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She wants me as much as I want her. She may despise me, but her body is telling a different story entirely.
He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to pull her into his arms so that she could feel how hard he was already. How would her lips taste? He imagined opening her mouth further with his tongue, probing within, before trailing kisses down her neck. His hands itched to touch her breasts, feel their fullness, her nipples hardening and swelling with need…
Suddenly, she jerked back. Her face closed. The moment was gone. She turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Alexander ran a hand over his face. He was shaking. He could not remember the last time he had felt such an urgent need for a woman.
He took a deep, ragged breath. He had to find the earl and take his leave. Now. It was time to think things through and he wanted to leave the family alone. The earl would understand. But as he left the room, he still could not stop thinking about her and how soft her skin was. It might take a bucket of cold water to cool him down after that fleeting encounter.
***
Olivia threw herself across her bed, pounding her pillow with her fists. She was so confused she wanted to scream.
How could I have let him touch me in that intimate way?
For she knew she could have stopped it. She could have stepped back from him well before he had touched her. But it was like she had stepped into a web he was spinning around her. A dark, sticky web of desire that was binding her hands and feet.
She sat up on the bed, trying to catch her breath. She had wanted him to kiss her. And she knew that he was aware of it. She almost hated him more now, because she had given him power over her and he was a little drunk with the power he thought he had over her already. She did not want to give Captain Fletcher anything. The man did not deserve it.
He had insulted her again, telling her that he did not want to marry her either. Her blood pounded with anger at the thought of it. A man like him should think himself lucky to have been offered her. She was the granddaughter of an earl. He was a common man, even if he did have a drop of noble blood within him. She was so far above him that it was ridiculous.
And yet, that common man was going to become the next earl. As much as she despised him, she knew that her grandfather would be foolish to not gift him the title. It was not ideal, but it was better than nothing. At least the title would continue. That was very important.
Could she marry him, and play her part in preserving her family’s legacy?
Olivia’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of it. She wanted to marry for love. And she sensed that man was incapable of it. He had told her bluntly that he did not want to marry her either. If he did it, it would be under sufferance. Both of them would be miserable. How could she endure a loveless marriage just for this house and the title of countess? It would be like selling her soul to the devil.
She got up, walking to the window. Her grandfather had promised he would give her time to find a love match, at least. And if she succeeded, she knew that the joy of being with a man she loved would cleanse her of the guilt about the house.
Mama would understand. Her mother had always said that love was more important than anything in this world. She said that she would have lived in a hovel with Olivia’s father if she had to. Her mother had not cared about her father’s position at all. Mama of all people would give her blessing to a love match, even if it meant losing her beloved home.
She would have lost it anyway, if it had been sold off,thought Olivia, feeling a tiny pang of guilt.Mama would never expect me to sacrifice myself for a pile of bricks.
She took a deep breath. She felt better. She would throw herself into the upcoming season and see what transpired. And if nothing did, she would consider marrying that man for her family’s sake. She could only hope and pray that it would never come to that.
