Page 9 of The Duke’s Defiant Angel (Dukes Gone Dirty #1)

9

H is angel was avoiding him.

Raff knew it, and he couldn’t say he blamed her. She’d hurried up to her own rooms the night before after their card games...and other activities. She’d been nowhere to be found all day today.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He’d heard from his servants that she’d asked to explore the grounds.

Why she hadn’t asked him, he preferred not to know. It was humiliating enough that his new wife hadn’t actually wanted to become his wife. The fact that he wasn’t currently in her bed and buried inside her was even more insulting.

And yet, it was the fact that she’d opted to tour his grounds on her own that gnawed at him today. He glanced out the window at the overcast day.

Perhaps that was because he was rather bored himself. This was precisely why he rarely came to this house and never alone. There were too many memories here.

Not bad ones. Not good ones either. Just empty ones. Lonely ones.

Wasn’t a wife supposed to make a place feel less lonely?

“Lady Raffian has returned, Your Grace,” the butler announced from the doorway of his study.

“Good. Very good. Will you ask Her Grace if she would be kind enough to join me for dinner this evening.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Raff stared out the window some more, wondering how his life had come to this. How he , the Duke of Raffian, was all but begging his bride to share a meal with him.

He let out a humorless huff of laughter as he imagined what his friends would say.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

But when Evangeline joined him later that evening, he had no regrets about asking her to join him. She was dazzling in a shimmering blue gown that made her eyes sparkle and her skin glow. Her hair was half down, and the long locks shone, begging to be touched.

She begged to be touched.

And now that he’d watched her bring herself satisfaction, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could survive without touching her. Their interlude had been erotic and revealing.

And torture, plain and simple.

“My lady,” he murmured as he held out her seat for her himself, sending the other servants out of the room the moment the plates were laden with food.

“Did you enjoy your time exploring the grounds today?” he asked.

“I did, Your—Raff.”

He chuckled at her near slip, and when she peeked over with an impish grin, he could hardly swallow his wine for the sudden knot in his throat.

Good God. How the mighty have fallen, indeed.

He drew in a deep breath. It was lust, of course. It had been from the start. The sooner he made her acknowledge the attraction between them, the sooner he could fuck her right out of his system.

Even the most alluring woman lost some of her shine once the novelty wore off. And his wife would be no different.

“Tell me what you saw,” he said. Her sudden, answering smile gave him pause. “What’s so amusing?”

“It is your property, Raff. I’m certain you already know what I saw and who I met.”

He arched a brow, ignoring the first part. “You met people during your outing?”

“Mmm,” she said as she took a sip of soup. “I met quite a few people on my walk into town.”

“You...walked into town?” He sounded like a fool repeating her words back to her, but it couldn’t be helped. He’d thought she’d merely wandered the gardens or perhaps trekked through the surrounding meadows.

“Yes. I brought Mrs. Harper with me as a chaperone.” She paused with her spoon still raised. “You do not mind, do you?”

“No. No, of course not, I just…” He cleared his throat. “I should have liked to have shown you the local sights myself.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink. “I apologize. I thought you would be busy. My father spends most of his time working when we’re at our country house, so I just assumed…”

Working on what ? Raff wanted to ask. The man had clearly convinced his daughter he was a well-to-do, responsible landowner, but Tracker’s findings had made it clear just what a wastrel he was. The mother, too, if her excessive spending were anything to go by.

And all without a thought for their daughter’s future.

He was split right down the middle between guilt and pride as she smiled at him shyly now.

Her future was in his hands. She was his responsibility.

He’d had nothing but responsibilities on his plate since he was a child, but none had ever felt quite so momentous as this. For a moment, his confidence was shaken. “I would not hurt you, Angel.”

She blinked in surprise at his sudden outburst, and he cleared his throat.

Bloody hell, he sounded like a lunatic. “What I meant to say,” he continued, “was that I know we’ve had a rather unusual start, you and I. But I hope you know that you can trust me.”

To his surprise, she turned a brighter shade of red. “Do you mean…” She visibly swallowed. “Are you referring to last night?”

If she ducked her head any further, she’d be face first in her soup bowl.

“No, actually,” he said, unable to hide the amusement in his voice. “I’d hope that by now you realize I would not harm you physically. I merely meant that when it comes to your future and your happiness, I take my responsibility for your care very seriously.”

She lifted her head slowly. “Thank you. I appreciate you saying so.”

A silence fell, and it grew too heavy. Raff took a sip of his drink. Who was this man sitting in his chair? Making solemn vows over soup and fretting over a lady’s happiness? He hardly recognized himself.

Moreover, he’d stopped himself from taking her twice now. Twice .

He was either losing his faculties or had grown addled without a woman’s body under his. He hadn’t tupped anyone since he’d seen Evangeline all those weeks ago, and that, for him, was something of a miracle.

“What else did you do while you were out?” he asked.

She brightened. “I explored the gardens. Even though they’re not in bloom yet, they truly are a wonder.”

“Mmm,” he agreed. Were they? He supposed his gardener was due an increase in wages.

She leaned forward. “Do you visit the gardens often?”

“No,” he said. “I’m rarely in residence here, if you’ll recall.”

“Ah yes,” she sank back in her seat as if disappointed. Her words from the night before came back to him. She preferred the country, hadn’t she said that?

“You could make a home for yourself here,” he offered. The moment he said it, he felt as though he’d stepped in horse dung.

Her look of dismay was slight, but he caught it.

He shifted in his seat. “That is, I thought you liked it here.”

“Yes, I do,” she said quickly. “I just wondered...did you mean...that is…” She sighed and then dropped her spoon onto her plate. “I apologize, Raff. I am not very good with this sort of thing.”

“What sort of thing is that?” he asked, torn between amusement and dread at her sudden candor.

“The talking sort of thing,” she said with a wince.

“Again, I must beg to differ,” he said. “You were very clear the other night when you told me how you felt about me.”

He was teasing, but she blushed again. “Yes, well, I was angry then.”

“I see.” He set his spoon down as well. “Would it help you to speak your mind if I made you angry again?”

Her lips twitched with mirth.

He held his hands out and feigned innocence. “I am here to help you in any way I can. Shall I insult your precious books? Your mother, perhaps? I am afraid I cannot insult your looks because not even I am that good of a liar.”

She dropped her head with another blush, but he caught her smile. “You are teasing me.”

“I am.” He leaned forward. “But I will tell you this, Evangeline. As much as I did not enjoy hearing about your infatuation with another nor your distaste for me, I did very much appreciate your honesty.”

Her gaze lifted to meet his. “You did?”

“I did.” He paused. He didn’t actually mean to say anymore, but her bright, curious gaze seemed to urge him on. “I inherited the dukedom at a young age, you know?—”

“Yes, I’d heard,” she murmured.

“Aside from a few close friends from my school days—friends who are brutally honest with me, I’m afraid to say—I’ve grown accustomed to being surrounded by simpering sycophants. The fact that you are not, pleases me.”

Her eyes widened slightly, and her lips parted.

He sat back, suddenly uncomfortable at the way she was watching him. He’d shared too much. Waving a hand, his voice grew brisque. “So, get on with it. What did you wish to say?”

She cleared her throat and looked down at hands before taking a deep breath and lifting her gaze to meet his once more. “Your comment made me wonder about what you foresee for me. What you...expect of me.”

His lips curved up as his gaze caught on her lips. “As my wife, you mean?”

He’d rather thought that much was obvious.

“Yes, I mean after...Er, after…”

“After I get you with child?” he offered. He couldn’t quite hide his amusement at her embarrassment.

Had she forgotten that he’d touched her intimately the night before? How many times and in how many ways would he have to touch her before she lost that sweet shyness that had her blushing so often?

He aimed to find out.

“Yes,” she said. Straightening, she kept her focus on the candles that were situated in the center of the table. “As I said yesterday, I do enjoy the country more than the city. Once I have your children, I could stay here?”

“Yes.” His answer was too short. Hadn’t he said as much the other day?

She toyed with her spoon. “And you would...you would stay elsewhere?”

His jaw worked. “Yes.”

All his amusement faded fast. So that was what she’d been wondering. How quickly and easily she could get him out of her life. Planning on having a nice, cozy family life here in the country on her own, was she?

Silence fell again, and this time, he found no need to end it. It had been idiotic to think a dinner together might change anything. Besides, what did he care if she wanted his company or not? All that mattered was getting between those legs.

His gaze lifted, and he found her watching him before she dropped her own gaze down to her meal.

He might have his faults, but he wasn’t about to be cuckolded, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to be kept out of his wife’s bed.

That’s what he ought to be focused on. Making her ache so badly that she dropped down onto her knees and begged him to bed her.

He set his glass down with a clink so loud she jumped.

All in good time , he told himself.

All in good time.