Read Online Claiming His Wife by Golden Angel - Free Book Online Page B

grown
up being spanked, obviously.  She had been resistant at first,
to having such discipline continue in her marriage, but she’d also
found that it was very different being spanked by her
husband.  There were aspects that she certainly enjoyed. 
Sheltered Irene had been horrified and frightened by her first
experience, and it had taken her some time to realize that Hugh had
actually not brutalized her when he’d disciplined her.  Now
she knew, and her and Hugh’s relationship was better than
ever.  She’d never actively court punishment, however, like
Cynthia was.  Cynthia’s enjoyment went far beyond anything
Eleanor expressed.  And then there was Grace herself, who was
confused by her reactions and wondering what it all meant to
Alex.
    Should she be worried that
he’d watched Irene being spanked? She considered the brief stab of
jealousy she felt for just a moment before dismissing it. There was
no way Hugh would be willing to share any significant part of his
wife. Grace had known him for too long to think that Alex had seen
anything worth her being jealous over. Cringing, she remembered
that she didn’t want to be jealous over anything to do with him anymore, she
shouldn’t care what he had done or seen with anyone. Not when she
still wasn’t sure of his motives.
    After behaving the way he
wanted and following his lead for the past few days, which had been
the easiest route when she’d been trapped in a carriage with him,
she was feeling much more rebellious.  So he wanted to
reconcile?  Perhaps he thought she would just fall in line, as
she had so far, but now they were no longer traveling and she had
some allies here.  If they were going to reconcile, they were
going to do so on her terms. 
    She refused to have a
marriage that was based on nothing more than his
business agreement with her father and his
need for a legitimate heir.  If he wanted to
reconcile only to show London that he had control over his wife,
then he was going to be sorely disappointed.  Perhaps he
thought disciplining her would keep her in line and that’s when he
decided to reconcile, but a spanking or even a birching wasn’t
going to keep her from behaving exactly as she wanted if he wasn’t
willing to give her what she needed from their marriage as
well.
    As if her thoughts had
conjured the devil, the door to Eleanor's drawing room opened, and
he was standing there, next to Lord Hyde.  Even beside Hyde's
dramatic dark looks, her eyes were still immediately drawn to Alex.
 His gaze skipped over the ladies in the room, landing only
briefly on Irene, but without the usual broad smile he reserved for
her.  Something in Grace's chest unclenched and she realized
how tense seeing the two of them looking at each other still made
her.  But for once, Alex was behaving the way she’d always
wanted him to; his attention didn't immediately go to Irene,
instead it passed over her after only a moment to land and fix upon
his wife.  Now she truly did believe Alex's apology, and
Irene's.  She'd appreciated both, but deep down, some part of
her had still doubted. 
    "Ladies," Lord Hyde said, with a
charming smile that encompassed the entire room.  A practiced
rake's smile, but the glow in his eyes was for Eleanor alone.
 The look he gave her was the way Grace had always wished Alex
would look at her.  "I just stopped in to inform you that
you're all invited for dinner, along with your husbands - and
future husband," he amended slightly as he glanced at Cynthia.
 She beamed happily at him and he smiled back before returning
his gaze to Eleanor.  "I've already told Cook and Mrs. Hester
to prepare dinner for eight."
    "Thank you," Eleanor murmured,
smoothing her hands over her skirt in an almost nervous gesture.
 She nodded her head at Alex.  "Lord Brooke.  Have
you met Miss Bryant?"  Gracefully she gestured at Cynthia, who
was staring at Alex with fascination.  Most likely because of
the information Grace had just