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He did not know what precipitated her actions last night, but she’d finally come to him. Emma was a woman that craved a life she did not know how to embrace. A life she would only indulge in behind a mask. And Elliot was going to peel back the layers for her. Strip her bare and reveal the woman of passion and boldness he had met last night.
How she had taken him for the night. With hot sweet hunger. Definitely not a girl anymore, but a woman of daring passions. He’d seen the loneliness in her eyes when she talked about wanting more. He could hardly tolerate the people he mingled with daily for business or even those in the ton, but at least when he went to his country seat, he had deep soul peace. Emma didn’t have that. When the chips had been stacked against her, the walls pressing in on her, she’d turned to him. That meant something, and he wanted to explore that. Elliot was sure her family would welcome his courting of Emma, but he wasn’t sure if she would.
He pushed from the bed and with practice ease, he dressed. For so long he had done without a valet, on most days he was still able to present a respectable picture without aid. Several minutes later, Elliot was riding his horse along the lanes of the countryside heading to his home in Kent. It made no sense to stay for the remainder of the house party, it had lost its allure. Now he needed to plan his campaign of how he would seduce Emma. She might even now be with child. Sweet Mercy. The pleasure that tore through him at the very image of her swollen with child. A rider approached, riding as if the devil were on his heels. Elliot frowned and slowed his mount as he recognized Anthony. What was he doing heading towards the countess’s property? Had something happened to Emma?
Anthony came to a shuddering halt and swept off his steed. Elliot dismounted his gut tightening. “Is it Emma? Is she well?”
“You dishonored my sister.”
He jerked to a stop at the words that barreled from Anthony’s mouth. Elliot stiffened. Anthony’s face was blank, his face carefully neutral, except for his eyes. They blazed with anger and knowledge. Too much anger. And it gutted Elliot to see it. Eight years ago had been the last time Anthony had warned him away, and he was still doing it. Except then he hadn’t been a Duke, but he was still not good enough in his best friend’s eyes. Elliot never thought it would hurt. But the feelings twisting in his gut was more than disappointment. “You don’t know what happened between us, Anthony.”
“Really? Emma looked thoroughly ravished to me,” he snarled, fisting his hands at his side. “You couldn’t have said no? She swished her scantily dressed body in front of you, and you lost your fucking mind?”
Elliot slammed his fist into Anthony’s mouth without hesitation, dropping him on his ass. Anthony was calm as he swiped the small speck of blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb. The man was like a brother to Elliot, but the raw violence that shimmered in his eyes, which were just like Emma’s, lacked brotherly affections.
Elliot held out his hand, and Anthony clasped his forearm as Elliot helped him to his feet. This was not how Elliot wanted the revelation of his and Emma’s relationship to come to light. Anthony was not a man to be trifled with. But it was more than that. Elliot did not want to hurt him. “Call me all the names you want. I will give you the fight you want, and we can pound the hell out of each here, at my home, or even at Gentleman Jackson. But don’t you ever speak ill of Emma,” he said sounding far calmer than he felt. “I promise I will hurt you if you do, friendship or not.”
“I deserved that,” Anthony admitted, then a cold smile curved his lips. “Let’s go now.”
He shook off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, shrugging out of it, and tossing his clothes on the grass, and Elliot cursed mentally.
Elliot smiled, accepting the cold burn of anger that pulsed through him. They hadn’t fought down and dirty in years. It had always been with correct form and perfect execution when they sparred. Elliot chuckled as he heard the cracking of knuckles behind him. It was about to get messy. And there was no way around it. He accepted that. There had always been an unstated code between them, sisters were off limits to ravishment. It would be Anthony’s right to issue a challenge or thrash him within an inch of his life.
Elliot shrugged from his superfine jacket and faced Anthony. The man was muscled, definitely more so than Elliot. But he knew he was faster, more vicious, and dirtier. Not that he wanted to fight to win, but Anthony would fight even harder if he thought Elliot was taking it easy.
He rolled back his shoulders, meeting the icy calm in Anthony’s gaze.
“You should have turned her away,” he said. “I know you recognized her.”
“I did.”
Anthony’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “I demand satisfaction, and you will marry her, or by God, I will call you out.”
Elliot needed to own his intention. The only person he would really worry about rebelling against his claim would be Emma. But he knew with everything in him she was strong enough, and she only needed to recognize it herself. She had an inner core of strength that she hid from the world. He had spied it over the years, and last night she had burned him with that wild, strong, beautiful vixen inside of her. She did not shy from his dominant nature, and he needed a duchess, a wife, a friend, who would never be afraid to defy him, to push back when needed. And that woman was Emma, and only her, she was a dove but also a lioness. Damn if he would hide it anymore. “I’m going to marry her.”
“You should have married her, and then, and only then, take what she must have foolishly offered. For honor and friendship sake, you should have found the willpower.”
Anthony’s fist snapped out, and Elliot’s head slammed back from the force of the blow. Bloody hell. He rolled with it, and when Anthony came under his flank, Elliot was prepared. They dipped and weaved, grappled with each other, and more than once got down hard and rough in the grass. Elliot was not sure how long they fought. But he lost himself in the moment, in the sheer beauty of fighting; trading blows that damn well hurt.
“Are we done?” he snarled to Anthony, gingerly feeling along his ribcage. It would be tender for at least twenty-four hours.
Anthony wiped at the blood that trickled from his nose, eyes narrowed and chest heaving. Elliot saw the knowledge in Anthony’s eyes that they were evenly matched. They had both been taking it easy with each other. Friendship and all. Though Elliot could feel the bonds of that friendship straining and trembling, and he prayed it did not break.
“She will not marry you, despite her being ruined. I would be a poor friend to allow you to hope in vain.” Anthony sounded truly sincere.
“I mean to persuade her,” replied Elliot. And it was an unpleasant thought, offering up his heart once more to a lady who truly did not seem interested in it. He realized that the dart of apprehension which was arrowing through him was decidedly unpleasant. But he would not run from it, the chance to be with her forever would be worth it.
Anthony scrubbed a hand over his face. “To do something this stupid and reckless proves how much she wants you. However, you will not succeed in persuading her heart to marriage. We’ve thrown four suitors at her overs the years, all of good family, with wealth and connections. She’s rejected them all. Now she is of age with her own money, I truly fear she means
to travel to America and away from father’s constant pressure to use her to elevate our family further.”
Elliot stumbled toward the large oak tree and leaned against its massive trunk, hating to remember her certainty of one night.
“What will you do?”
Elliot schooled his face and glanced at his friend. He felt gutted, but Anthony didn’t need to see it. “I will approach your father and make an offer.”
Emma belonged to him. And he would prove it. Not to Anthony or her father, but he would prove it to her. “But I will speak with her first.”
