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Julie made a step farther into the room. She was wearing one of the enormous robes that covered every inch of her, the high neckline of her ruffled nightgown peeking out of it from above. She was wrapped in the billowing cloth, looking like a fluffy cloud. There was nothing seductive about the clothes she wore, but he was seduced, nonetheless.
“Good.” She smiled and took another tentative step farther into the room. She looked around as if seeing the room for the first time, and he realized it was, in fact, the first time she had ever come here.
“Is there something that you wanted?” he asked courteously. “Is Mary all right? Does she need something?”
“No.” She shook her head and smiled lightly. “Mary is quite all right. I put her to bed just minutes ago. I don’t think the fall through the ice impacted her at all. You were very quick at retrieving her.”
Robert nodded silently.What does she want then?
“I wanted to thank you—” she started slowly, but Robert interrupted her briskly.
“I thought I told you to cease thanking me.”
“—for saving her life,” Julie continued as if he hadn’t spoken.
“Anyone would do the same,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
“Nevertheless.” She continued advancing on him, shyly fiddling with her skirts.
“Is that all?” he asked, his voice slightly hoarse. The vision of her in her nightdress did unconscionable things to his imagination. “Is that why you came here?”
“No.” She bit her lip before rounding the desk and perching herself on one hip right in front of him. Robert leaned against his seat, creating as much distance as possible between him and his wife. “I thought we could talk,” she said idly fiddling with the papers on his desk and not quite meeting his gaze.
“About?” He narrowed his eyes on her and put his hand on top of hers, staying the motion. She finally lifted her eyes to his.
“About our deal,” she whispered.
“What about it?” His blood was rushing through his veins, pounding violently in his head. He was afraid he knew why she came here.
“I thought it was time we started our marital relations,” Julie said, confirming his thoughts.
She’d come to thank him for saving her sister’s life with her body as payment. Somehow the thought made him sick. He wanted her in his bed. Badly. But through the passing weeks, after everything they’d been through, he’d imagined her coming to him willingly. Not because of their deal, and definitely not as a payment for services rendered. It wasn’t fair to her; he knew. They had a marriage of convenience, and feelings were never part of the deal. He felt nauseous for wanting what he couldn’t have. Again.
“I thought—” she continued, but he stood abruptly, halting her mid-sentence.
“It’s not a good time,” he said, walking past her and stopping in front of the fire.
Julie followed in his tracks.“You are probably busy now,” she said delicately. “I apologize for interrupting, but maybe you’ll come to me after—”
“Why?” He whirled around on her.
“Why?” she repeated, looking perplexed.
“Yes, why tonight?” he asked in a menacing voice and saw as she stepped away.
“I told you I needed a few weeks to-to be ready, and now I am.”
“Are you?” he asked, advancing on her. “So, you won’t recoil from my touch?” He reached out to touch her face, and she instinctively drew away. “That’s what I thought,” he said darkly. More incensed with himself for hoping she wouldn’t.
“That’s not fair,” she said, her eyes glinting in outrage. She took his hand and placed it against her face. “You are scaring me on purpose.” She pressed his palm against her cheek, looking him squarely in the eye. “I didn’t recoil from your touch,” she said defiantly, stepping even closer. She was a few inches away from him, her bust almost brushing the front of his shirt. Robert’s self-control crumbled at that moment, and he drew her sharply against his hard body. She gasped at the sudden motion and put her hands against his chest as if to push him away.
Julie raised her head and looked into his eyes, wide-eyed, as he lowered his head to hers and took her mouth in a scorching kiss. He felt her stiffen beneath his arms. Her mouth froze under the onslaught of his kisses. He kissed her hungrily, the way he’d wanted to since that first time he’d kissed her in the bedroom of his Hampshire estate, hoping she would gentle in his arms and return his kisses. Her hands were gripping at his lapels, and he realized with an ache in his heart that she was holding her breath. He lifted his head and saw that she had her eyes tightly shut. She was disgusted by him, he realized with anguish. While he was tasting her like a ravenous wolf, delighting in the warmth of her body against his, she was enduring his kisses with tightly shut eyes, probably counting the seconds till this was over.
Julie finally opened her eyes and regarded him curiously. She took a deep breath, her lush breasts grazing against his shirt. Robert slackened his hold on her and stepped away. Julie put the back of her wrist against her mouth, just like she did in Hampshire when she wiped her mouth after the kiss. She didn’t move her wrist this time, just held it there for a moment as if he’d bruised her lips.
“Go to your room, Julie,” he said, turning away from her and walking back to his desk.
“Will you come to me tonight?” Her voice was unstable. She sounded horrified at the prospect.
“No,” he said with bitter resignation. “You are safe from me.”
“But I want—”
“Go, Julie!” he said irritably. He looked at her from beneath his lashes as if looking directly at her would hurt his eyes. She was breathing heavily, her face pale, stricken. After a moment of hesitation, she turned and fled the room. Robert lowered his head to his clenched fists. He really needed to go to London.
