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Her gaze traveled down the ridges of his rippling abdominal muscles, begging to be traced by eager fingers. A trail of hair descended from his navel to his…
Oh, my!
Victoria hastily averted her eyes, unwilling to openly ogle the magnificent display of manhood, even as her pulse raced wildly and a fiery blush crept up her neck. She instead traced her gaze down his muscular legs, honed from years astride a horse.
Utterly mesmerized by this vision of flawless virility, Victoria’s breath caught at the sight of masculine perfection laid bare before her. No mere statue could ever hope to capture the rugged splendor of the living, breathing work of art that was her husband.
“Are you done?”
Victoria’s eyes flew to meet his, and she found his usual self-satisfied smirk on his lips. Mortified at being caught unabashedly observing him, Victoria tugged at her clothes in hopes of dispelling the heat that covered her body. She opened her mouth, but words failed her. Her throat had gone dry, rendered speechless by the knowing gleam in his eyes.
He leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb and crossed his long legs at the ankles, as one side of his mouth kicked up in a smile. “I can wait some more.”
“You…” Victoria fisted her hands at her side, angry at herself for being unable to take her eyes off him, angry at him for pointing it out, and angry at the entire situation. “You are shameless!”
His smile only widened.
“And unfair!” she cried, her mind finally returning to the problem at hand. “And cruel!”
A simple shrug was his answer.
“Do you have nothing to say for yourself? Did you haul yourself out of the bath to stand here and… and slosh water all over the floor of our bedchamber?”
“I am just giving you time to admire my manly physique.” Another shrug. “You, my dear, are the one who renegotiated the terms of our agreement yesterday. Since you are convinced you can go around kissing men on balconies, I decided that I can choose an appropriate punishment every time this happens. And since this is my house, I can set my own rules. Therefore no chair. You kissed a man and now you’ll have to live with the consequences of those actions.”
“The consequences being me sleeping on the floor? Or should I sleep in the bathtub?” She waved her hands toward the dressing room.
“Not at all,” he said with that infuriating calculating glint of his. “You are free to sleep by my side in my bed just like a spouse is supposed to.”
Victoria gasped. “I prefer the floor.”
He chuckled. “Yes, I know. You would rather sleep on the floor, or even outside, than share my bed. But as I said, my rules.”
She scoffed. “And why would I abide by your rules? What makes it palatable for me to do as you say? We have already been on one outing, and my reputation is patched if not mended. I might as well go home.”
William scratched his jaw. “For all your talk about honor, it turns out I am the honorable one, doesn’t it? I won’t even mention our vows, for you did vow to forsake all others and stand beside me in sickness and health. However, we agreed that you’ll stay with me for three months. And for three months you shall stay.”
“And how will you make me stay?” She raised a brow in challenge.
He shrugged. “I have my ways. And I always get what I want.”
“Is that so?” She narrowed her eyes at him, her jaw clenched.
“Yes, it is so.” In contrast to Victoria, who was as tense as a bowstring, the knave looked utterly relaxed.
“Well, if you think I shall willingly share your bed, you are sadly mistaken.”
He pushed off the door frame and stepped fully into the bedroom. “What if I offer you another deal?”
Victoria backed away from him. “What can you possibly offer me?”
He pursed his lips in thought, and Victoria’s eyes drifted down his body once more.
Oh, Boje! His body was too enticing; she couldn’t take her eyes off him. While he spoke, at least she had a refuge, the choice to concentrate on his words, but now that he was silent, her gaze couldn’t help but wander again.
“I have an idea,” he finally said. Thank God! She forced her gaze to meet his. “Let’s say we share a bed… No, do not interrupt. We share a bed, and by share, I mean literally. Half is yours, and the other half is mine. I won’t touch you, I won’t attempt to touch you, won’t even look your way unless you decide to speak to me. In which case, it can’t be helped, I am afraid.”
Most of Victoria’s strength went into her resolve to stare him in the eyes instead of… elsewhere. But the little energy that she had left, she directed into thinking through his proposition. She had to admit it didn’t sound half bad. Perhaps her back and neck wouldn’t hurt as much anymore. Yes, it meant sleeping by William’s side every night, but surely, she could manage that? As long as he didn’t sleep naked…
