“Return to your home now,” he said flatly, already turning away from her to adjust his own disheveled clothing. “It is late.”
Nora stared at his back, feeling as though she had been doused with ice water. “What?”
“You heard me,” Godric said, his voice devoid of emotion. “Go home, Miss Nora.”
Hurt and anger warred within her. “You cannot just –”
Godric interrupted, turning to face her again, his eyes dark – this time missing the desire that had stirred her insides.
“Your actions have shown that you clearly require a strict guardian, someone to keep you from making foolish decisions. As such, I will be by your side at all times going forward. Is that understood?”
Nora felt as though she had been slapped. She yanked her bodice back into place, fastening it with shaking fingers, her cheeks burning with humiliation.
“Perfectly,” she bit out.
She turned on her heel and marched toward the door, her entire body vibrating with fury. How dare he? How dare he reduce her to begging, show her such pleasure, and then dismiss her as though she were nothing more than a troublesome child?
As she walked back to her own house, her emotions in complete turmoil, one thought manifested in her mind with perfect clarity.
If Godric wanted war, she would give it to him.
He had made her feel anger, confusion, and desire. Now it was time to make him feel something in return.
This time, she would make him angry. Furious, even.
And she would enjoy every moment of it.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Nora woke the following morning with her body still tingling from the previous night's encounter and her mind in absolute chaos.
As sunlight filtered through her curtains, she became acutely aware of the dull ache between her thighs, a lingering reminder of Godric's skilled fingers and the pleasure he had teased and coaxed from her body. Heat flooded her cheeks at the memory, and she pressed her face into her pillow with a groan.
What had she been thinking?
It was clear, of course, that her actions had been void of any form of thought. She had simply felt so much, inevitably surrendering to the sensations she had never experienced before, letting Godric guide her into uncharted territory with shocking ease.
And oh, what he had made her feel.
Her body craved more. Even now, with the morning light dawning over the foolishness of her actions, she found herself remembering the warmth of his hands, the press of his lips against her skin, the delicious friction of his fingers working her until she was in ruins.
But alongside the yearning, a deeper ache had settled in her chest. The cold dismissal that had followed their intimacy had stung more than she cared to admit. It stung that he had simply turned away, as though what they had shared meant nothing, as though she meant nothing beyond being an obligation he was forced to endure.
And as though she were not plagued by enough problems, she had come to a realization that had robbed her of proper rest for the remaining night. It seemed that her hopes of securing a husband by the end of the season were slipping further and further from her reach.
How could she focus on finding a suitable match when her every thought circled back to the infuriating duke? How could she consider a future with another man when Godric's touch had awakened something within her that she suspected no one else could satisfy?
With a frustrated sigh, Nora threw back her covers and called out for Annabelle. She would not spend the entire day dwelling on her problems. She needed distraction, perspective, and perhaps some sisterly advice.
“Good morning, Miss,” Annabelle said cheerfully as she entered the room. “You are up early today.”
“I have decided to visit my sister,” Nora announced, already moving toward her wardrobe. “Isobel. I will need to pack a bag, as I shall be staying the night.”
Annabelle's eyes widened with delight. “Oh, how lovely! The Duchess does live quite far, does she not? It will be good for you to get away from the city for a bit.”
Yes, Nora thought with a small, vindictive smile.And it will be even better to defy Godric's order that I remain by his side at all times.
If he wanted to play guardian, she would show him just how difficult she could make that task.
