Chapter 10

" W ho in God's name is causing all of this racket?" Aaron thrust his book aside on the desk in his study and stood.

Three days had passed since the game of badminton. Three days of peace and quiet that had suddenly been interrupted by an unholy row. Even Marina had been avoiding him since the game, yet now there seemed to be something else happening downstairs.

"Can a man not have some peace?" He grumbled under his breath. Trudging from the study, he made his way across the hall and down the stairs where a circus seemed to be unfolding before his eyes.

"What is going on here?" He yelled above the noise as footmen and maids scurried to catch animals of all shapes and sizes.

Several balls of fluff that were almost unidentifiable between cats and dogs, scurried in all directions, kicking up a fuss as servants tried to restrain them.

"Where did these animals come from?" he barked at a passing footman who had just managed to restrain one of the smaller balls of fluff.

Panic filled the man's eyes as he came up straight with a small white dog in his hands. "A carriage from the Wallace residence arrived just a few moments ago, Your Grace."

"And you thought it a good idea to bring the creatures inside!" He felt his irritation rising when he recalled all the animals he had seen in the baron's house.

"Not me Your Grace. We were instructed to bring the animals in by a footman of the baron's; he said it was of the utmost importance that he does not return with the animals." The man stood to attention and attempted not to flinch when the dog began to wiggle and lick his face.

"And what of cages? Did they travel in the carriage like royalty?" He could not believe what he was seeing and hearing when a small grey dog began to chase an orange one up the stairs.

"There were no cages, Your Grace. The man simply handed them to us one at a time." He swallowed hard now, trying to inch the dog away from his face.

"How many of these blasted creatures are there?"

"I am not sure, Your Grace, we lost count." The footman lost the battle as he resigned himself to being licked on the cheek in repeated motions.

A very large cat that he recalled from Marina's home flicked its tail at him in passing and hissed.

Aaron had a mind to turn around and leave if it had not been for Marina who suddenly appeared at the foot of the stairs.

"My babies! I thought they would never arrive!" She lifted the hem of her dress and rushed forward as a very small and annoying dog ran into her arms.

The fluffy grey creature licked her face, jumping in its hind legs as it yapped incessantly amidst Marina's giggles of delight.

The ache in his head only began to grow when two footmen carrying a very large cage ambled past him.

"Where would you like us to put this, Your Grace?" The elder of the two men asked Marina, not even bothering to include Aaron in the decision.

"You may set him down in the parlor. Henry the VIII likes to be in open spaces where he can overhear plenty of conversations." She gave the dog a final hug before pushing herself up and dusting off her dress. The number of tiny hairs that fell to the floor made Aaron's skin crawl.

"Henry the VIII?" He asked with a small shake of his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb.

Marina expressed a light giggle that caught him off guard. He had never seen her so giddy about anything at all. "Henry the VIII used to be called Blue."

"That is quite a jump." Aaron began to wonder why he was even entertaining the nonsense when a fluffy white cat shot across his boots.

A slurry of yelling footmen and maids came rushing past them, yelling for the cat to stop.

Aaron had to take a step back in an attempt to avoid being knocked over by the hoard.

Glancing in the direction of the chaos, Marina shook her head and carried on as if nothing strange had occurred at all. "Anyway, like I was saying, he used to be named Blue, because of the color of his feathers. We tried to get him several companions over the years, but they all ended up dying. Thus, we renamed him Henry the VIII." She nodded her head triumphantly as if she had made perfect sense.

Taking a moment to stare at her with his head cocked to the side, Aaron contemplated all of the ways that everything she had said infuriated him.

"It is a perfectly normal name for a bird, I can assure you of that." She bit on her lips, suppressing a smile that only furthered his anger.

"I am fairly certain that it is not. What I would rather know, however, is why you have seen fit to bring a literal menagerie into my home?" he narrowed his eyes at her and clenched his jaw.

Marina's eyes widened with wonder. "A menagerie would be a wonderful thing! Can you just imagine how many beautiful birds I could own? They could fly freely above our heads while we enjoy our tea in an exotic garden." Her cat-like blue eyes sparkled with dreams of flying birds.

"More birds for Henry to execute?" He grumbled under his breath and shook his head.

Clearing her throat, she sobered up. "Henry will not kill any more mates. He is a reformed bird."

"Was this a conversation that you had with him personally? Because if so, I would love to know how that went." He began to tap his foot impatiently at the ridiculous conversation he was having.

"Well, I spent an awful lot of time telling him how…"

"I did not mean it literally!" Aaron gave her an incredulous look, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

Marina's cheeks filled with color as she shut her mouth.

This woman is going to be the death of me.

"I warned you about bringing animals into my home. Did I not?" He felt his irritation growing when the same gaggle of servants from earlier came back into the hall carrying the white cat.

Reaching out instinctively, Marina took the cat from a maid and gently stroked her fur. "There were a lot of things that were promised at the start of the marriage." She glanced at the servants and waited for them to leave before continuing. "One of them being an heir. I hesitate to remind you, but the sooner you provide me with a child, the sooner I will be able to return to my mother and sister."

"You can't just change the agreement because things are not going your way!" He took a step forward and stared at her.

"Bloody bastard!"

Aaron stopped in his tracks with his mouth slightly agape. "What did you just call me?"

Blushing deeply, Marina attempted to hide behind her cat. "It was not me, Your Grace. It was Henry."

"Bloody bastard, bloody bastard!" The chanting echoed from the parlor, carrying into the entrance hall.

"One of the many conversations that you have had with the bird?" He turned back to Marina with his eyebrows raised.

"Of course not! He picked it up from the current baron of Wallace. He has quite a temper on him. I would never say such vulgar things." She raised her head defiantly.

"Then I think you had better have another one of your little conversations with the bird. What if we have important guests over?" He suddenly realized that he had unwittingly given permission for the animals to stay.

The corners of her mouth curved into a smile. "Then I would hope that our guests have a good sense of humor." She placed the cat on the floor and watched it dart up the stairs before sauntering triumphantly into the parlor.

How did we get here?

He went over the conversation in his mind before shrugging it off and marching into the parlor. "I will not tolerate these animals in my home. They must go back to where they came from at once!"

Marina stood beside the cage, rubbing the beak of a very large bird that seemed large enough to remove a finger.

"The birds will stay as long as I do, Your Grace. The choice is yours as to how long that stay will be." She turned to him with a sweet smile that made something in his chest shift.

"You should be careful what you wish for, wife." His voice suddenly dropped to a dangerously low tone. What was this power that she held over him where she could awaken his desires with a simple smile? He had spent hours over the past few days trying to avoid her, yet even when he was mad at her, he could not help but want her.

Marina dropped her hand from the bird and looked at him. "Or what, Your Grace?" She backed away from the cage when Aaron began to advance on her.

"Or I might just make good on my promise." He stopped in front of her and raised an arm above her head when her back was pressed against a wall.

The dark look of passion in her eyes almost sent him over the edge as he looked down at her, resting his forearm on the wall above her head.

Her chest rose and fell with every breath as she parted her lips ever so slightly. "Isn't that part of the agreement, Your Grace? That you should sire an heir. Our marriage will not be consummated until you do."

Aaron allowed the corner of his mouth to hook into a smile as he raised one hand and ran the back of his finger over her jawline. "And what does a lady like you know of consummating a marriage?" His eyes dipped to her perfect lips, wandering to her slender neck before resting on the perfect shape of her breasts.

"I… I do not know much, but I do know that it is more than what you have already given me." Her voice was low and breathy, almost husky as her eyelids fluttered a few times.

Leaning in closer, Aaron pressed his body into hers, enjoying the subtle gasp that escaped her lips. "And when I do decide to consummate this marriage properly, will you obey my every command?" His finger traced a path down her jawline to her throat, stopping at the swelling of her breasts above her corset. The plump flesh made him draw his lower lip into his mouth as he breathed in the warm scent of her skin.

"I…" Her breathing deepened even further when he brought his lips closer to hers.

"You what?" He demanded more firmly, bringing his free hand up to her waist where he gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I shall obey your every command when the time comes…" Her eyes fluttered shut as she turned her head to the side, exposing her slender neck.

His passion almost overtook him as he pressed the full weight of his body into hers before dipping his head to her neck.

The tiny gasp of pleasure that escaped her throat, drove him on as he pulled his lips over the tender flesh of her neck. "How badly do you want to become my wife?" He growled against her throat, dragging his hand up the side of her body before placing it around her neck.

Her breasts pressed against his chest with every labored breath that came from her lips. "More than you know." She seemed to be in a trance when he moved his hand up her throat and over her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes as he spoke.

"I will make you mine, Marina… Do not regret your request when I make you crawl to me…" He expected to see fear in her eyes, yet the desire that darkened the deep hues of blue only proved to flame the fire in his chest.

She is so beautiful.

His thoughts almost betrayed him when he leaned in closer for a kiss, brushing his lips against hers.

"Shit! You bloody bastard!" The bird squawked uncontrollably, seemingly losing his mind in his cage as he flapped his wings.

Realizing how exposed they were in the open parlor, Aaron let go of her chin, stealing one last glance at her before taking a step back.

Marina's daze seemed to lift as well as she pushed herself up from the wall and struggled to regain control of her breathing.

Licking over his lips, he turned toward the bird. "That thing shall be kept in a room far away from quests, you may bring him out when nobody is here." He tried to focus on his breathing, needing to calm the fire she had ignited in his loins.

She simply nodded while letting out a deep breath.

"And as for the cats and dogs, the moment I see any ‘mess' in the house, they shall be banished to the barn. The only reason I am not doing so now is because of our agreement."

Her chest still rose and fell as she breathed, seemingly unable to speak. The rich color that had filled her cheeks made him want her even more when he realized that she had been just as taken by the situation as he had.

How is it possible for her to want me?