Page 33 of Scandalous: Family Ties and Spies

“I…I dinnae…”

“Now, Amalie.” He pinched her earlobe with his teeth, and a blast of heat swept across his neck as she gasped loudly.

“I dinnae want tae, but…I…I do,” she moaned.

Triumph slammed into him. Her fingers slid through his hair, and the moment he lifted his head slightly, she tugged him down to kiss him hard. Fire and pleasure charged through him at her provocative caress. A dark groan rolled up out of his chest the instant she slid her tongue along the seam of his lips.

Without hesitation, he gave her the freedom to explore his mouth with her tongue. Last night she’d been tentative in the way her tongue had danced with his. Now her caress had blossomed into a full on assault that threatened his ability to think straight. Every sweet, sensual caress proved his future wife was a quick study.

A silent, exuberant shout of delight echoed in his head as the honeyed taste of her flooded his mouth, and her tongue stirred his desire with every hot, candied stroke. One hand cupping her bottom, he pulled her tighter into him until his growing erection was pressed into the apex of her thighs. His hand sliding up along her waist, he cupped a full breast, his thumb brushing along the edge of her corset as it sought the stiff peak of a nipple beneath the material of her dress.

When his thumb found the rigid tip, she shuddered hard. The musical lilt of her voice rushed into his ears as she whispered a plea for more. The gentle gyration of her hips, whether an innocent move or by design, sent him reeling. Christ, he wanted her even more now than he had last night. The woman was an aphrodisiac that threatened his reason whenever she was in his arms.

Lost in a desire to explore every inch of her, he deepened their kiss. It was a hard, demanding caress, and she responded with a passion that made his body ache. She moved against him once more, and his hands trembled as his fingers caught a handful of her skirt, preparing to raise it until his hand could feel her soft, lush thighs before his fingers found her core. A sweet spot he was certain was slick, wet, and ready for him to plunder.

The sudden image of a tall, enraged Scotsman filled his head, and he stiffened. With a jerk, Valeran lifted his head and fought to control his ragged breathing. Amalie moaned her objection, and his body twitched violently, daring him to risk a brutal beating from Crianlarich simply to claim her right now.

Pushing back against the tempting thought, Valeran swallowed the knot in his throat. Gently, his fingers caught her chin and tilted her head up so he could see the shadowed contours of her face. With a smile, he trailed his fingertips across the silken skin of her cheek, still struggling to regain control of his body.

“I never would have guessed there was such a passionate, fiery siren beneath that little country mouse façade,” he said.

The instant he spoke, Amalie grew rigid in his arms. In the next breath, she released a low sound that was a mixture of fury and what Valeran thought might be pain. With a hard slap, she knocked his hand away from her face.

“I am nae a country mouse.”

At her vicious exclamation, Valeran jerked in surprise, and before he could stop her, she broke free of his hold. She put several feet between them, and he could tell she was shaking. Violently. But why? Clasping his hands behind his back, he cleared his throat.

“My words weren’t meant as an insult, Amalie. I was teasing you.” His explanation only seemed to deepen her anger as he saw her fingers curl up into a fist.

“I may have nae choice but tae marry ye, Lord Sommerville,” she bit out viciously. “But I am nae some green country lass you can charm into your bed.”

Her fiery words were harsh with what he was certain was panic. Never in his life had Valeran ever met a woman who baffled, angered, intrigued, and excited him as much as Amalie did. Irritated and confused by her reaction, Valeran narrowed his gaze at her shadowy figure.

“Is that a challenge, Amalie?”

“Nae, it is a fact, my lord. Once we are married, I will return home with my parents until a reasonable amount of time passes for me tae seek a divorce.”

“I see.”

“Aye, and ye can take a mistress or court another country mouse tae be your brood mare after we divorce. I will nae share your bed.”

Although he wasn’t all that surprised by her anger, the strength of it though was baffling. The note of panic in that sultry voice of hers was equally startling. But her fiery reaction simply highlighted how powerful her passionate nature was. Amalie would never do anything halfway.

Out of all the women he could have compromised, he could not have chosen a more suitable one to be the Countess of Sommerville. As the thought unfurled in his head, it became a powerful epiphany. He’d actually found a woman who possessed every quality he’d hoped to find in a wife. Stunned by the realization, Valeran bowed his head to prevent revealing even the slightest hint of his amazement.

Jamie had said Amalie could be a loyal friend to those she cared about. The fact Amalie didn’t want to marry anyone meant she’d be more open to a marriage based on friendship and respect. While love would never be part of their relationship, he did need a wife who would be his confidant and partner. Deep inside, he was certain Amalie was someone he would be able to trust once he managed to make her see him in a different light.

Clever and quick-witted, she wouldn’t hesitate to use that sharp tongue of hers to stand toe-to-toe with him or put him in his place when he needed it. Passion in the bedroom had simply been a wish, not an expectation or even a hope. But it was obvious her desire for him was as strong as his need for her, which meant he’d been speaking the truth when he’d said he’d find pleasure in their marital bed. As for whatever Amalie viewed as his transgressions, he was confident he could convince her to see him in a more positive light.

With each successive thought, his astonishment quickly became elation. He’d actually found a woman who possessed every quality he’d ever hope to find in a countess. The fact Amalie had demonstrated that to him in less than twenty-four hours was extraordinary. The woman he’d thought was a frightened little mouse hiding in the shadows had been an illusion. In fact, Amalie was a woman of unbelievable rarity.

Just before his sister and parents had been murdered, Valeran’s father had pointed out a rare, red-winged kite on a trip his family had made to Scotland. The bird’s red feathers were just as vivid in his head now as the day they’d been etched into his memory. Amalie was just as rare a creature as that red-winged kite. The passion in her was as brilliant and vibrant as a kite’s fiery red feathers, while her sharp tongue was no less painful than the bird’s talons. But he welcomed her passionate fire and the marks her talons would make.

Amalie would make life interesting. Exciting.

She would do him proud as the Countess of Sommerville. The only question now was how to convince her they would do well together as man and wife. Last night had practically ensured she had no choice but to marry him. But it was more than obvious she found the prospect objectionable. Amalie had made that quite clear by declaring she had no intention of living with him. Her resistance to the idea had been further emphasized by stating she would divorce him after a sufficient amount of time had passed.

What would she do if he pushed her into this marriage? In all likelihood, she might hate him even more than she already did. He gritted his teeth and winced at the thought. It would make his task of changing her opinion of him all the more difficult, but not impossible. A sudden flash of insight told him there would never be another chance to secure her hand if he didn’t call her bluff now. He could earn her trust and friendship after their wedding.