Page 81 of The Duke’s Unwilling Bride

Everyone gasps. Joseph steps between us, fury vibrating his frame. “You utter another word against my wife, and I will have your tongue cut out. As it is, you’re lucky to leave here on your own merit. Were I not a kinder man, I would have you run through. You own nothing. You are nothing. If you so much as cast your shadow on my doorstep, I will dispatch of you in the most painful way possible. Now retreat before I take leave of my senses.”

Asher shakes the Alphas off and storms out of the room, allowing the rest of the guests to breathe a sigh of relief. Motioning the butler over, Joseph converses with him for a moment before addressing his friends. They talk about the servant who accosted me, but no one seems to know where he went.

A shiver of fear races down my spine to know that the man responsible for this marriage might still be hidden somewhere in this house. Turning, Joseph gathers me in his arms, ignoring what the guests might think. His first priority is to comfort me.

“Johnson. I remember that name. He was the one that attended the lamps. Which is probably why he smelled so strongly of oil. I didn’t think much of it because…”

“Because,” I fill in, “as a duke, you have far more important things to worry about besides what each servant of your household does.”

“Precisely right. Though I do regret once more that I didn’t believe you.” With a heavy sigh, he shakes his head. “No one has seen him in the last day or so. I will have every inch of this house and all of London searched, but if he’s smart in any way, he will be long gone.”

“But how do you know he won’t come back?” Fear races through my body until I’m nearly unable to breathe.

Shushing me softly, Joseph purrs, unlocking my rigid muscles until I sag against him. “At the present, he is no longer here, my darling. Once word gets out about Asher, I suppose he will never show up again. But do not worry. No one, especially not some servant beta, will ever be able to touch you while you bear my mark on your shoulder. Ever. Remember what I told you. I own you, body and soul.”

To the guests, he gives a quick bow. “My wife will retire for the rest of the night. Please allow me to host you in her absence.”

Mama Foxford rises from her seat and joins me, clasping my hand in hers. To think that only a few months ago, I felt as if I had no family. And now, I have more love than I could have ever hoped for. It shores up my defenses as she and I leave the dining room.

CHAPTER 38

Teresa

I sit at my dresser, pencil flying over paper. Now that Joseph and his friends have searched high and low for the man who assaulted me and found nothing, I feel as if I can at least try to get on with my life. More than that, the servant who once followed me to keep me out of trouble, now keeps by my side to keep me safe.

It’s not the same as when I’m around Joseph, and it never will be. No other man can give me the same sort of strength and comfort as my husband. Either way, there’s no use jumping at shadows when all signs point to the fact that this rapscallion vanished without a trace.

In that same vein, Asher too is nowhere to be found. Joseph and I gathered everything of sentimental value and set up some servants for Mr. Stutton. That way he’s not walking into a devastation of a house. To that end, I’ve been able to settle into a much better rhythm—enjoying the life of a duchess instead of merely being a victim of it.

Humming softly, I shade in some of the veins that wrap around his cock, noting the difference between hard and flaccid. “Don’t you think you’re downplaying my girth just a bit?”

I jump, once more caught off guard by the cat-like prowling of my husband. Moving to gather them up and put them in the drawer, I squeak as his hand wraps around my wrist.

“Oh no, my little wife. I may have forgotten all about your little hobby with everything that’s gone on, but I demand an answer as to why you keep such meticulous records of my member.”

Shaking my head, I bite down on my lip to keep from giving up my accomplice. Who knows what will happen to Cynthia if Joseph finds out! And I so wish to keep her as a friend.

“Come now, my wife. I demand satisfaction. Besides, if you don’t tell me, I can always find out in other ways.” Closing my eyes, I turn my thoughts to other machinations, thoughts, and ideas, mundane things that have nothing to do with the matter at hand. “Is this how you want things to go? Very well. I’m able to indulge a bit and play with you.”

The way he says it leaves no doubt in my mind that this game will be far more enjoyable for him than for me. As if he’s reading my mind, Joseph wraps his hands around my arms, gluing me to the spot. He runs his nose up the column of my neck, scenting me loudly.

Already arousal gathers between my thighs, and I am powerless to stop him. “Strip and lay face down on my bed. I want your arse up nice and high.”

Trembling, I rise, not willing to add more to this delicious punishment awaiting me. My body cries out for his, even though he gave me completion just that morning. Though I’m not in heat, it’s as if I crave him every minute of every day.

Not exactly a bad thing, but seeing as I never wanted a husband to begin with, it’s certainly a sensation I never anticipated having. Crossing the threshold into his room, I remove my dressing gown, laying it over a large chair. Next, I grip my night rail in my hands and pull it over my head, placing it with my other clothes.

A shiver zips through my body as I do what he commands, the anticipation eating at me. Before too long, I hear the heavy tread of his Hessians as he walks across the wooden floors, pausing at the edge of the bed. Every molecule of my body screams for him, begging him to touch me.

But he doesn’t. It is, in fact, a dollop of lubricant that drips onto my upturned backside that I feel first. The blunt end of what I can assume is a dilator prods at my opening. This one feels much larger than the one he used on me in the club. My body wars at the sensation.

It thrills me, sending tendrils of excitement curling through my body. However, at the same time, it causes a niggle of apprehension to wind its way through my core. Working slowly, he pushes the dilator forward, filling me, stretching me. I moan like a wanton, my fingers digging into the covers.

“Good girl,” he croons, reaching below with his free hand to rub at my clit.

Arching back, I lean into his touch, fire racing through my body. Not only does his touch set me ablaze, but the turn of his thoughts run through me. It’s as if he’s performing the lewd acts onto my person instead of just playing them through my mind.

“Tell me about the drawings, my love,” he whispers against my fevered skin. “Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll give you pleasure beyond all reason.”