“Your Grace?” Margot’s voice spoke softly from the other side of the door. “Are you… Are you decent?”
He grimaced, and his pulse quickened. “What do you want?” he said loudly, a bit aggressively, but perhaps it was for the best.
“Please,” she said from behind the closed door. “This will only take a moment.”
He groaned because he knew he could not ignore her. Then he steadied himself, forcing coolness and calmness through him. This would not be so hard. All he had to do was control himselfand not flirt outrageously. Surely, even he was capable of that?How depressing that this might be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
Sebastian sighed and crossed the room, opening the door without waiting because that would only give him time to panic.
“Yes?” he said as the door flew open. His smile was polite but not dripping with his usual smarm.
“Oh.” She blinked as if surprised that he answered. “I…” Her eyes flicked over his body, widening slightly. “I hope this isn’t… I did not mean to disturb you.”
Sebastian realized that he was dressed rather indecently. Still clothed, but in the midst of undressing. And from the way that she gaped, not to mention the pink hue rising on her cheeks, he guessed that she wasn’t in the least bit upset by it.That she wants me to make this so much more difficult.
“Disturb me?” He could not stop himself from smirking suggestively, just as he could not stop himself from stepping through the doorway so that they were close. And just as he could not stop himself from folding his arms, tilting his head, and letting his eyes slowly roam over her body. “My dear wife, you could never disturb me.”
“I had not meant to,” she said quickly, snapping her head down so that she wasn’t looking at him. “I would prefer it if that were the case.”
“And yet here you are…” He chuckled playfully. “Why, I would almost think that you wanted to catch me in the midst of undressing. How very convenient.” He exhaled sharply and cursed inwardly at himself.Control yourself!
Expectantly, Margot snapped her head back up and fixed him in a rueful glare. “You cannot help yourself, can you?”
“Me?” He touched his chest innocently. “I am not the one who has come to my room as you have. And at a time when you must have known I would be readying for bed.” He clicked his tongue. “Shame on you, Your Grace. Thinking to take advantage of me.”
“I was not!”
“Yet here you are,” he said rightly. “Now, tell me…” He flashed his eyes. “What could not possibly wait until morning? Or rather, what was so important that you felt the need to disturb me on our wedding night? Unless…” His smile turned to a suggestive grin. “Oh dear, is that what you –”
“You are being ridiculous!” she huffed, determined it seemed to dissuade him, but doing a terrible job because he could see how her body shuddered and her eyes continued to flick over him.
Oh yes, she wants me. I am sure of it. And if I were to take her by the hand now, pull her into the room, slam the door closed behind us, it would not take a genius to guess what might happen.
And dammit, how he wanted to. He opened and closed his right hand as the thought took him. He licked his lips as he imagined her taste, how she would melt into his arms. And he felt blood rush to his crotch, a stiffness grow in his pants as all he wanted to do was…
Sebastian grimaced.No… control yourself, dammit!
He could not believe how weak he was. It had taken a mere second, and he’d broken the promise made to himself. If this marriage was to work, he needed to keep things civil. What was more, he needed to quit his flirting and treat her as he had promised that he would.
“I am…” He sucked through his teeth. “Sorry about that.”
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I said I am sorry,” he repeated. “I should not have… been so cavalier. And rude, for that matter.” He forced himself to look past her, not devouring her body as she was wearing that same gown and her curves… her bosom… he could drown in them. “You need something?”
“Oh…” She blinked again, caught off guard by the change in tone. “I…” She frowned and leaned back, wary like one might be around a stray hound they came upon in the wild. “I wish to bed down for the night, only it has occurred to me that I do not have any night clothes to do it.”
“That is why you are you?”
“Why else?”
He might have laughed. He wanted to! Truly, he had assumed that she’d come to him for the obvious reason. Why else would she be at his door like this? But the request was so simple, so obvious, that he felt like a damn fool for thinking otherwise. What was more, he felt a sense of relief take him, feeling for the first time like he might be able to control himself.
“Nothing else,” he laughed and shook his head. “And honestly, I am sorry I did not think of that when we arrived.”
“Oh…” She furrowed her brow as if she did not believe him. “That is fine. It is not your fault.”
“It is,” he assured her. “Lucky for the two of us, it is an easy fix.” He clicked his tongue as he considered. “If you will just wait in your room, I’ll have your luggage brought to you.”
