fun be in that?”
She eyed him warily. “So, youdofind this entertaining.”
“Oh, immensely.” He sighed. “Tell you aunt how you feel. Surely she will understand that you do not desire marriage.”
She made a sound of frustration. “Do you not think I have already tried that? My aunt will not listen to me. She thinks I will change my mind when I meet the right gentleman.” Felicity snorted. “As if a man could make me reconsider such an archaic institution.”
Aiden did not know how to change this for her. He only knew he could not allow herself to run amok in the continent causing chaos. It wasn’t fair to the poor unsuspecting people she would encounter along the way. She might think her disguise worked for her, but anyone with eyes could tell that sweet derriere belonged to a woman.
“I will talk to your aunt if you think it will help.” He reached out, catching her chin between his fingers. He tilted her face up, forcing her to meet his gaze. “But make no mistake about this. I will take you back,” he said softly. “But only because you willchooseto come with me. Not because I am forcing you. You have to know how reckless your actions are and that you are only putting yourself in danger by doing this.”
Felicity swallowed, her pulse thrumming beneath his fingertips. “And if I choose to stay?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aiden leaned in, his lips a mere breath away from hers. “Then I shall simply have to change your mind.” A challenge. A promise. The spark in her eyes told him that she was more than ready to accept it too... Bloody hell—he should have known it would not be so simple. Felicity would not go with him now, but that was all right. He suddenly did not want to be anywhere else, and he could not wait to discover what she would do next.
Seven
