Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

C hristine lay in her bed. She stared at the door, waiting for the Duke to burst through it, and her stomach churned every time she thought she heard a noise. Goosebumps rose every time she thought of him. Her insides tangled themselves into knots, too. She knew it was a night to be enjoyed but wanted it to be over, so there would be no more anticipation. The anticipation was killing her.

Why has he not come for me yet? Is this how it is done? The man makes the woman wait for as long as possible.

Christine got out of bed and looked down at herself—she was not a vain woman, but she knew she looked good. Her nightgown was incredibly comfortable, but it was not a piece of clothing designed to be slept in—it was clothing to be admired and then removed.

He must be doing it to annoy me. That is all he has done since I met him. He means to have me wait for as long as possible and then come to my room when I am asleep.

She took her robe from the hook and put it on over her nightgown. The house was quiet when she opened the door a crack, and she stood there a moment and listened. When she was sure no one was in the corridor, she exited her room into the dimness.

Christine wanted to stride through the house as he would, not caring about the noise and announcing her arrival, but the thought of what she was heading toward stiffened her body, and she crept as quietly as a mouse in case she was caught.

Caught by whom? The Duke?

Oil lamps flickered with barely a flame on the walls, just enough to see where she was placing each foot. When she turned the corner and saw some light spilling from an ajar door up ahead, she let out a slow breath. As soon as her muscles relaxed, they immediately tensed again.

She had found him, she was sure of that, but that revelation came with the knowledge of what she had gone in search of.

Christine stood up straight, pushing her shoulders back. She balled and un-balled her fists, getting the blood moving in her arms, and moved her head around to stretch her neck.

This is my wedding night, and I have a duty. I will not be intimidated by him or the act. This is exactly where I am supposed to be.

Christine stepped forward before she lost her nerve, placing one foot in front of the other until she reached his open door. There was no plan in her head, but she found that she did not knock—Christine pushed the door open farther and stepped into the light of the room.

She opened her mouth to say something, but it did not comply and hung open at the sight of the Duke. She had not expected him to be shirtless. Perhaps after she had announced what she had come to do but not on entering the room when she was not ready for it.

The Duke did not seem surprised and looked up over the document he was reading as if he had been waiting all along for her.

He held the document before him, and while it shielded him a little, there was enough of his naked torso for Christine to explore. He sat in a large chair in the corner of his room, leaning slightly to the side, creating a fold in his side that displayed his subtle muscular shape.

Christine found herself staring at the small valley in his skin, wanting to run her finger along the fold. Her eyes were drawn to his shoulders, round and smooth like cannonballs and just as tough. He was her husband, but there was something shameful about appearing in his room and staring.

She cleared her throat to finally say what she meant to say, but when the Duke removed the document from before him, she lost the ability to speak again. It was obvious how broad his chest was, and there were hints of the muscularity from his arms and shoulders, but she was not quite prepared for it.

Tufts of hairs were drawn across the flowing landscape like long grass in the fields surrounding the estate. She found herself lost in them, her pupils moving in serpentine paths as they wound their way in and out of the labyrinthian swirls. Then, she took in the whole, needing to place her hands on his body and feel his warmth.

She might have stumbled forward and taken hold of him if he had not been the first to speak.

"Yes? Can I help you, Duchess?" the Duke asked.

Christine was finally snapped out of her daze, and her eyes shot up to his. Yet, there was no horror in her chest. She did not feel embarrassed to be looking at him. It was not because they were married but because he seemed to be enjoying it. He liked to be looked at, and she liked to look at him.

Yet, his words were jarring and obviously intended to provoke.

"Yes, you can help me." Her eyes remained locked with his, and her fists found their familiar place on her hips. "This is our wedding night, and I have come here to do my wifely duty."

"Then it would seem you have come here to help me," the Duke stated.

It was a challenge; Christine could see that now. He had purposely not come to her room to provoke a reaction and have her come to his room, and now that she had, he meant to have her do all the work for the both of them.

Is this how he treats every woman he has in his bed?

Her eyes lost his for a moment as they flickered to his bed, but she quickly brought them back to the Duke, trying not to look at his chest again.

"I have not come here to help you," Christine stated. "I have come here because it is my duty. It is your duty also."

"Is that so?"

Christine was unable to keep her eyes locked with his when the Duke stood. His torso seemed to grow broader and more muscular, and there was nowhere she was able to look except at his chest.

"Y-yes," Christine stammered. "It is my duty, and I shall not shy away from it."

"You shall not shy away from it?" The Duke chuckled.

Christine lost herself in that glorious chest again. A dim heat, reminiscent of the oil lamps in the hallways, was burning inside her at the sight of her husband without his shirt, but his curt laughter caused the muscles in his chest to tighten in ripples like waves lapping at the shore, and they were hypnotic.

It took a couple of seconds for her mind to catch up and realize he had laughed at her comment. She looked back at his eyes again and found there was no humor there. She did not have the chance to be offended by the audacity of his laughter. There was a darkness in his eyes, something primal.

Her insides pulled tight at the look he gave her, but within that, the small flickering flame still burned, and she imagined what he might do to her. She had come to do her duty, but the look he gave her told her she would not have to do anything. He would be the one to do it all, to devour her and take her just as he should, now that they were married.

Please! Take me now and let this be over with, for I don't understand what this dance is between us.

"There is no duty," the Duke told her. "We are a man and a woman. We do as we please, do we not? Do you do everything society tells you to do?"

"N-no." Christine was pinned to the floor under his gaze.

"I certainly do not," the Duke told her. "Did you come here because you wanted to or because society expects you to?"

"I came here because I knew you would expect it."

"Is that so?" the Duke asked.

The way he said the words made Christine want to scream.

"So, you didn't come here because you wanted to come. You imply that you came because I wanted it, even though you do not know the first thing about what I want, but in reality, you came here because it is expected from the rest of the country. Is this how you are to live your life, Christine? Are you to do the things you do not wish to do? Will you be told what to do for the rest of your life?"

It felt like he had set her free. She had been entranced by his muscular stature and the desire to see the rest of his body, even if she was unsure about what came after, but the way he spoke to her reminded her that he was not special. He might be the most handsome man she had ever met, and she was now married to him, but he had done her a service with his devilish tongue.

"I do as I please." Christine quickly realized what that meant in the situation and added, "I came here of my own volition, but if you do not wish me here, I shall leave happily."

The Duke did not move, but his tall presence before her made it seem as if he had taken a step closer. Perhaps the room had shrunk around them.

"You came here of your own volition?" the Duke asked.

Every time she repeated her words, Christine regretted saying them. He held a mirror up to her, reflecting her words back and helping her to see what he saw. He saw straight through her, no matter how confidently she spoke or acted.

"So, you wanted to come here to make love to me? Is that it?" the Duke asked.

Christine knew full well she had come because it was her duty. A part of her wanted to experience the act, especially with someone so handsome, but she had not come because she wanted to lie with him and for them to pleasure each other. Her true motivations were societal expectations and wanting to get it over with.

Yet, she was locked in another battle with him now, and she would not back down from it and be shown she was wrong. She knew he would do the same if the tables were turned.

"Yes, I came here to make love to you." Christine's heart fluttered at the thought of it. She wanted to touch his chest, and she wanted him to touch her. She did want the pleasure, but it was not what drove her to his room.

"Come here then," the Duke commanded.

Christine wanted to defy him, but to defy the command meant he would be right about her intentions. It was a lose-lose situation. Yet, one loss came with pleasure.

She stepped forward toward him and untied the front of her robe without being commanded. She let the robe slip from her shoulders and fall to the ground, displaying her new nightgown in all its glory.

Her heart beat quicker when she saw the look in his eyes change. He could not help but look down at her body, and Christine smiled briefly while he was not looking at her face.

I know this is not a competition, but what happiness it brings me to even the playing field.

Christine almost jumped back when he moved to her and grabbed her waist. She let out a gasp as he gripped her tight and then moved his hands up to her breasts. She tried to stay in control of the situation, but her body betrayed her. Her nipples stiffened, and the goosebumps rose again wherever he touched.

Then, a new feeling was in her core, and she became worried that she was leaking. She did not know what was happening, only that she wanted to be touched where she was becoming wet. She wanted to submit to him, to give her body willing and let him do what he pleased with her. She did not care about pleasure anymore. She had experienced enough in the few seconds he had been touching her to sustain her desires.

She wanted to tell him to get it over with, but every fiber of her being also wanted him to slow down and show her what pleasure really was. She wanted to be in his bed for the night and into the next day and spend weeks with his body, exploring each other as a husband and wife should.

"So, here we are," the Duke said. "What are you waiting for? This is the moment when you kiss me."

Christine fought the tremble in her body and moved forward slowly, placing her lips chastely before removing them.

The Duke chuckled. "My dear, that is not a kiss. Allow me to show you how this is done."

His lips pressed to hers, and she closed her eyes in an attempt to enjoy it all. The aromas of his body invaded her nostrils, and she could hear his deep breathing as he became pleasured, too. His touch was all over her body, and she refrained from reaching out and touching his chest even though it had been the one thing she wanted when entering the room.

If she overloaded her senses anymore, she would explode from it all. She had to retain some control even if she was almost entirely lost to him.

Christine let out a moan as they kissed, and she could not feel her own body anymore. There might have been goosebumps or fluttering in her stomach, or her heart could have skipped a beat. She could feel none of it. She could only feel pleasure, and she knew at that moment that she could put up with anything he did or said if he could make her feel that way.

The Duke grabbed her breast through her shirt, squeezing it roughly.

"Ah!" Christine gasped.

Her reaction was to the pain from the squeeze, but the pain as fleeting, quickly replaced by pleasure.

Her world came crashing down when she stumbled backward, and it took a moment to realize she had been pushed back. She did not need to remind herself that she was in a marriage of convenience; the Duke's touch had reminded her just fine.

The Duke stood before her, panting like a wild animal. She waited for him to attack her again, but he didn't move. She did not go to him, knowing that it was over for the night.

"I… what did I do wrong?" Christine panted. "I don't know about these things. You must teach me."

"It is time for you to leave," the Duke said quietly.

"I don't understand." Christine suddenly felt very naked in only her nightgown and clamped her arms across her chest.

"Leave!" the Duke ordered.

Christine jumped. She quickly grabbed her robe from the floor and clasped it to her chest. "Please, if you just tell me what?—"

"Let's not pretend anymore," the Duke told her. "This is a marriage of convenience and nothing else."

Christine wanted to cry, and she caught a flicker of something in the Duke's eyes as if he wanted to do the same.

"We have separate rooms for a reason," the Duke continued. "We do not need to share a bed, not tonight or any night. I have no need of an heir, so we do not need to have any children. That might upset you, but?—"

"Upset me?" Christine had lost herself for a few minutes when he had touched her, but now, she had fully regained her wits. "It is a relief!" There was some truth in her words, but not the full truth. "I don't need a family. This arrangement will suit me just fine. Thank you for being straight with me. I shall return to my room and sleep. I am ever so tired."

"Good!" the Duke spat. "Then we are in full agreement."

"We are in full agreement!" Christine shouted back as she ran from the room.

As she stormed back to her room, feeling rejected, she cried. Their agreement felt like anything but.