Page 14 of The Duke’s Goddess (Duke Dare #2)

“The greatest strength lies not in physical might, but in the strength of character.”

—Joan of Arc

THWACK!

Joan had just let her dagger fly. Hitting the target smack in the middle of the bullseye gave her a sense of relief. Accomplishment. Control. This was one of a few places where she felt fully alive and herself. She had also been feeling that way with James lately, but she was trying to push those thoughts out of her mind. Her sisters understood her, and she knew she could always be herself around them. She was lucky to have them, though in this moment she was missing Boudicca. One day they might all be married and the family dynamics would change entirely. Joan hadn’t given that future thought much consideration until now, noting the impact of Boudicca's absence.

How would she manage the changing dynamic? Would she have a husband? Would he fit in well with her sisters? It was hard to imagine. So instead, she threw another dagger.

“Nice throw,” Mimi cheered.

Nobi clapped softly beside her, warming up to throw her set next. Even though knife throwing was Joan’s strength, her sisters engaged in the activity. Over the years, Joan had provided some pointers so that each sister could throw a blade with decent accuracy. Given that it was Joan’s passion, she practiced more often and out threw her sisters every time. Today was no exception.

She and her sisters were eccentric. Joan knew that. The four sisters grew up quite aware of their precarious reputation. It was safe. Of that there was no doubt. They were invited to balls, routs, house parties, and the like. But Joan always felt that one wrong move could ruin them. Now that Boudicca had married Wes, it gave them an extra layer of security. Him being a duke and all.

A duke.

Joan wanted to throw another dagger. The damn duke dare. It was weighing on her mind again. How could it not after her…encounter…with James?

Never, ever, ever did she ever act so recklessly as she did last night. And never, ever, ever had she expected herself to have any…feelings…for him.

“Joan,” —Nobi cleared her throat— “Are you all right?”

“Hmm? Why?” Joan asked distractedly. Usually knife throwing focused her mind, but it felt as though she were thinking in a cloud. Only the bullseye looked clear.

“You’re petting your blade…weirdly,” Nobi answered.

Joan looked down at her fingers, startled to see her irregular actions. Her fingers were grazing the engraved portion which made her blades a unique set. Each blade had a different quote from Joan of Arc. It was not only fitting, but inspiring.

“There’s no normal way to pet a blade, Nobi.” Mimi’s voice commanded attention. “What happened last night between you and James, Joan?”

“What? Why would you think anything happened last night?” Obviously Joan was feigning ignorance. As much as she loved her sisters, she just wasn’t ready to share anything yet.

Mimi flicked her finger down, pointing at the blade. “You’re petting that blade. Weirdly—as Nobi said. And as much as I know you like to throw daggers, I don’t think I’ve ever quite seen this level of angst in you before. So spill it. What happened?”

“Nothing happen—”

“Joan.” Mimi’s hands were on her hips and Nobi had her shoulders pulled back, as if she were bracing herself for the news.

“You can tell us, we won’t judge you. We’re your sisters.”

“That’s exactly why you might judge me, Nobi.” Joan sighed. It was futile to feign ignorance.

“I kissed him.” But she wasn’t a fool. She wasn’t about to share everything.

Mimi grasped her hands, deftly avoiding the pointy blade. “Oooooh. Tell us everything.”

That will not be happening.

“We kissed. That’s all there is to say—”

Mimi interrupted, “There’s more. There must be more. This is James we’re talking about—”

“That’s all there is to say.” Joan put her foot down. Literally. A small puff of dust wafted above her slippered foot to prove it. She hoped it was having the dramatic effect she desired.

“Mimi, that’s all she wants to say. Let’s respect her privacy.”

An exaggerated huff came out of Mimi’s nostrils. “Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s the plan now?”

“The plan?” Joan echoed. “There is no plan. We kissed. It was nice. That’s all.”

“It was nice?” Mimi narrowed her eyes at Joan. Then, quite contrary to her usual over the top pronouncements, she said in a hushed tone, “Lies.”

“Lies? I beg your pardon?”

And then more true to Mimi’s style, she shouted, “Lies!”

Joan glanced around, even though she was quite sure they were alone. Seeing no one, yet all the same she shushed her sister. “Mimi, please. Keep your voice down.”

“Only if you tell the truth.”

Well, the truth was not going to be revealed. Joan did not exactly want to share all of her truths. That it wasn’t just a nice kiss. It was a perfect kiss. A slice of heaven. With the gravity of the place too. Her feet felt as though they had been floating on air. And then when James had lifted her to straddle his hips. She was undone.

“Why are you fanning yourself? It’s not that hot out,” Mimi broke into her thoughts.

“It grew rather warm in the last few minutes. Wouldn’t you agree, Nobi?”

Nobi looked at each of her sisters. Mimi throwing daggers with her eyes, and Joan pleading silently. With no winning option, Nobi shrugged.

“Just how nice was the kiss?” Mimi teased.

“It was very nice.” Life-changing. Enough to ruin her for all other men. But that didn’t matter. James was not to be hers. He didn’t want to be a husband. And she most certainly did not want to snag a husband who would spend his life resenting the role.

“Would you like to do it again?”

Really, there was no point refusing that. “Yes.” But she also wanted to clarify the situation to her sisters. “But I won’t.”

“Why not?” Nobi asked with widened eyes.

“You think I should?” Nobi was a voice of reason between the three of them. If she was doubting Joan’s decision, her ears were listening.

“If you liked it…why not?” Nobi suggested quietly.

“We’re ladies. We have our reputations to worry about,” Joan replied.

Mimi was waving her hands in the air dismissively. “Just don’t let anyone find out. Wait. Did someone see you two? I didn’t hear anything. Nobi, did you hear any gossip?”

Nobi pursed her lips together and shook her head.

“You weren’t caught, were you?”

“No.” Joan could feel her heart rate picking. Of course she would love to kiss him again. She would love a lot from him, things she didn’t even know she wanted. She could feel it. But he was not available to her, and that was the most vexing part of all of this. If he could just be open to the idea of marriage, maybe she wouldn’t have any qualms about trapping him into the holy matrimony. She really, really, really wanted to throw that dagger about now. She raised her voice as she answered Mimi again, “No. We weren’t caught. But we could have been. And that’s reason enough to stay away from the rake.” As her voice rose, so did her knife-wielding hand.

And then a loud, booming voice called out, “Hello!”

She whirled around, knife high in the air, to see the rake himself.

“Speaking of being together,” Mimi teased. “There’s your rake now.”

“Quiet,” Joan hissed.

“Ummm…Joan, perhaps you want to lower your weapon,” Nobi whispered loudly.

“Yes. Quite right, Nobi.” Joan placed her dagger on the barrel they had been using as a table and watched as the Betting Buddies less one made their way over.

“Afternoon, Ladies,” Sam called out. Once they were near, Sam asked, “Don’t you ladies look lovely. Chris, don’t you think Nobi looks lovely?” Sam poked Chris in the ribs as Chris awkwardly stared at Nobi.

When Chris said nothing, Sam poked him again.

“Uh…yes, you look lovely Nobi. As always.” Chris admitted reluctantly. And was that a small blush Joan could see creeping up his neck?

Well, that was awkward. But Joan didn’t have a moment to analyze that interaction.

Same spoke up again, “What a perfect day for a competition.”

“You say that about every day,” Chris ribbed him.

“And it is true of every day.” Sam rubbed his hand over his mouth. “Now what do we have here? Dagger throwing? What kind of wagers can we place on this?”

“Place wagers all you like, so long as you don’t mind losing to a woman,” Mimi stated the obvious, as was obvious to all three sisters. “Oh that’s right. You’re quite comfortable losing to women, aren’t you?”

“Don’t poke the bear,” Amused, Chris stepped in offering advice.

“He’s nothing but a stuffed bear. All soft on the inside,” Mimi teased.

Sam stood to his full height, saying, “There’s nothing soft about me, and I have no problems proving that to you.”

“Please do—” Mimi was interrupted quickly by Chris.

“There’ll be no proving any hardness here. There. Or anywhere.”

“Not on Old MacDonald’s Farm either,” Mimi taunted. “E-I-E-I-O.”

“You’re just a child,” Sam scoffed. “Although I don’t usually permit it, I don’t mind allowing a child the upper hand in a competition. It boosts their confidence. What say you to a 5 yard advantage? You may throw the first dagger.”

Mimi glared at him. “You bet your arse I’ll throw the first dagger. I’ll throw it right at your—”

“Enough,” Chris stepped in at the same time as Nobi. Each one calming their corresponding friend.

“Shall we walk this off, Mimi?” Nobi asked gently.

“I’m fine,” Mimi shook her sister’s hand from her shoulder, then stalked off back toward the house.

Sam belted out a laugh which only caused Mimi to vocalize a loud growl.

Joan wasn’t even sure how it all happened, but once her sisters took off, so did Chris and Sam; thus leaving her alone with James.

Exactly where she wanted to be.

But not.

“You mentioned you liked daggers. I don’t think I quite realized the extent of it. It’s rather an obsession for you, isn’t it?” James was standing a foot away, dark hair gleaming in the sun, eyes shining, smile even brighter. Was there an ounce of this man that wasn’t sparkling right now?

“Right after family, they’re my life.”

“Nice to hear you have your priorities aligned. Not every family does.”

And that, right there, that remark, reminded her of some subtle comments James had made before. And she thought to herself that now might be the perfect time to press him for details.

“Did your family?”

It was a direct question. More direct, more personal than any she had yet to ask him. But she had nothing to lose. If he didn’t answer her, she was no better off than having not asked the question. And if he was upset with her, well, it wasn’t as if anything was going to happen between them anyway. And if he did answer the question…well, she really hadn’t thought that far ahead. That would be a miracle—

“No.”

“What?”

He stepped closer. The air around her—the vast expanse of air mind you—shrunk. As if she couldn’t breathe in his presence. And he wasn’t even that close. He was still an arm’s length away. And she was quite familiar with the length of his arms now…so really, she knew that to be a fact.

“You asked if my family had their priorities straight. I answered, no.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s in the past.” He shrugged, but it didn’t really look like a casual shrug. It didn’t shrug the invisible weight from his shoulders like it was a feather, more like it was a ton of bricks and his shoulders were struggling to heave off the burden.

“Is it in the past, truly?” And she knew she shouldn’t ask her next question, but something about being in James's vicinity made her reckless, so she went with it. “Or is it affecting your future too much?”

Another shrug.

“I have to go.” He turned to leave.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Perhaps not. But it’s fine.” He smiled. “What I meant was, I have to go water some plants.”

“Right now? Which plants?” That was completely unexpected. She had no clue what he was talking about. “We ’re at a house party a little bit busy at the moment, wouldn’t you say? What plants could you possibly have to water?”

He was laughing at her with his eyes now. “You’ll figure it out. I’ll return shortly. Don’t go anywhere.” And with that, he took off into the bushes.

As she watched the trees soak him into their branches, she noticed his hands working on something at the front of his breeches.

Oh. That kind of watering. Well, she felt rather foolish.

She took up a dagger, readied her stance, and flung it toward the target. Bullseye.

Taking another dagger, she inhaled deeply, and was about to launch when—

“Eeeyaaaa!” A loud screech rattled through the trees up into the clear blue sky.

“James?!” she shouted, running toward the sound. What could have possibly happened to the man? She ran into the grove, calling his name. “James!”

“Joan, stop.” James bellowed. “Don’t move.”

“Where are you?” Joan looked around wildly. She could hear him but she couldn’t see him anywhere.

“I’m over here.”

“I can’t see you—”

“Look up.”

And there hung James in a tree, caught up in a hunter’s snare by one foot. His hair hung down at all angles, a flush was in his cheeks. But what really grabbed her attention was his hand on his partially exposed cock, falls flapping in the light breeze.