“She told me I’ll never be her mother. That must mean she doesn’t want me here. If I’m to reach her, you have to trust me to do it my way. No rigid rules, no packed schedules. They’re stifling her, and frankly, they’re stifling me too.” Camelia frowned.
Raph’s jaw clenched, his hands flexing at his sides as he fought the urge to push her back against the wall and silence her with another searing kiss.
He took a step closer, his tall figure looming, but Camelia raised a hand, stopping him mid-stride.
“Not so fast, Your Grace,” she said with finality. “You can’t just pin me to a wall every time I speak my mind. Or is that your only strategy for dealing with me?”
His lips quirked into a dangerous smirk. “It’s a tempting one, little flower. You seem to respond well to… being restrained.”
He enjoyed watching her react to his seductive words.
Camelia’s cheeks flushed, but she held her ground and spoke sharply. “Tempting or not, it won’t solve the fact that Pamela’s hurting. She’s not a ledger to be balanced with your schedules. She needs warmth, love, and protection. Not the chains of rules and regularities.”
Raph’s eyes narrowed, his control fraying at her boldness. “Those rules are the only thing protecting her. Structure is hershield in a world that would judge her for her birth. You’ll follow my lead, Camelia, or we’ll have more lessons to make sure you do.”
She arched an eyebrow, undeterred, her lips twisting in a snarl. “Is that what you call tying me up and kissing me senseless? If so, I’m not sure who’s teaching whom,Your Grace.”
He stepped closer, his voice a low growl. “Camelia, you’re playing with fire, and I’m not above burning you in the most delicious way.”
Camelia’s breath hitched, but she pressed on with fierce determination. “Fire or not, I see Pamela for who she is. She’s like a bird in a cage, afraid to fly or even sing. All I ask is that you let me try my way. Trust me to know what she needs.”
Raph’s gaze hardened, his thoughts churning with fury.
“You presume much, Duchess,” he said in a clipped tone. “Pamela’s well-being is my responsibility, as it is yours. My rules have kept her safe all along, and they will continue to keep her safe. You do not have my permission to change anything.”
Camelia’s eyes flashed with hurt, but she didn’t back down. “Are you keeping her safe? Or smothered? You can’t lock her away from the world forever. Or me, for that matter. I’m your wife, not your puppet.” She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Tell me the truth—do you still mourn Pamela’s mother? Is this fortress of rules your way of ensuring her safety because you couldn’t save her?”
The question struck him like a blade, and for a moment, his eyes shuttered. All of his buried pain and anger surfaced.
How dare she probe there, summoning ghosts I’ve long buried?
His voice turned cold, a sharp edge cutting through the charged air. “You’re dismissed, Camelia. This lesson is over.”
Camelia’s face flushed with anger, her frustration etched in the tight set of her mouth. “But I?—”
“I said, you’re dismissed!”
She flinched at the sound of his raised voice.
“Camelia, I?—”
Before he could apologize, she spun on her heel, her gown swirling like a storm after her, and stormed out. The door slammed shut behind her, leaving him alone in his room.
The echo of her departure rang in his ears.
I nearly lost myself in her lips, her body, her heat.
He paced to the window, cursing himself as he gripped the ledge and stared out at the gardens. Camelia’s writhing body haunted him. Her bound wrists made her irresistible, exposing her most distractingly delicious parts.
“I cannot allow her to get under my skin,” he reminded himself.
Raph exhaled sharply, his breath fogging the glass pane. He had to regain control and remember the purpose of his marriage. His left shoulder stung, and the familiar pain jolted him back to reality.
He turned, his gaze falling on the desk where his cravat lay discarded, a silent reminder of how close he had come to surrendering to his wife. He almost allowed his desires to consume him.
Pamela is my priority. Camelia and the heir business can wait.
The decision settled over him like a shroud, grounding him in the midst of his lust.
