Was it possible she was jealous? Of Claudette?
Ridiculous as it was, could that be the reason for her reluctance? The thought cheered him. Much better she be jealous than indifferent.
“Claudette is a friend, nothing more.”
Isobel made a dismissive snort and looked away.
“We must go talk with William and Catherine about how best to approach the king. ’Tis late, and my brother needs his rest, so we mustn’t tarry.” He held out his hand to her.
She rose without taking it and stood toe to toe with him. “I will not,” she said flatly.
He sucked in a breath to calm himself before speaking. “We must accept the consequences of our actions. I’d prefer you entered into this marriage gladly. Regardless, I will try to be a good husband to you. I hope, in time, I can make you happy.”
“I will deny anything happened between us.”
He was stunned. “But why?”
She clamped her lips together and refused to answer.
“You cannot wish to have de Roche as your husband.”
It was bad enough that she was less than enthusiastic about marrying him. But surely she could not prefer that smarmy Frenchman over him?
“I made a promise to the king,” she said, crossing her arms, “and I will make good on it.”
“And what of our promise to each other?” he asked. “We made a promise by what we did in the old croft at the abbey.”
“From what I hear, Stephen Carleton, you give such ‘promises’ to women all the time.”
“Those women were different.”
“How?” she demanded, giving him a hard look.
Why did he need to explain this to her? “Those women took me to their beds for pleasure only. It was understood between us. I misled none of them. Most were not even free to marry.”
“Then I am no different,” she said. “I took you for pleasure, and I am not free to marry.”
Her words were like a knife to his heart. Had she really used him like that? Had he been so mistaken in believing what happened between them meant as much to her as it did to him?
At least he knew how to play it now. This was a game he was good at. He would take his own advice. In a fight for your life, you must use the advantage you have, not the one you wished you had.
He pulled her roughly against him and slowly, deliberately, ran his thumb over her full bottom lip.
“De Roche would disappoint you.”
She looked up at him with wide green eyes and blinked once, twice. Already, her breathing changed.
“I want you naked.” He held her gaze and let her see how much he meant it. He did want her that way, he just wanted her heart more.
Her lips parted, and her gaze dropped to his mouth. “I… I…” She tried to speak, but her words drifted off as he ran his finger along the side of her neck and down her throat.
When he reached the top of her gown, her breath hitched. He could almost hear her thoughts, they were so plain on her face. She was telling herself she should back away, but she wanted his touch too much to listen.
He would make sure of it.
He brushed his finger ever so slowly along the delicate skin at the edge of her bodice, across the rise and fall of her breasts. Like warm beeswax, she melted against him.
“You want to be kissed?” He tried to hang on to his cool calculation, but it was hard with her looking at him like that.
