Page 25 of Trapped with her Cruel Duke

“Wife, I would have a word with you.”

Louise started at the voice so close behind her and turned to find the Duke standing between Neilson and his mother. His dark gaze was fixed on her with all the brooding intensity it once had behind the wolf mask.

Without waiting for her reply, Christian turned on his heel and stalked into the house. Much to her irritation, Louise felt compelled to follow him.

Christian was still angry after his encounter with Lady Carruthers, and his mood had not improved upon seeing his wife.

Her skirt was six inches deep in mud while she brandished a spade, joking and laughing with his mother as though they had known one another forever.

She never laughs like that with me.

He had been approaching them, trying to reconcile this happy woman with the angry Ice Queen he had encountered at the ball. And then she had mentioned Marcus, and a tendril of something ugly and vicious unfurled in his chest.

It felt like jealousy—an emotion Christian had never experienced in his life.

Without waiting to see that she was following him, he walked to his study and poured himself a generous measure of brandy, not realizing that she was only five steps behind him.

He turned to find her standing before him, her hands on her hips, looking deeply unimpressed.

“If you want to have a ‘word’ with me because I got myself dirty, I am fully aware that?—”

He raised his hand. “I could not care less about your appearance. I can buy you a dozen dresses if you wish to play about in the mud.”

She lowered her arms, looking confused. “Then what is it you wish to say?”

His fingers clenched around his glass as he took a long sip.

Am I really going to lower myself to?—

“What was the nature of your relationship with my brother? Did you lie to me when you told me there is nothing between the two of you?”

Louise’s eyes went wide. “What?”

Christian slammed his glass on his desk, watching the amber liquid slosh over the rim, and then walked toward her. He gripped her waist roughly and pulled her against him.

“Is he the reason you will not let me touch you?”

Her hands came up to rest on his forearms as she leaned away from him. “You will release me, Your Grace. You have this all wrong!”

He pulled her against him again, hardening in an instant as she shuddered in his arms. Her eyes widened when she felt the evidence of his arousal.

“So, you want me to touch you?” he asked, his voice a low growl. “Because I’ve been thinking about it ever since you talked back to me at the masquerade ball.”

“You are mad,” she huffed, trying to free herself again, but he was too strong for her.

“Then you have driven me mad,” he said softly.

Louise let out a choked cry as he pushed her back toward the desk and her back connected with it. He thrust his hips forward, and she let out a gasp as he lowered his face to hers, their lips a hair’s breadth apart.

Her breath mingled with his as one of his hands remained on the small of her back and the other trailed down her waist. His eyes never left hers, and she was unable to look away.

Control this.Push him away.

But her body would not obey her mind. She could only wait and watch as he slowly trailed his hand down her thigh and inward toward her core.

Her jaw was slack with shock, but her body burned bright for him even now. Her skin was alight with need, and despite her uncertainty about what might happen next, she could feel a pulse of heat building within her that was impossible to deny.

His lips brushed hers as he spoke again.