“I see,” Robert muttered, sounding thoughtful.
“We realize that this situation is not ideal and that it’s unfair to put you in such a situation, Robert,” her father rushed to explain. “That’s why your father and I believe that you deserve compensation for your trouble.”
“And how much is that?” Robert asked, voicing her curiosity.
“Forty thousand pounds.”
Chapter 28
“I’d like a few minutes to discuss the matter with Elizabeth,” Robert said a stunned moment later as he did his best not to grab Elizabeth in his arms and run from this house and this conversation so that he wouldn’t have to face the fact that he was about to lose the woman that he loved to his brother.
“I don’t think that’s wise,” Lord Norwood said after a slight pause.
“Just a few minutes, Papa,” Elizabeth said, making every muscle in his body tense.
A few minutes…
That’s all it was going to take to rip his heart out of his chest.
“Very well,” Lord Norwood said stiffly. “We’ll be waiting in my study.”
Robert nodded but didn’t speak, too afraid that he’d say something that he’d regret later. He’d love nothing more than to yell at the man, but he wouldn’t, not in a million years. Elizabeth would never forgive him, and although he was doing his damndest to resign himself to the fact that he was about to lose her and probably never see her again, he didn’t want her last memory of him to be of him insulting her father.
When the door closed with a soft click, he opened his mouth to speak but realized that he didn’t know what to say. How was he supposed to compete with James? He was older, had a title and a respectable reputation. He would also be able to give her the life that she deserved, that was hers by right. Staying with him would only drag her down, and he loved her too much to do that to her.
If she wanted to save herself by marrying James, then he would allow it. He would sign the necessary documents to end their marriage and then he would leave. He’d gift the forty thousand pounds to her and be done with it. He didn’t want the money, didn’t need a constant reminder of what he’d lost. He would-
“Why are you taking off your nightgown?” Robert asked, unable to hide his confusion even as he did his best not to look down and failed…about five or six times.
“We only have a few minutes,” he thought she’d said, but he wasn’t entirely sure since all of his attention was on her beautiful breasts that bounced slightly as she leaned over the side of the bed and pulled on the silk rope.
“What?” Robert mumbled, struggling to focus as her breasts went ahead and bounced again as she shoved the covers off his lap, revealing a rather painful erection.
“Perfect,” she sighed as she threw her leg over him and straddled his lap.
“What’s perfect?” Robert asked absently, hissing seconds later when the tip of his cock brushed against her wet slit.
Instead of answering him, she laid one hand on his shoulder and, with the other hand, she reached down between them and grabbed hold of his erection. He opened his mouth once again to ask her what she was doing, but his words escaped him in a strangled moan when she rubbed the head of his cock between the lips of her wet sex.
Elizabeth released a frustrated groan as she shifted his cock against her once again. When she wiggled, brushing the tip against her core, he was forced to grab her hips and hold her still so that he could focus.
“Elizabeth-”
“Are you going to help me or not?” she demanded, doing her best to wiggle out of his hold.
“Help with what?” Robert asked, resisting the urge to close his eyes and lick his lips.
“Putting this thing inside of me!” she snapped, sounding frustrated and so damn cute that he couldn’t help but smile until her words registered in his mind.
“What?”
She released an annoyed sigh as she continued to wiggle, testing his patience and making his eager cock jump. “Look, Robert,” Elizabeth said, pausing to worry her bottom lip as she shifted on his lap, “we only have a few minutes to do this if we’re going to save this marriage, so I’d really appreciate a little help here.”
“You want to save our marriage?” he asked, stunned enough to tighten his grip on her hips to stop her maddening movements and focus on what she was saying.
She let out a snort as she released the grip she had on his cock and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “You really didn’t think that you were going to get rid of me that easily, now did you?” Elizabeth asked with a sweet smile as she leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips against his.
“I can’t give you the things that James can give you,” Robert felt obligated to point out.
