Page 28

Hector exhaled, willing himself to ignore her tone. “I was hoping to discuss how we might manage things together.”

Juliet turned to him with an incredulous expression. “I did not think you were interested in anything that would entail me being by your side, Your Grace.”

She is simply being difficult on purpose.

“Juliet,” Hector stated in a warning tone, “I am doing my best to be civil. Must you fight me on every little thing?”

“I am merely trying to play by the rules you set, Your Grace. When I wished for cordiality, you brushed off my request. Now, I am trying to respect the boundaries you have set, but you will not allow me. What is it you truly want, Your…”

Her words cut off as he wrapped his fingers around her chin and tilted her head back, so he could look her in the eye.

Hector had never felt as overwhelmed as he did in that moment.

“This mouth of yours,” he mumbled, smirking in satisfaction as she finally lost her frosty demeanor, “it is going to land you in a whole world of trouble someday, Juliet.”

For a moment she was silent then she defiantly met his gaze and retorted, “It won’t be anything I can’t handle.”

Upon hearing her utter those words, Hector struck his breaking point. He could have resisted and put some distance between them, but the only thing he wanted in that moment was to taste her. Before reason could change his mind, he closed the distance between them and claimed her lips.

She caught her breath as his lips met hers. Her gasp of surprise spurred Hector onwards, and he pressed himself closer to her, one hand rising to cup her cheek and chin and the other hand clasped to her waist.

Juliet returned his kiss with feverish intensity and threaded her fingers into his thick, luxurious hair as she crushed her mouth to his. Her inexperienced clumsiness made Hector smile as he nipped at her lower lip, aching to taste her. For the first time since their wedding, Juliet gave him exactly what he wanted.

CHAPTER 9

Asoft whimper escaped Juliet’s lips and startled Hector back to his senses. He abruptly ended their passionate kiss, stepped backwards, and pulled himself away from her.

Juliet stared at him, breathless and flushed. Hector found himself battling his desire to claim her and taste her once more and feel the delicious shivers that coursed across her dewy skin, but he steeled himself to resist the temptation, knowing that the consequences were far too dire to risk going further.

“Hector …”

“I must take my leave,” he muttered gruffly as he brushed past her and returned to the house.

Regardless of how fiercely his body yearned for her, Hector did not look back.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” Estella greeted Juliet as she entered the grand foyer of Islington Hall. Her tone was respectful, yet her voice had an unmistakable air of authority.

“Good morning, Mrs. Harris,” Juliet replied with a smile. “I was hoping you could show me around today and help me understand my duties. I would like to meet everyone at their posts.”

While she honestly believed that this was in crucial step if she was ever to become the true Duchess of Islington, Juliet’s motives were more self-centered.

Ever since Hector’s kiss, she had been unable to think of much else.

She could hardly remember what they had argued about, what had been said before he put his hands on her. Their closeness had made her breathless, and his kiss had caused her heart to beat into oblivion. It frustrated her to no end how brief that moment had been and how quickly he had left her afterwards.

Juliet believed that Hector was amused by playing with her emotions, but she was not going to play his game.

“Of course, Your Grace,” the housekeeper said, her eyes twinkling with approval. “We shall begin with the house staff. Itis important that you know who handles each of the duties in this household.”

As they walked through the sprawling corridors, Juliet noticed the staff going about their duties, each person contributing to the smooth running of the household. They curtsied as she walked past and went about their chores. Estella led them to the kitchen where the cook was preparing breakfast.

“Your Grace,” the cook curtsied, “I hope everything is to your liking.”

“Yes, thank you,” Juliet replied. She found the warmth of the kitchen and the delicious smells very comforting.

“This is Mitchell, and she creates all the meals for you and His Grace.” Estella entered the room and proudly announced, “These are the maids she works with. You will have no problem hosting events here. We do not even need to hire extra hands.”

Next, they moved to the library, a large room filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Juliet’s eyes lit up as she took in the sight.