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Authors: Dash of Enchantment
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precocious child to be
my father. I didn’t mean it to be like this, Wyatt, but you are too proper to
break your betrothal with Catherine, and I could not see any other way to it.”
Wyatt contemplated flinging the little heathen to the bed
and giving her the scare of her life, but his long-denied body warned that he
was very capable of doing more than scaring her. His gaze strayed to the creamy
curves rising above the flimsy fabric of her robe.
He seldom indulged in the pleasures of the flesh, and he
could not remember ever indulging himself with anyone remotely attaining this
girl’s magical beauty. He very definitely wanted her, but that wasn’t the
point.
“This is ridiculous, Cassandra. There must be another key to
that door. Why don’t you fetch it, and we’ll forget any of this happened. I am
marrying Catherine because she will run my home with little interruption of my
present life, because I need an heir and she will give me one, and because our
estates are joined. I do not wish to break my betrothal. Before you create any
further scandal, why don’t you let me quietly leave?”
Cassandra shrugged and boldly climbed upon the step to perch
on the edge of the high, canopied bed. Releasing her death grip on her robe,
she let the satin fell loose from her thin shift.
“I am not the one who would wish to make changes in your
life, Wyatt. Catherine is. She is tired of Kent and wishes to celebrate
becoming a countess by entertaining all of London. I have no such desire. She
is practically on the shelf, my lord, and will soon be too old to bear children
safely, I heard Aunt Matilda say. If that is so, you would have much more
chance of success at heirs with me. And you know where my lands lie.”
Her brother’s lands, not hers, but Wyatt did not mention
that small point. Despite the fact that she was artfully leaning forward to
reveal more of her lovely curves, she still appeared a confused child to him.
He doubted if she even knew what she would be expected to do to produce heirs.
Fisting his fingers, he advanced threateningly, leering at
the bare flesh revealed by her open robe. “Is that so, my lady? And what are
you willing to do to give me those heirs, Cassandra?”
Putting on a bold front, she leaned beckoningly toward him. “Kiss
me, Wyatt, and I will show you.”
Amused as she closed her eyes and pressed her lips primly
together for his kiss, Wyatt waited. “What else, Cass? Show me how you will
give me heirs.”
Cassandra opened her eyes and gazed at him in puzzlement,
before sitting up cross-legged in the bed’s center and glaring at him. “You’re
the one who wants heirs, my lord. I should think the matter was up to you. In
any case, it does not matter. They will come looking for us soon enough, and
you will have no choice but to do the honorable thing. Will you be dreadfully
unhappy to lose Catherine?”
Merrick wondered what would happen if he answered in the
affirmative. Would she set him free from this trap out of guilt? He rather suspected
not.
He really didn’t think he would suffer any great pains of
anguish from replacing Catherine with this treacherous but lovely little witch.
His mother would undoubtedly have the vapors. The servants
would probably all quit after a day of Cass’s improper escapades. His
reputation would be ruined. But he didn’t think any of that would disturb him
greatly.
But there was one thing he would insist on, and he doubted
that Cassandra had given it any consideration.
“You are asking to be tied to a man who prefers the solitude
of the country and the fidelity of a proper wife, Lady Cassandra. I don’t
drink, I don’t gamble, I don’t entertain lavishly, and I don’t exchange my wife
for the beds of others. You would find it an exceedingly tedious life compared
to the fast one you are accustomed to. Why don’t you just unlock the door and
end this charade, Cassie? If you have a problem, I’m certain we can come to
some more satisfactory
my father. I didn’t mean it to be like this, Wyatt, but you are too proper to
break your betrothal with Catherine, and I could not see any other way to it.”
Wyatt contemplated flinging the little heathen to the bed
and giving her the scare of her life, but his long-denied body warned that he
was very capable of doing more than scaring her. His gaze strayed to the creamy
curves rising above the flimsy fabric of her robe.
He seldom indulged in the pleasures of the flesh, and he
could not remember ever indulging himself with anyone remotely attaining this
girl’s magical beauty. He very definitely wanted her, but that wasn’t the
point.
“This is ridiculous, Cassandra. There must be another key to
that door. Why don’t you fetch it, and we’ll forget any of this happened. I am
marrying Catherine because she will run my home with little interruption of my
present life, because I need an heir and she will give me one, and because our
estates are joined. I do not wish to break my betrothal. Before you create any
further scandal, why don’t you let me quietly leave?”
Cassandra shrugged and boldly climbed upon the step to perch
on the edge of the high, canopied bed. Releasing her death grip on her robe,
she let the satin fell loose from her thin shift.
“I am not the one who would wish to make changes in your
life, Wyatt. Catherine is. She is tired of Kent and wishes to celebrate
becoming a countess by entertaining all of London. I have no such desire. She
is practically on the shelf, my lord, and will soon be too old to bear children
safely, I heard Aunt Matilda say. If that is so, you would have much more
chance of success at heirs with me. And you know where my lands lie.”
Her brother’s lands, not hers, but Wyatt did not mention
that small point. Despite the fact that she was artfully leaning forward to
reveal more of her lovely curves, she still appeared a confused child to him.
He doubted if she even knew what she would be expected to do to produce heirs.
Fisting his fingers, he advanced threateningly, leering at
the bare flesh revealed by her open robe. “Is that so, my lady? And what are
you willing to do to give me those heirs, Cassandra?”
Putting on a bold front, she leaned beckoningly toward him. “Kiss
me, Wyatt, and I will show you.”
Amused as she closed her eyes and pressed her lips primly
together for his kiss, Wyatt waited. “What else, Cass? Show me how you will
give me heirs.”
Cassandra opened her eyes and gazed at him in puzzlement,
before sitting up cross-legged in the bed’s center and glaring at him. “You’re
the one who wants heirs, my lord. I should think the matter was up to you. In
any case, it does not matter. They will come looking for us soon enough, and
you will have no choice but to do the honorable thing. Will you be dreadfully
unhappy to lose Catherine?”
Merrick wondered what would happen if he answered in the
affirmative. Would she set him free from this trap out of guilt? He rather suspected
not.
He really didn’t think he would suffer any great pains of
anguish from replacing Catherine with this treacherous but lovely little witch.
His mother would undoubtedly have the vapors. The servants
would probably all quit after a day of Cass’s improper escapades. His
reputation would be ruined. But he didn’t think any of that would disturb him
greatly.
But there was one thing he would insist on, and he doubted
that Cassandra had given it any consideration.
“You are asking to be tied to a man who prefers the solitude
of the country and the fidelity of a proper wife, Lady Cassandra. I don’t
drink, I don’t gamble, I don’t entertain lavishly, and I don’t exchange my wife
for the beds of others. You would find it an exceedingly tedious life compared
to the fast one you are accustomed to. Why don’t you just unlock the door and
end this charade, Cassie? If you have a problem, I’m certain we can come to
some more satisfactory
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