“I shall ignore you likening me to other men for the moment.” He stared at the fire for a minute, appearing lost in thought. “That’s it. Giving control.”
“No, thank you.”
“Let me explain. You give me control for this. If I cannot bring you to orgasm, I offer advice on your business and an interest-free loan, with no profit-sharing. But if I can change your mind about having missed something, you must give me a stake—silent partner only with as much or as little advice as you want.”
Could she live with a man as a silent partner? Would he even know if she orgasmed if she stayed still and quiet? She did not know enough about it, despite her very frank cousin.
“Oh, and let me warn you. Your body does not lie. There are involuntary muscle movements during an orgasm that cannot be faked.”
Oh my, he’s a mind-reader as well as an arse-reader. “Why are you offering this after I refused earlier? Do you not have a line of people waiting for your time and blunt?”
He smiled. “As you well know, I do not need the money. But I do need to see every woman I know enjoy her body and her sexuality. To hear that you disbelieve you can hurts me deeply. Why do you think I have these parties? Everyone should enjoy life, and especially sex. ’Tis the same reason I pushed Michael to ask Penelope for her hand, regardless of the differences in their backgrounds.”
****
Evan hoped using mutual friends as an example would help. He thought about also referencing his servants, given their brief conversation about Beth and Franklin.
Instead, he held his breath. Silence was most often a stronger position.
His inner voice argued with him.Why offer such a one-sided wager given the circumstances? I am so tired of people wanting my money or my body, but not my brain or my heart.
Wait.
Heart?
Where did that come from?
Althea was quiet for long enough that when she opened her mouth to speak, he knew she’d refuse.
“No. Thank you for a very kind offer, my lord.” She gave him a wry look. “But I don’t believe there are any circumstances in which I’d be comfortable with a man as a partner, silent or otherwise.”
She is that leery of a man taking over? Her first marriage must have chafed. Wait, if she sees no circumstances, that includes a second marriage.How could men make so little effort and keep women so uneducated that sex would not even be a factor in a woman’s desire to remarry?
His inner devil laughed at him. He had been bored by sex until Althea arrived, and he never wanted to marry, albeit his reasons were different.
“You have no plans to remarry then?” He tested his theory.
“No.”
The more he learned, the more intrigued he became, despite his wariness. If she had no plans to remarry, perhaps he could seduce her into a no-strings dalliance, as well as gain an investment opportunity. ’Twas all about the negotiations. After all, were negotiations not games and games a form of bargaining? He revised his plan for the evening entertainment yet again.
He needed more details. “May I ask why?”
She slid him a look, as though she considered not answering, but then said, “My parents—my father, really—was very strict with me. He is a religious man and believes piety and serenity are the most important traits in a household. When I violated those traits, he decided it was time for me to marry, and rather than go to his peers he chose from his church in our country seat.”
“Hischurch?” Evan interrupted.
“I have no issue with God, or the Goddess, or Yahweh, or what anyone wants as their religion. But I found his church equated serenity with the man ruling the house and the women and children being near-silent.”
“Ah. My apologies, please go on.”
“I married Thomas. He was more open to discussion, but ultimately, the decisions were his. For everything. I had the utmost respect for him, and we grew to love one another. However, I shan’t subject myself to a man’s rule again by choice, not after the freedom I have now. ’Twas easier going from my father’s household to his.”
“I understand more now. Thank you.”
I understand more why she dislikes the idea of a business partnership, but that doesn’t negate that she’s here for money like the rest of them.
After learning her reasons, he knew they were unlikely to reach a business agreement. But she had piqued his interest from the moment of her arrival, and the more she stated her lack of interest in sex, the more he was driven to prove her wrong. He had not misinterpreted her look in that upstairs hall last year. There had been arousal mixed with guilt in that flush on her cheeks, and while she might not have realized it, the points of her breasts poking through her gown had removed any doubt.
